[General Topics] IronTechmonkey:
iv. FTP and HTTP SERVERS and Send-to

NOTE: As of MiX 6.57 there were substantial changes to servers; ; TCP was removed, Send-to was merged into FTP server, TLS/SSL toggle and explicit/implicit and other switches were added, and multiple accounts can be configured. After updating to 6.57 a username and password will have to be reconfigured as will a few other things as described below. This post outlines the updated server configurations. The description of server configuration for older version of MiX (6.56 and previous) are in this post: https://xdaforums.com/t/mixplorer-q-a-and-faq-user-manual.3308582/post-85896901

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There are multiple ways MiXplorer can make folders available to other devices including: FTP/Share server, HTTP/WebDav server, SFTP server, and SMB1 Server Each server types offers different functionality and may be applicable in different situations, but the FTP(S,ES)/Share server is most robust and can be accessed by FTP clients and by some native OS file managers so FTP Server was used to create this documentation. HTTP/WebDav server offers less functionality but can be accessed by web browsers and native file explorers on most other systems without any client software, just a full-featured web browser and the requisite credentials. The HTTP server is configured similarly to the FTP server. There are also SFTP and SMB1 servers which are newer and or experimental and which may (or may not) be documented elsewhere.

The MiX server will deliver a different “home” location (folder seen as working folder of directory tree by client) and will offer different levels of access to files on the server device according to: account settings, and method used to run the server, and which folder is in the active tab in MiX on the server device at the time the server is invoked. There is a more detailed description of the different home locations used in different situations below (see Home Path"

Starting Servers

The servers can be started or stopped by a variety of methods: Bottom bar button, main menu, server configuration panel, home screen widget, system tile.

The servers can also be toggled by using Tasker or some other app which can handle intents:

MiX Nugget - Turning Servers ON/OFF with Tasker and...

https://xdaforums.com/t/mixplorer-q-a-and-faq-user-manual.3308582/post-75400602

Some file operations can be performed via intents.:

MiX Nugget - COPY with Tasker and...:

https://xdaforums.com/t/mixplorer-q-a-and-faq-user-manual.3308582/post-75389465

Deep Links:

Additionally, servers can be toggled on/off by using deep-links which are essentially web hyperlinks that can be used to create home-screen shortcuts or which can be run programmatically without requiring the management of other parameters. When invoked by a home screen shortcut or programatically the server will be toggled on or off. Home screen shortcuts can be created by any of many methods including:from within Launchers (eg Nova), or from within some web browsers, or by Tasker, Edge Gestures, Automate, or any app that can create a hyperlink shortcuts on the home screen.

For example here is a hack-ish but effective method that was used to create one of the shortcuts. Paste the link into a browser > attempted to connect > attempt fails because network is off or there is no website > use feature to create a home screen shortcut > the shortcut takes the name of the error page but effectively toggles the server > rename shortcut.

These are the deep-links links for toggling each server. Note: these links may be highlighted as hyperlinks in web browsers viewing this page but they are actually links to the MiX installation on the Android device.

https://mixplorer.com/app/ftp/trigger

https://mixplorer.com/app/sftp/trigger

https://mixplorer.com/app/http/trigger

https://mixplorer.com/app/smb/trigger

You can add the working directory at the end of the deeplinks for the servers. Example without and with specification of a working directory:

https://mixplorer.com/app/ftp/trigger

https://mixplorer.com/app/ftp/trigger/storage/emulated/0/pictures

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General Server Settings: The settings on the main edit server panel apply to the server in general and to all accounts which run on it.

To edit server: Open servers list by any method > edit (pencil icon).

Port: This is the port # which is appended to the IP address.

Time out (seconds): The duration of time after which the server turns off automatically.

IP address (optional): Experimental.

Toggle Start on boot: Sets the server to start on device boot.

Toggle TLS/SSL: Enable/disable encryption.

Explicit/Implicit: (FTP/Share only) Set Explicit or Implicit mode.

None/Basic/Digest: (HTTPWebDav only) [description needed]

Keystore: [description needed]

Certificate: [description needed]

More about TLS and Explicit/Implicit here: MiX Nugget: Server Security Settings https://xdaforums.com/t/mixplorer-q-a-and-faq-user-manual.3308582/post-85932885

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Account settings.

There must be one account (which is equivalent to a username and password configured for the server in the previous MiXplorer versions). Multiple accounts can be created for the same server with each account having different credentials and offering different type of access.

To use just one account: (similar to the username/password from the previous version) rename and configure the “admin” placeholder account or create a new account and delete the placeholder.

To create a new account: In the server edit box Tap Add > enter desired parameters > save.

To edit an existing account: Tap the account drop down (the displayed account name) > tap the name of the account you want to edit.

To delete an account: Tap the account drop down (the displayed account name) > tap the name of the account you want to delete > tap delete. Note: the delete button will not appear if there is only one account.

In the Account edit box the following can be set::

Username

Password

Home Path

Read only

Show hidden globally

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Home Path = The location that clients will see as working directory or root of directory tree

The root folder for clients is contextual, based on how the server was started: The servers can be started or stopped by a variety of methods: Bottom bar button, main menu, server configuration panel, home screen widget, system tile. If the server is invoked directly from bottom bar, then root to clients should be the same as the currently active folder in the MiXplorer UI on the server device. If the server is invoked from within the server configuration panel then root to clients should be the designated folder from the configuration panel.

Factors:

- If left blank then the the home directory will be auto populated by the root of internal storage (as you may have witnessed).

- Different clients may yield somewhat different behavior. Full client such as Filezilla on desktop recommended for testing and set up before using native Windows, iOS, or Linux file explorers.

Example Usage Case for multiple accounts: in one FTP server an account could be created with a specific home path so that connections to the server under that account will only see that directory, and another account could be created with no home path designated which allows access to the root of the FTP server device.

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Send To: To Use the FTP Server to receive files from another device running MiX via Send-to

- Configure FTP servers on both devices with the same port number. Note: The same port # is no longer required; the port can be set in the settings of the connecting device

- Run the server.

- On the client device: select a file > menu > send to > > tap settings to set port to match server port > select server device > in the authentication box enter a password for the displayed account or select a different account and use that account password > Tap OK.

- The regular MiXplorer file operation containing the typical options to abort the process or put it in the background will appear but for small files may not be on the screen for long enough to interact with; nice to have this if you want to gracefully abort a file transfer.

- The file will be copied to the location determined by the home path set for that account based on how server was started.

Note: subsequent file transfers during the same MiXplorer FTP server session may not require credentials and may proceed automatically. In that case in order to switch users the ftp server must be briefly stopped and restarted.

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Link back to MiX FAQ Nugget Index: https://xdaforums.com/t/mixplorer-q-a-and-faq-user-manual.3308582/post-65157352

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LINKS TO FAQ SECTIONS

i. INTRODUCTION, GETTING MIXPLORER, & INSTALLATION

ii. UI, NAVIGATION, VIEW CONFIGURATION, BOOKMARKS, TABS

iii. WORKING WITH FILES & FOLDERS (Copy Move methods, Trash option)

iv. FTP, HTTP, TCP SERVERS

v. MiX NUGGETS (Freestanding Topical Posts)

vi. THEMES and SKINS

vii. BUG REPORTING, TROUBLESHOOTING, AND FAQ WIP

MiX Nugget - Settings Overview: https://xdaforums.com/t/mixplorer-q-a-and-faq-user-manual.3308582/post-82834917