Frequently Asked Questions¶

You are looking for help? Try our answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions

How can I upload larger Files / Raise the Upload Limit?¶

This is a limitation set in the PHP Configuration. You can change it using .htaccess files or by simply adjusting the Value in the php.ini. Read more: How to optimize your PHP installation to handle large file uploads.

Where can I create files and directories?¶

You can find a button to create a new file or directory in the toolbar (the white button with a small star). Sometimes you have no permission to add a file or dir in the directory you are currently in. Go one level up and try to chmod the directory and make it writable for you if that is possible.

I can't change the permissions (chmod) on a file/directory - the link is grayed out. What's wrong?¶

You must change the permissions using the alternative file mode: "File" or "FTP". Why? The process your PHP/Apache runs under on the webserver has its own user account. But the file/directory you are trying to chmod is owned by another user account on the webserver - usually your FTP user account. So if the chmod-link is grayed out in "File Mode" you can change the permissions on that file/directory using the "FTP Mode". If both modes don't allow access to the file, the file is owned by yet another user account on the webserver. Ask the server admin to change this.

I can't delete or rename a file - the links are grayed out. What's wrong?¶

You don't have the appropriate permissions to modify anything (create, rename, delete) in the directory you are in. Go up one directory level and change the directory permissions. If you can't - see the Question before.

How can I change the owner of a file/directory?¶

Well, you can't - as long as you're not root (super-server-admin). Unix-based OS don't allow chown to be executed by a "normal" user. An easy way to solve the problem is to download the files, delete them and upload them back again using FTP or eXtplorer (just where you want to edit the files from).

How can I make a certain directory including all files accessible to my users? I want to use it as an upload/download-platform for other users.¶

eXtplorer allows you to add users and allow them to browse files and download. Just use the "Admin" section of eXtplorer.

Can I upload directories or unpack achives containing directories?¶

You can't "upload a directory", but you can upload an archive file holding a directory structure (with files too). If you have uploaded that file just right-click it and select "Extract". After that eXtplorer will extract the archive and create the directory structure from the archive in the directory it is extracted to. Existing files with the same name are overwritten if they are writable.

On Joomla! : OMG - Users are able to view the document root of my web server!¶

If you run a normal Apache/PHP5 Installation, PHP functions can access the whole document root. It's possible to trick extplorer users so they can only view their own web directory, but that's just eye cosmetics.
If you run multiple Joomla! or eXtplorer instances used by different people, you should change the configuration or your webserver to either use FastCGI with PHP-CGI or suPHP/mod_suphp.
If you are not willing to or can't establish such safety measures on your server, you can just modify the file /includes/init.php and change the code near line 70:
$GLOBALS['home_dir'] = !empty( $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] ) ? $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] : '.';

to (Joomla! 1.5)
$GLOBALS['home_dir'] = JPATH_SITE;

or (else)
$GLOBALS['home_dir'] = '/my/real/homepath';

Where can I directly retrieve the source code of eXtplorer?¶

You can download the latest code from the eXtplorer SVN Repository.

Installation in Joomla! 1.5 fails: "Unable to read archive"¶

The solution is posted at the Joomla! Forum.