FilePi - Lightweight Network File Browser

FilePi is a lightweight network file browser designed primarily for Raspberry Pi and other resource-constrained devices. It allows you to browse, stream, and manage files on your device from any web browser or through the dedicated Pi View mobile app.

Features

• 📁 File browsing with sorting and pagination
• 🎬 Video streaming support with thumbnails
• 🔍 File search functionality
• 📤 File upload capabilities
• 📱 Compatible with Pi View mobile app

Requirements

• FFmpeg (required for video thumbnail generation)

Quick Start

1. Install FFmpeg

On Raspberry Pi / Debian / Ubuntu:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install ffmpeg

On macOS:

brew install ffmpeg

2. Set Environment Variables

# Set the root directory for file browsing
export FILE_PI_ROOT_DIR=/path/to/your/files

# Optional: Set log level (DEBUG, INFO, WARN, ERROR)
export FILE_PI_LOGLEVEL=INFO

3. Run the Server

Using the Go implementation:

# Download the latest release from the releases section
./filepi

4. Access the File Browser

• Web interface: Open http://[device-ip]:8080 in your browser
• Mobile: Install the Pi View app and connect to your device

API Endpoints

Endpoint	Description
GET /api/v1/files	List files in a directory
GET /api/v1/videos	List video files (with recursive option)
GET /api/v1/search	Search for files by name
GET /api/v1/file/{path}	Serve a file for download
GET /api/v1/stream/{path}	Stream a video file
GET /api/v1/thumbnail/{path}	Get a thumbnail for a video file
POST /api/v1/createfolder	Create a new folder
POST /api/v1/uploadfile	Upload a file

Configuration Options

Parameter	Default	Description
FILE_PI_ROOT_DIR	Current directory	Root directory for file browsing
FILE_PI_LOGLEVEL	INFO	Log level (DEBUG, INFO, WARN, ERROR)

Mobile App

FilePi works seamlessly with the Pi View mobile app, which provides a user-friendly interface for browsing and streaming files from your server.

Development

Project Structure

• Go version: Uses Fiber framework
  • fileserver.go: Core file operations
  • router.go: API endpoint definitions
  • main.go: Server initialization

Building from Source

Go version:

go build -o filepi

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

Acknowledgements

• Fiber - Go web framework
• FFmpeg - Used for video thumbnail generation