Cloud Commander – Web File Manager to Control Linux File and Programs via Browser

As a Linux user, managing files and programs can sometimes be challenging, especially when working remotely. Fortunately, Cloud Commander offers a solution to this problem by providing a web-based file manager that allows you to control Linux files and programs via a browser.

What is Cloud Commander?

Cloud Commander is a web-based file manager that provides a graphical user interface (GUI) to manage files, programs, and processes on a Linux machine. It is designed to be lightweight and fast, with a simple and intuitive interface that allows you to quickly navigate and manage files on your Linux machine.

Cloud Commander is written in Node.js, which means that it can be installed on any Linux machine that has Node.js installed. It can be accessed via a web browser, which makes it easy to manage files and programs remotely.

Cloud Commander Features

Cloud Commander offers a range of features that make it an essential tool for Linux users, including −

• File Manager − The file manager is the primary feature of Cloud Commander, and it allows you to navigate, view, edit, and manage files and directories on your Linux machine. You can perform basic file operations like copy, move, delete, and rename files and folders. You can also view file properties, edit text files, and create new files and directories.

• Terminal Emulator − Cloud Commander also includes a terminal emulator, which allows you to execute shell commands directly from the web interface. This feature is especially useful when working remotely, as it eliminates the need for a separate SSH client.

• Process Manager − The process manager allows you to view and manage running processes on your Linux machine. You can view process details like CPU and memory usage, and you can kill processes that are causing problems or taking up too many resources.

• Plugin Support − Cloud Commander supports a range of plugins that extend its functionality. For example, you can install a Git plugin to manage Git repositories, or an FTP plugin to connect to remote FTP servers.

Installing Cloud Commander

Installing Cloud Commander on your Linux machine is a straightforward process. Here's how to do it −

• Install Node.js − Cloud Commander is built on Node.js, so the first step is to install Node.js on your Linux machine. You can do this by running the following command −

sudo apt-get install nodejs

• Install Cloud Commander − Once Node.js is installed, you can install Cloud Commander by running the following command −

sudo npm install cloudcmd -g

This will install Cloud Commander globally on your machine.

• Start Cloud Commander − To start Cloud Commander, simply run the following command −

cloudcmd

This will start Cloud Commander and open it in your default web browser.

Using Cloud Commander

Once you have installed Cloud Commander, you can start using it to manage files and programs on your Linux machine. Here are some examples of how to use Cloud Commander −

• Navigating Files and Directories − To navigate files and directories, simply click on the file or directory that you want to open. You can navigate up and down the directory tree by clicking on the breadcrumb trail at the top of the file manager.

• Editing Files − To edit a file, simply double-click on the file in the file manager. This will open the file in a text editor, where you can make changes and save them.

• Running Shell Commands − To run a shell command, simply open the terminal emulator by clicking on the "Terminal" button in the toolbar. This will open a terminal window where you can execute shell commands like you would in a regular terminal.

• Managing Processes − To manage processes, click on the "Processes" button in the toolbar. This will open the process manager, where you can view and kill running processes.

• Installing Plugins − To install plugins, click on the "Settings" button in the toolbar, and then select "Plugins". This will show you a list of available plugins that you can install. To install a plugin, simply click on the "Install" button next to the plugin that you want to install.

• Starting Cloud Commander with Custom Configuration − By default, Cloud Commander uses a configuration file located at ~/.cloudcmd.json. However, you can specify a custom configuration file by using the --config option. Here's an example −

cloudcmd --config /path/to/custom/config.json

• Setting a Custom Port − By default, Cloud Commander listens on port 8000. However, you can specify a custom port by using the --port option. Here's an example −

cloudcmd --port 8080

• Using Plugins − Cloud Commander supports a range of plugins that can be installed to extend its functionality. To install a plugin, you can use the npm package manager. Here's an example −

npm install cloudcmd-plugin-git

Once the plugin is installed, you can enable it by adding it to the plugins array in your configuration file −

{
   "plugins": [
      "git"
   ]
}

• Using Cloud Commander with HTTPS − To use Cloud Commander with HTTPS, you can use a reverse proxy like NGINX. Here's an example configuration −

server {
   listen 443 ssl;
   server_name example.com;

   ssl_certificate /path/to/cert.pem;
   ssl_certificate_key /path/to/key.pem;

   location / {
      proxy_pass http://localhost:8000;
      proxy_set_header Host $host;
      proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
      proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
   }
}

This configuration listens on port 443 and forwards requests to Cloud Commander running on port 8000. It also sets some headers to preserve the original IP address and to allow Cloud Commander to correctly generate URLs.

Conclusion

Cloud Commander is a powerful web-based file manager that allows you to control Linux files and programs via a browser. It is easy to install and use and offers a range of features that make it an essential tool for Linux users.

Whether you are working remotely or managing files on a local Linux machine, Cloud Commander provides a simple and intuitive interface that makes it easy to navigate and manage files and programs. With features like a file manager, terminal emulator, process manager, and plugin support, Cloud Commander is a versatile tool that can help you be more productive and efficient in your work.

So if you are a Linux user looking for a better way to manage files and programs, give Cloud Commander a try. You won't be disappointed!