NGINX WebDav Module

While setting up a website you can face the need to build some complicated method of viewing and updating the information on the site. There are lots of solutions – using a local copy, using a combination of HTTP and FTP tools to download the original and upload the changes, etc. But as an easy solution, you can also use Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV), which is available on the platform.

WebDAV is becoming an important tool, invented to simplify how you update websites.

Enabling WebDAV Module for NGINX Server

1. Click Config button for the server in your environment.

2. In the /etc/nginx folder open the nginx.conf file. Modify configuration by adding the following strings as it is shown in the picture below:

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dav_methods PUT DELETE MKCOL COPY MOVE;
dav_ext_methods PROPFIND OPTIONS;

3. Save the changes and restart NGINX.

Using nginx.conf file you can set any other configurations for WebDav module. Follow the link (https://nginx.org/en/docs/http/ngx_http_dav_module.html) to find some additional useful information.

Setting Up Security Configuration

1. Generate hash from your password. For that you can use any htpasswd tool or online service (for example, http://www.htpasswdgenerator.net/).

2. Create simple text file with previously generated hash.

3. Click Config button for your NGINX server.

4. Upload the created file to the /var/www/webroot/ROOT folder.

5. In the /etc/nginx folder open the nginx.conf file. Add the following strings:

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auth_basic "Restricted area";
auth_basic_user_file /var/www/webroot/ROOT/.htpasswd;

6. Save the changes and restart NGINX.

Finally, you can go to any WebDAV client. State there the host (also your credentials if you set up security configuration) and connect to the server. As a result, you’ll see your files and will be able to edit them, update, add some new files, etc.