FileCloud: A Modern and Lightweight File Manager

🌟 Overview

FileCloud is a reliable web-based file management solution designed for personal servers. It offers a premium, app-like experience with a focus on aesthetics, speed, and usability. It provides modern features like drag-and-drop upload, code editing, and full internationalization (EN/BG).

✨ Key Features

• 
  📂 File Management: Create folders, delete items, and download files with ease.


• 
  ✏️ Rename and Organize: Fix typos or restructure your files with a custom, elegant rename modal.


• 
  🎨 Folder Customization: [NEW] Mark important folders by changing their color directly from the UI. Your choice is saved permanently!


• 
  🌍 Internationalization (i18n): Fully translated interface in English and Bulgarian (български). Switch instantly.


• 
  🚀 Drag and Drop: Upload files by simply dragging them into the window.


• 
  📝 Built-in Editor: Edit text, code (.js, .css, .py, etc.) and configuration files directly in the browser.


• 
  👁️ Media Preview: View images instantly without downloading them.


• 
  💎 Premium UI: Dark mode by default, smooth animations, glassmorphism effects, and rich file icons.

🛠️ Installation and Setup

Prerequisites

• Node.js (version 14 or newer)


• npm

Installation

1. 
   Clone the repository:
   

# Clone the repository

git clone [email protected]:fantomas4o/filecloud.git



# Navigate to the project folder

cd filecloud

1. 
   Install dependencies:
   

npm install

1. 
   Start the server:
   

npm start

1. Access the application at http://localhost:3000 or http://ip:3000
   

Server Deployment (Ubuntu/Systemd)

To run FileCloud as a background service:

1. Copy the project to /opt/filecloud.


2. Create a systemd service file at /etc/systemd/system/filecloud.service:
   

[Unit]

Description=FileCloud Service

After=network.target



[Service]

ExecStart=/usr/bin/node /opt/filecloud/server.js

WorkingDirectory=/opt/filecloud

Restart=always

User=root

Environment=NODE_ENV=production



[Install]

WantedBy=multi-user.target

Enable and start the service:

sudo systemctl enable filecloud

sudo systemctl start filecloud

💻 Technologies

• 
  Backend: Node.js, Express.js, Multer, FS-Extra


• 
  Frontend: HTML5, CSS3 (Custom Properties, Flexbox/Grid), Vanilla JavaScript (ES6+)


• 
  Icons: Google Material Icons


• 
  Fonts: Google Fonts (One Sans)

🚀 Features in Detail

File Operations

• 
  Upload: Drag files directly into the browser or use the upload button


• 
  Download: Click on any file to download it instantly


• 
  Delete: Remove files and folders with confirmation dialogs


• 
  Rename: Change file and folder names with a sleek modal interface

Code Editor

The built-in editor supports syntax highlighting for:

• JavaScript (.js)


• CSS (.css)


• Python (.py)


• JSON (.json)


• Text files (.txt)


• And many more...

Folder Customization

NEW Feature: You can now customize folder colors to organize your workspace visually. The color selection is persistent and saved in your browser.

Internationalization

FileCloud supports multiple languages out of the box:

• 
  English (EN): Default interface language


• 
  Bulgarian (BG): Fully translated Bulgarian interface

Switch languages instantly from the settings menu.

📦 Project Structure

filecloud/

├── public/

│   ├── css/           # Stylesheets

│   ├── js/            # Client-side JavaScript

│   └── uploads/       # User uploaded files

├── views/

│   └── index.html     # Main application page

├── server.js          # Express server

├── package.json       # Dependencies

└── README.md          # Documentation

🔒 Security Considerations

FileCloud is designed for personal use on private servers. If you plan to expose it to the internet, consider:

• Implementing authentication


• Adding SSL/TLS encryption


• Setting up proper firewall rules


• Restricting file upload types and sizes

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to:

• Report bugs


• Suggest new features


• Submit pull requests

GitHub Repository: https://github.com/fantomas4o/filecloud

📝 License

This project is open source and available for free use.

Original article in Bulgarian: FileCloud: Модерен и лек файлов мениджър

About the Author

Fedya Serafiev is the creator of ITpraktika.com – a platform dedicated to practical IT solutions and automation. With extensive experience in system optimization and web technologies, he transforms complex technical cases into clear and easy-to-follow steps. His goal is to help users build more efficient and secure digital projects through real experience and proven tools.

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