Rewrote some sentences in the README file

[devedit.git] / README

diff --git a/README b/README
index 9ead651f21527c65a1f68d88fc5eeeef4edd3ab4..cbea32cd668d5ce5a614dc1711b77533d91d83dc 100644 (file)
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -1,35 +1,53 @@
-ReadMe for Dev-Editor 3.0 (CVS)
-===============================
+ReadMe for Dev-Editor 3.2
+=========================

 
 Description
 -----------
 
 
 Description
 -----------
 

-Dev-Editor is a simple CGI based editor written in Perl and licensed under the
-terms of the Artistic License, which allows remote changes to files and
-directory structures on a web server. That's useful if you aren't able to access
-the files on your homepage directly, for example if you are on holiday.
+Dev-Editor is a simple web based file manager written in Perl and licensed
+under the terms of the Artistic License 2.0, allowing you to access a file
+system on a server using a web browser. That's useful if you aren't able to
+access the files directly or using FTP or SSH.
+
+Features
+--------
+
+- Browsing through directory structures
+- Viewing text files
+- Editing text files
+- Removing files and directories
+- Moving/renaming files and directories
+- Copying files and directories
+- Creating new files and directories
+- Executing a HTTP download of a file
+- Uploading files to the server via HTTP
+- Changing permissions (chmod) and group (chgrp) of files and directories (on
+  Unix systems)
+- Unpacking some types of archive files (Perl module Archive::Extract is
+  required - core module since Perl 5.10, I guess)

 
 Installation
 ------------
 
 First, you have to copy the files into a directory on your web server where you
 
 Installation
 ------------
 
 First, you have to copy the files into a directory on your web server where you

-are able to execute scripts (in most cases, this is "cgi-bin"). I suggest to
-create a sub directory for Dev-Editor.
-Then, you have to change the first line of devedit.pl: Just replace
+are able to execute CGI scripts (in most cases, this is "cgi-bin"). I suggest
+to create a sub directory for Dev-Editor.
+Then you have to change the first line of devedit.pl: Just replace

 /usr/bin/perl by the path to your Perl interpreter.
 /usr/bin/perl by the path to your Perl interpreter.

-If you are on a UNIX based system, you have to set devedit.pl as executable
+If you are on a Unix based system, you have to make devedit.pl executable

 (chmod 755 in most cases).
 (chmod 755 in most cases).

-You will also need to configure Dev-Editor. See the next section for details.
+You also have to edit Dev-Editor's configuration file (see next section for
+details).

 
 

-Note, that the directory where you installed Dev-Editor should be protected by
-HTTP Authentication. If you don't do that, everybody will be able to access
-Dev-Editor and use it for evil purposes.
+If you install Dev-Editor on a public web server, you should protect its
+directory using HTTP authentication or everybody in the world will be able to
+access the configured directory structure!

 
 Configuration
 -------------
 
 
 Configuration
 -------------
 

-Open the file devedit.conf. This file contains keys and values separated by a
-"=" sign.
+Open devedit.conf. This file contains keys and values separated by a "=" sign.
+Lines beginning with a "#" sign are comments and will be ignored.

 Here is a list of the configuration options currently available:
 
 Option                   Description
 Here is a list of the configuration options currently available:
 
 Option                   Description


@@ -38,12 +56,15 @@ Option                   Description
 fileroot                 The root directory Dev-Editor is allowed to access.
                          Nobody is allowed to access the files and directories
                          above this directory. Dev-Editor needs write access to
 fileroot                 The root directory Dev-Editor is allowed to access.
                          Nobody is allowed to access the files and directories
                          above this directory. Dev-Editor needs write access to

-                         this directory and to the sub directories.
+                         this directory and its sub directories.

 
 httproot                 This is the equivalent HTTP URL to the root directory.
                          It's just used for visual output, so it doesn't need to
                          be correct.
 
 
 httproot                 This is the equivalent HTTP URL to the root directory.
                          It's just used for visual output, so it doesn't need to
                          be correct.
 

+startdir                 Here you may define the default directory Dev-Editor
+                         opens on start.
+

 max_file_size            Here you may define a maximum size for files (Bytes).
                          If the user wants to view or edit a file larger than
                          this defined size, Dev-Editor denies file access (but
 max_file_size            Here you may define a maximum size for files (Bytes).
                          If the user wants to view or edit a file larger than
                          this defined size, Dev-Editor denies file access (but


@@ -70,8 +91,8 @@ timeformat               The format of the time shown in directory listings.
                          %% - percent sign
 
                          There are a lot of other placeholders. A complete list
                          %% - percent sign
 
                          There are a lot of other placeholders. A complete list

-                         is found at:
-                         http://www.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/7908799/xsh/strftime.html
+                         can be found at:
+                         http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/007908799/xsh/strftime.html

                          Note that some systems don't support some of the
                          placeholders (for example %T on Windows).
 
