OpenWebMail Help Tutorials >> Directories & Files

The Webdisk module provides a web interface for the user to access his home directory as a virtual disk on the web. The top directory of the virtual disk is mapped to the user's home directory, and any item displayed in the virtual disk is actually located under the users home directory. Like an 'normal' disk it consist of directories and files.  Windows users please note: 'directories' are the same as 'folders' in Windows.


Navigating in your Webdisk space goes as follows:

Action How
To change directory
Just click on the directory name
To go up one level in the directory tree
Click on the 'up arrow' yellow icon on the left of the 'Dir' line
To go to the top level (home) directory
Either repeat the 'up one level' step a few times, or click on the '/' link to the right of the 'Dir' text

What happens when you click on a filename depends on the file type. If your browser knows how to handle this file it will open it straightaway. This is almost certainly the case with graphics files (JPEG, GIF, etc.). MS Word files can be opened using a simple viewer, which allows you to see the text with only very basic formatting (click 'Preview'). Text files can be edited using a simple built-in editor (click 'Edit').

The Webdisk can make thumbnails of graphics files (JPEG, GIF, etc.) and display them. First, you need to activate the Thumbnails checkbox at the top right of the Webdisk. Then, you need to select the images you want to make thumbnails for and click the button that says MkThumb.

Clicking the Single page checkbox at the top right of the Webdisk lets you display all the folders and files on one page. See Webdisk Options to change the number of items that standard will be shown on the page.

The Show hidden files checkbox list directories and files starting with a . (dot). Normally you don't have to acces those items. So do not delete these directories and do not edit any files in it unless you really know what you are doing and have a backup copy of your folders in case something goes wrong.

'Perm' stands for (file) permissions (who can do what with the file). What can you do with these funny letters in the Perm column? In fact there are multiple responses to this question:
  1. The simplest (and not a very helpful and/or polite) answer: there is nothing you can do yourself about controlling other users' access to your files, therefore you don't really need to know.
  2. A marginally more informative answer: these are Unix 'symbolic file modes'  (r=read permission, w=write permission, x= execute, or list directory, permission). The first letter describes  your (file owner's) permissions, the second describes permissions of  members of the same group, and the third one - permissions of anybody else. You have to ask your system administrator to allow others to access to your files, so you cannot change these letters yourself anyway.
  3. A 'finger pointing' answer: read the OpenWebmail documentation which may explain why the authors though it appropriate to show fields which are not under the user's direct control.
A possible use of  the permissions: if you want to disable access to your public-based website while keeping the files in place, tick the box on the right-hand side of your "public" directory (for accessing the whole site) or of the file name (accessing specific files), and then click the Chmod button at the bottom. A pop-up window will tell you the values to use to keep files/directory public or private. Remember that if you make files private, nobody (including you, the owner) will be able to access them from a browser.

The 'mail' directory contains all your mail folders except the Inbox. So do not delete this directory and do not edit any files in it unless you really know what you are doing and have a backup copy of your folders in case something goes wrong.
 
<< What is Webdisk   Managing your Webdisk >>
 
About OpenWebMail Help