ruTorrent hide-dotpaths Plugin

Instantly hide dot-prefixed files and directories from all ruTorrent path dropdowns

📋 Table of Contents

🚀 Quick Start

Overview
Why This Exists
Features
Installation
Configuration

🔧 Advanced Usage

Debug System
Testing
Troubleshooting

📖 Overview

Note

hide-dotpaths Plugin instantly hides dot-prefixed files and directories from all ruTorrent path dropdowns and file browsers. It uses advanced DOM interception technology to remove dot-prefixed items before they become visible to users.

🎯 Key Benefits

🔍 Instant Filtering - Items removed before they become visible
⚡ Real-time Interception - Uses MutationObserver for immediate response
🛡️ Dual Protection - Client-side filtering + server-side filemanager patch
🌍 Multi-Language - Support for 7 languages
🔧 Configurable - Flexible settings for different environments
📊 Advanced Debug - Intelligent logging with deduplication

🎯 Why This Exists

Important

Server Admin Problem: ruTorrent users can see and navigate into hidden directories (.config, .cache, .ssh, etc.) that contain sensitive system files, configuration data, and application settings. This creates security risks and cluttered navigation.

🛡️ The Problem

Server administrators face a real challenge: When users browse directories in ruTorrent's file manager, they can see and access hidden dot-prefixed files and directories like:

.config/ - Application configuration files
.cache/ - System cache directories
.ssh/ - SSH keys and configuration
.bashrc, .profile - User shell configurations
.git/ - Git repositories
.htaccess - Web server configuration
.env - Environment variables and secrets

This creates several issues:

🔒 Security Risk: Users can access sensitive system files
🗂️ Cluttered Navigation: Hidden files pollute the browsing experience
❓ User Confusion: Non-technical users see system files they shouldn't access
🛠️ Support Burden: Admins deal with users accidentally modifying system files

Note

Important Clarification: This plugin does not block legitimate access to hidden files. Users can still access their own hidden directories via CLI, SFTP, or other file access methods. This plugin simply reduces the accidental exposure and clutter in the ruTorrent web interface, providing a cleaner user experience while maintaining full file access capabilities.

💡 The Solution

hide-dotpaths Plugin provides a server admin solution that:

🔍 Instantly Hides dot-prefixed files and directories from all ruTorrent interfaces
🛡️ Dual Protection - Combines client-side filtering with server-side enforcement
📊 Advanced Monitoring - Detailed logging for server admins to audit what's being filtered
🎯 Clean User Experience - Users see only relevant files and directories
🔧 Configurable - Admins can fine-tune what gets hidden and what doesn't

👨‍💼 For Server Administrators

This plugin is designed for server admins who want to:

Protect sensitive system files from accidental access via web interface
Clean up the user experience by hiding irrelevant system files
Monitor filtering activity with detailed debug logging
Maintain control over what users can see and access in the web interface
Reduce support tickets from users confused by system files

The advanced debug system allows admins to:

Review exactly what files/directories are being filtered
Catch any errors in detail should they occur
Monitor filtering performance and effectiveness
Troubleshoot issues with comprehensive logging
Audit security by seeing what hidden files exist

🎯 Use Cases

🔒 Shared Hosting: Reduce accidental exposure of system files in web interface
🏢 Enterprise Environments: Protect sensitive configuration files from web access
👥 Multi-User Servers: Clean up navigation for non-technical users
🛡️ Security-Conscious Admins: Reduce margin for unintentional errors
📊 Monitoring: Track what hidden files exist and are being filtered (Debug Logging)

✨ Features

🔍 Instant Filtering

Real-time Removal: Dot-prefixed items removed immediately
Comprehensive Coverage: All ruTorrent browse dialogs, dropdowns, and menus
Generic Filtering: Works with any dot-prefixed path (.anything, .whatever, etc.)
Preserves Navigation: Keeps .. parent directory references intact

🛡️ Dual Protection Technology

Client-Side: Advanced DOM interception using MutationObserver
Server-Side: Programmatic override of filemanager settings
Runtime Enforcement: Forces hidden files to stay hidden

