Avoding SSH access : Untar, Gunzip, Unzip in FileManager

[netspace]

Ok I've tried to make the subject look smart :cool:

Most users ask for SSH access for 2 reasons...

# 1 Untar, Unzip, Gunzip archives of their site backups or an script they are installing. Also, for tarring and zipping their existing folders etc.

#2 Working with Mysql import/export and other mysql command-line stuff

2nd is unvaoidable - but the first (and most common) reason can be avoided by having archive compression and decompression built into the DA FileManager.

I really don't blame the user for asking for SSH for decompression - yesterday unzipped someone's image folder (for a russian mailorder bride site :D ) which was ~450 Mb while zip was around 170 Mb.

[nobaloney]

1) you can allow your clients to run cron jobs (which they can set for two minutes from now) to untar, etc.

2) they can do this through phpmyadmin.

Jeff

[netspace]

1] Hmm, possibly. Will see if it works -- but its kind of a dirty solution because users are not going to delete the crons. So 100 users unzip 2 tars each means 200 zombie processes running on the server in no time.

2] Of course not - phpmyadmin is no good for large databases. In fact, just now importing someone's 40mb db.

[ClayRabbit]

I suggest that archive extraction is VERY USEFUL feature.
(We have several customers gone to CPanel host because of that.)

Of course, ability to pack any folder to tarball also could be useful, i think.

And maybe it's possible to add 'symlink creation' function to filemanager? :)

[tomek1]

I vote for archive extraction in File Manager too.
It will be really nice feature.

Regards
Tomek

[thoroughfare]

I vote for it too. Jeff has a point about setting up a cronjob, but the whole point of a control panel is to make things easier :)

Matt

[jechilt]

I was about to start a new thread to ask for zip/unzip capability in the File Manager (similar to cPanel) but I see it is already here.

This is a huge issue since we don't allow SSH access to our users!

Please consider adding this feature soon :) DirectAdmin says???

Kind Regards...

[dannygoh]

1 vote from me

[redesb]

I vote also for this feature.

[Peter Verrill]

I would also like to see this :)

[jjma]

I would like this feature as well

Thanks

Jon

[SlashChick]

Yep, agreed...this would be really useful (.zip, .tar, .tar.gz, and .bzip2 files would all be great.) We have also had customers request this.

[interfasys]

Every filemanager should offer those basic functionalities. I can't imagine myself having to tell a customer to set up a cron for such a basic thing as unpacking a zip.

[jmstacey]

Count me in :)

[jechilt]

is this a dead subject? is DA going to look at integrating a zip feature?

[rldev]

Haven't heard much from DA on the feature front. If you look at the next schedueled release, there isn't much happening.

[jmstacey]

Maybe working on Debian?

[Icheb]

C'mon John, notice this thread :D

Since the release of installatron most php versions created by the custom builder have that zip lib included. So it shouldn't be too hard to integrate it into DA itsself, as DA calls the PHP executable.

But the problem could be that it would take DA/PHP too long to complete an action, so it might be wiser to make some kind of module to queue it with dataskq, which is ran every minute.

A quick and dirty way could be to install the unzip executable and use system(); calls in the dataskq to execute it, but that really would be something dirty :D.

I hope the DA team will add a feature like this asap :).
Also perhaps a way to upload a .zip or .sql and go to the db screen and say something like, add the following .sql to database user_xxxx. That way SSH access wouldn't be needed anymore.
Also a job the dataskq could do.

[California]

I will add my voice to the growing chorus! ;)

Compress/extract would be a great addition DA and eliminate one of the biggest reasons for ssh access.


One more vote!

[rldev]

Count me in! Hsphere has the absolute best File Manager going for a cp. With "WebShell 4" there really is no need to give SSH.

[dannygoh]

This will come in with version 1.225, Estimated on Sep 10 2004

Ability to compress/uncompress files in the Filemanager

http://www.directadmin.com/versions.php?version=1.225000

[rldev]

A most excellent addition indeed along with a FrontPage Admin link.

[ClayRabbit]

Feature added, fine! But why it supports only tar.gz extraction?
Why .zip extraction support not added, while it's a commonly used format for Windows users?

PS: And when directory copying will be supported also?

[jmstacey]

Originally posted by ClayRabbit
Feature added, fine! But why it supports only tar.gz extraction?
Why .zip extraction support not added, while it's a commonly used format for Windows users?

DirectAdmin uses standard *nix commands. To my knowledge there is no compatibility for .zip files on a unix machine without installing additional software.

I don't see it being added unless DA was able to add a compressor and decompressor utility in with the DA binary. Although I don't know if it would be worth it.

[l0rdphi1]

Originally posted by jmstacey
I don't see it being added unless DA was able to add a compressor and decompressor utility in with the DA binary. Although I don't know if it would be worth it.
DirectAdmin's customapache script installs zziplib.

Phi1.

[jmstacey]

Oh yes, I forgot about that.
So I guess its only a matter of getting DA to add it :D

[Daijoubu]

Seems like DA only recognise .tar.gz
Could .tgz also be added?

How about .tar.bz2? :D

[interfasys]

To be really useful the filemanager should be able to uncompress all the aformentionned formats:
zip
tgz
tar.gz
bz2

Most customers will have zips
Most devs will use bz2

A lot of unix software or some backups are in tgz format.

Just make the extract page modular, detect what formats are available and support them.

[jjma]

Agreed,

Jon

[rldev]

Seems reasonable enough.

[lexscripta]

To me this is a no brainer and we shouldn't have to ask for such an elementary feature. For this cause, I'll stick with hosting companies that thought situations such as this through enough to know how remedial the question is, and how remedial the solution should be.

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Away with Direct Admin, hello hosting companies that use cPanel.

[interfasys]

Maybe DA could include the H-Sphere File manager. It's one of the best there is.

[nobaloney]

H-Sphere is owned by Comodo.

Do you suggest that DA ask Comodo if they'd license the file manager to them?

Jeff

[interfasys]

Well, why not. The file manager is a separate product called Webshell that can be run anywhere.

[satu]

Noticed that this thread about unzip started in 2004 and now still running but is unzip in or not? Read DannyGoh's post about the addition for the tar.

I vote for the unzip too.

[Lem0nHead]

I was going to open a new thread but... I vote for unzip on this one :)

[rldev]

Ditto!

[DamnSkippy]

Originally posted by interfasys
Maybe DA could include the H-Sphere File manager. It's one of the best there is.

I just have to jump in here and say that I agree completely.

I also just happen to have an hsphere cluster and I would give the DA guys an account to play with.

[DirectAdmin Support]

Slight conflict of interest there ;)

As for zip in the filemanager, it's not too hard for me to add into DA. The only issue is that zip/unzip isn't as standard as tar is on linux boxes. I can always include a "zip.sh" install script if you want to have it. I'll keep it in mind when doing the next release.

John

[DamnSkippy]

Excellent John, most users can make a zip file but most have no idea what a tar ball is :)

[interfasys]

A uncompress.sh script would be better. Allowing us to enable unzip, bunzip2, unrar and tar.

[kenlyle]

As a user, I like this feature in CPanel, and I think that HSphere has it, too.

K

[DirectAdmin Support]

http://www.directadmin.com/features.php?id=895

John