                          Note that some systems don't support some of the
                          placeholders (for example %T on Windows).
 


@@ -82,19 +103,96 @@ use_gmt                  Set this option to 1 if you want to use Greenwich Mean
                          Time (GMT/UTC) in directory listing and in the About
                          dialogue instead of the local time.
 
                          Time (GMT/UTC) in directory listing and in the About
                          dialogue instead of the local time.
 

+hide_dot_files           Set this option to 1 if you want to hide files or
+                         directories beginning with a dot (e.g. ".htaccess") in
+                         directory listing.
+                         The files are just hidden in the directory listing,
+                         you can still access them using the "Go to
+                         directory/file" box.
+

 forbidden                Specify a list of filenames the user is not allowed to
                          access. The filenames have to be relative to the
                          virtual root directory (they must also begin with a
                          slash) and have to be separated by space characters. If
                          a filename contains space characters, you have to put
 forbidden                Specify a list of filenames the user is not allowed to
                          access. The filenames have to be relative to the
                          virtual root directory (they must also begin with a
                          slash) and have to be separated by space characters. If
                          a filename contains space characters, you have to put

-                         it into double quotation marks ("/filename").
+                         it into double quotation marks ("/file name").
+
+disable_commands         Specify a list of commands the user is not allowed to
+                         execute. The commands have to be separated by space
+                         characters.
+                         If you add "@write" to the list, all writing commands
+                         (for example edit, copy, rename etc.) will be
+                         disabled.
+
+userconf_file            Specifies the path to a file which contains
+                         user-dependent configuration options (see next section
+                         for details).

 
 error_file               The path to the file which defines the error messages.
 
 error_file               The path to the file which defines the error messages.

-                         The file has the same format as this one.
+                         The file has the same format as the main configuration
+                         file.

 
 template_file            The path to the file which defines the paths to the
 
 template_file            The path to the file which defines the paths to the

-                         template files. The file has the same format as this
-                         one.
+                         template files. The file has the same format as the
+                         main configuration file.
+
+User-dependent configuration
+----------------------------
+
+If you have placed Dev-Editor inside a directory protected using HTTP
+authentication, you may override some default configuration values for a defined
+list of users. You may override the values for the following configuration
+options:
+
+- fileroot
+- httproot
+- startdir
+- hide_dot_files
+- forbidden
+- disable_commands
+
+For overriding configuration values you need a special configuration file. The
+path to this file is defined using the "userconf_file" configuration option in
+the main configuration file (add the option if necessary). This file consists of
+key-value-pairs and sections, marked by a string encapsulated in square brackets
+(perhaps you know this format, it is nearly the same as Windows' INI files).
+Each section in this file describes an individual configuration, whereby the
+name of the section is the username for whom this configuration should be used.
+Here is an example:
+
+[homer]
+fileroot = /var/www/homer/htdocs
+httproot = /
+
+This sets the physical file root directory to "/var/www/homer/htdocs" and the
+virtual HTTP root to "/" - but only for the user whose HTTP authentication
+username is "homer".
+
+Using the "aliases" option, you may also define some other usernames for whom
+this configuration should be used:
+
+[homer]
+fileroot = /var/www/homer/htdocs
+httproot = /
+aliases = marge bart
+
+Using this, the users whose usernames are "marge" and "bart" use the same
+configuration as "homer". You can place an arbitrary number of usernames
+seperated by whitespaces here.
+Note: If one of the users is defined as an alias and there is an individual
+configuration section for this user too, the one defined as an alias is
+ignored.
+
+If there are some files marked as inaccessible using the "forbidden"
+configuration option in the main configuration file, but some users should have
+access to these files, you may clear the default value of "forbidden":
+
+[homer]
+fileroot = /var/www/homer/htdocs
+httproot = /
+forbidden =
+
+Using this, "homer" has access to all files in "/var/www/homer/htdocs".

 
 Notes
 -----
 
 Notes
 -----


@@ -114,7 +212,7 @@ Hard links are not affected by this.
 ------------------------------------------------
 
 (C) 1999-2000 Roland Bluethgen, Frank Schoenmann
 ------------------------------------------------
 
 (C) 1999-2000 Roland Bluethgen, Frank Schoenmann

-(C) 2003-2005 Patrick Canterino
+(C) 2003-2011 Patrick Canterino

 
 E-Mail: patrick@patshaping.de
 WWW:    http://devedit.sourceforge.net/
\ No newline at end of file
 
 E-Mail: patrick@patshaping.de
 WWW:    http://devedit.sourceforge.net/
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