How to Install FileGator on Debian Server

FileGator is a modern, web-based file manager written in PHP. It’s a clean alternative to outdated tools like net2ftp and works reliably on Debian Server with Apache.

Step 1: Update System Packages

Start with a clean system.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install Apache and PHP

FileGator requires PHP and a web server.

sudo apt install -y apache2 php php-cli php-common php-mbstring php-json php-zip php-curl php-gd unzip

Enable Apache:

sudo systemctl enable --now apache2

Verify PHP:

php -v

Step 3: Download FileGator

Move to the web root:

cd /var/www/

Download the latest release:

sudo wget https://github.com/filegator/filegator/releases/latest/download/filegator.zip

Extract and rename:

sudo unzip filegator.zip
sudo mv filegator-master filegator

Set permissions:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/filegator
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/filegator

Step 4: Configure Apache Virtual Host

Create a new site configuration:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/filegator.conf

Add:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName your-domain.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/filegator/public

    <Directory /var/www/filegator/public>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/filegator-error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/filegator-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Enable site and rewrite module:

sudo a2ensite filegator.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl reload apache2

Step 5: Access FileGator Web Interface

Open in browser:

http://your-server-ip/ or http://your-domain.com/

Default login:

Username: admin
Password: admin