IFM

IFM is a lightweight, web-based file manager implemented as a single-file PHP application with a JavaScript frontend. It provides filesystem browsing and common file operations through a browser interface and can be run directly on a PHP-enabled server or inside a Docker container.

Key Features

• Browse, create, edit, rename, copy, move and delete files and directories
• Download files and directories and upload via direct upload, remote URL or drag-and-drop
• Built-in editor (ACE) for in-browser file editing with fullscreen toggle
• Extract archives (tar, tgz, tar.gz, tar.bz2, zip) and handle common archive operations
• Change file permissions and view image previews for supported formats
• Simple authentication support with optional LDAP binding and environment-driven configuration
• Single-file distribution that can run on PHP >= 7.0 with common PHP extensions and an official Docker image for quick deployment

Use Cases

• Server administration and quick file edits on web servers or shared hosting
• Managing website assets, plugin/theme files, or static content without shell access
• Lightweight file management front-end for development, debugging, or internal tooling

Limitations and Considerations

• Authentication is simple by design; there is no built-in RBAC or advanced multi-user auditing
• Requires several PHP extensions (bz2, curl, fileinfo, json, mbstring, openssl, phar, posix, zip, zlib) for full functionality
• Not designed as a full-featured enterprise file storage solution; concurrency, detailed access controls and audit trails are limited

IFM is a pragmatic, compact file manager for administrators and developers who need browser-based access to server files with editing, upload, and archive capabilities. Its single-file approach and Docker support make it easy to deploy for small teams and personal servers.