🔧 Advanced Debug System

Intelligent Deduplication: Prevents duplicate log entries
Scoped Debugging: Enable specific scopes (general, filter, patch, cache, performance)
Rate Limiting: Configurable rate limiting to prevent spam
Memory Management: Automatic cleanup prevents memory leaks

🚀 Installation

📋 Prerequisites

Important

Requirements:

✅ ruTorrent v5.2+ installed and configured
✅ Modern web browser with ES6+ support
✅ Access to ruTorrent plugins directory
✅ Proper file permissions for web server

⚡ QuickBox Installation (Recommended)

# Clone to QuickBox ruTorrent plugins directory
git clone "https://github.com/QuickBox/rutorrent_hide-dotpaths.git" "/srv/rutorrent/plugins/hide-dotpaths"

# Set permissions
chown www-data:www-data -R "/srv/rutorrent/plugins/hide-dotpaths"
chmod 755 "/srv/rutorrent/plugins/hide-dotpaths/"
chmod 644 "/srv/rutorrent/plugins/hide-dotpaths/"*.js
chmod 644 "/srv/rutorrent/plugins/hide-dotpaths/"*.php
chmod 644 "/srv/rutorrent/plugins/hide-dotpaths/"*.info

# Restart services
sudo systemctl restart php8.1-fpm nginx
source /opt/quickbox/config/system/mflibs/quickbox >/dev/null 2>&1
read -d '' -ra users_all <<<"$(quickbox::database "SELECT username FROM user_information")"
for user in "${users_all[@]:-}"; do
  sudo systemctl restart rtorrent@"${user}"
done

🔧 Standard Installation

# Clone and copy to plugins directory
git clone https://github.com/QuickBox/rutorrent_hide-dotpaths.git
cp -r rutorrent_hide-dotpaths /path/to/rutorrent/plugins/hide-dotpaths

# Set permissions
chmod 755 /path/to/rutorrent/plugins/hide-dotpaths/
chmod 644 /path/to/rutorrent/plugins/hide-dotpaths/*.js
chmod 644 /path/to/rutorrent/plugins/hide-dotpaths/*.php
chmod 644 /path/to/rutorrent/plugins/hide-dotpaths/*.info

📦 Manual Installation

Download from GitHub Releases
Extract and copy to ruTorrent plugins directory
Set permissions as shown above

⚙️ Configuration

Edit conf.php to customize behavior:

<?php
// Main settings
$hide_dotpaths = true;           // Enable/disable plugin
$filter_selects = true;          // Filter <select> dropdowns
$filter_modals = true;           // Filter modal file browsers
$filter_autocomplete = true;     // Filter autocomplete dropdowns
$filter_ajax = true;             // Filter AJAX responses
$filter_filemanager = true;      // Filter filemanager plugin table rows
$preserve_parent_dirs = true;    // Keep ".." parent directory references
$debug_mode = false;             // Enable debug logging
$apply_filemanager_patch = true; // Apply server-side filemanager patch

// Advanced debug settings
$debug_scopes = 'general,filter';   // Debug scopes: general,filter,patch,cache,performance,all
$debug_rate_limit = 2000;           // Rate limit in milliseconds
$debug_deduplication_window = 5000; // Deduplication window in milliseconds
$debug_enable_internal = false;     // Enable internal cache debugging
?>

📊 Configuration Options

Option	Default	Description
`$hide_dotpaths`	`true`	Main enable/disable switch
`$filter_selects`	`true`	Filter `<select>` dropdowns
`$filter_modals`	`true`	Filter modal file browsers
`$filter_autocomplete`	`true`	Filter autocomplete dropdowns
`$filter_ajax`	`true`	Filter AJAX responses
`$filter_filemanager`	`true`	Filter filemanager plugin table rows
`$preserve_parent_dirs`	`true`	Keep `..` parent directory references
`$debug_mode`	`false`	Enable debug logging
`$apply_filemanager_patch`	`true`	Apply server-side filemanager patch
`$debug_scopes`	`'general,filter'`	Comma-separated debug scopes
`$debug_rate_limit`	`2000`	Rate limit in milliseconds
`$debug_deduplication_window`	`5000`	Deduplication window in milliseconds
`$debug_enable_internal`	`false`	Enable internal cache debugging

🔧 Debug System

Debug Scopes

general: Default scope for general messages
filter: Filtering-related messages
patch: Filemanager patch messages
cache: Cache operation messages
performance: Performance and timing messages
all: Enable all scopes

Usage Examples

// Get debug statistics
const stats = window.getDebugStats();
console.log('Deduplication rate:', stats.skippedDuplicates / stats.totalCalls);

// Test the deduplication system
window.testAdvancedDebug();

// Clear debug cache manually
window.clearDebugCache();

Advanced Configuration

// Enable specific scopes
$debug_scopes = 'general,filter,performance';

// Set custom rate limit (2 seconds)
$debug_rate_limit = 2000;

// Set deduplication window (5 seconds)
$debug_deduplication_window = 5000;

// Enable internal cache debugging
$debug_enable_internal = true;

🧪 Testing

Enable Debug Mode

$debug_mode = true;

Test Dual Protection

// Test client-side filtering
testHideDotpaths();

// Check if filemanager patch is applied
console.log('Filemanager patch applied:', window.flm?.settings?.getSettingValue('showhidden') === false);

Manual Testing

Open browser console and run:

testHideDotpaths();

📋 Compatibility

ruTorrent v5.2+ - Full support with enhanced features (tested:confirmed)
All browsers - Modern browser support (ES6+)
QuickBox Pro v3 - Full integration support
Filemanager Plugin - Compatible with filemanager plugin

🛠️ Troubleshooting

❗ Common Problems

🔌 Plugin Not Working

Problem: Plugin doesn't filter dot-prefixed directories
Solution: Check if plugin is enabled in ruTorrent Settings → Plugins
Check: Verify file permissions and browser console for errors

👁️ Still Seeing Dot-Prefixed Directories

Problem: Dot-prefixed directories still visible after installation
Solution: Refresh the page and clear browser cache
Check: Verify configuration in conf.php and enable debug mode

⚡ Performance Issues

Problem: Plugin causes performance issues or slow loading
Solution: Reduce cleanup frequency or disable unused filters
Check: Monitor browser performance and check for conflicts

🔧 Debug Mode

$debug_mode = true;
$debug_enable_internal = true;  // For detailed cache debugging

📊 Performance Optimization

// Reduce debug output
$debug_rate_limit = 5000;           // 5 seconds between logs
$debug_deduplication_window = 10000; // 10 seconds deduplication

// Disable unused filters
$filter_ajax = false;               // If not using AJAX dropdowns
$filter_autocomplete = false;       // If not using autocomplete

🏗️ Architecture

Plugin Structure
├── init.js          # Main plugin logic (623 lines)
├── conf.php         # Configuration (58 lines)
├── debug-utils.js   # Advanced debug utilities (330 lines)
├── debug-cache.js   # Smart debug logging cache (119 lines)
├── plugin.info      # Plugin metadata
├── lang/            # Multi-language support (7 languages)
├── LICENSE          # GPL v3 license
└── README.md        # This documentation

Key Components

MutationObserver - Real-time element interception
Event Listeners - Real-time DOM monitoring
Advanced Debug System - Intelligent logging with deduplication
Configuration System - Flexible settings management
Multi-Language Support - Internationalization for 7 languages

🤝 Contributing

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
Open a Pull Request

📄 License

GNU General Public License v3.0

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0.

Parent Software:

License: GNU General Public License v3.0

🙏 Acknowledgments

Made with ❤️ by the QuickBox Team

🏗️ QuickBox Team: For the amazing QuickBox Pro v3 framework
🎭 ruTorrent Team: For the excellent plugin system
👥 Community: For feedback, testing, and contributions

🆘 Support

💬 Community: Join the QuickBox Community
🐛 Issues: Report bugs on GitHub Issues
📖 Documentation: This README and inline code comments

Version: 2.5.210

⬆️ Back to Top

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 32 Commits
.github		.github
lang		lang
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
conf.php		conf.php
debug-cache.js		debug-cache.js
debug-utils.js		debug-utils.js
init.js		init.js
plugin.info		plugin.info
version.txt		version.txt

License

QuickBox/rutorrent_hide-dotpaths

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