DAVE(1)

📦
version 0.500.0 · 4 versions
, in opensuse-leap 16.0

DAVE(1) — DAV Explorer 🦋

okay bestie, this is the DAVE(1) page from the User Contributed Perl Documentation, and the main character is dave, aka DAV Explorer. 💅

🌸 NAME 🌸

dave — DAV Explorer

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

dave [OPTIONS] URL

like, for example:

$ dave -u pcollins -p mypass www.host.org/dav_dir/
...
dave> get file.txt

Use dave -h to get help on options.

Use perldoc dave for the whole manpage.

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

okay so dave is a powerful command-line program for interacting with WebDAV-enabled webservers. With dave you can:

  • get and put files
  • make directories on a remote webserver
  • remove files and directories from a remote webserver
  • edit a file on the webserver with a single command
  • recursively get a remote directory
  • recursively put a local directory
  • lock and unlock remote files and directories
  • securely transfer over https
  • authenticate using the safer Digest authentication

Dave is a part of the PerlDAV project (http://www.webdav.org/perldav/) and is built on top of the HTTP::DAV perl API.

If you would like to script webdav interactions in Perl checkout the HTTP::DAV API as its commands are the basis for dave's.

🎀 OPTIONS 🎀

  • -debug N — Sets the debug level to N. 0=none. 3=noisy.
  • -h — Prints basic help and options.
  • -man — Prints the full manual (equivalent to perldoc dave).

You will need to use a pager like more or less. e.g.

dave -man |less
  • -p <password> — Sets the password to be used for the URL. You must also supply a user. See -u.
  • -u <username> — Sets the username to be used for the URL. You must also supply a pass. See -p.
  • -tmpdir /some/path — Create temporary files in /some/path instead of the default /tmp.

💖 COMMANDS 💖

okay bestie, this is the whole command menu — every single one, no skips, no “you’ll figure it out” energy. periodt.

cd URL — changes directories

dave> open host.org/dav_dir/
dave> cd dir1
dave> cd ../dir2

cat URL — shows the contents of a remote file

dave> open host.org/dav_dir/
dave> cat index.html
Note: you cannot cat a directory (collection). it’s giving “nice try tho” 😭

cp / copy SOURCE_URL DEST_URL — copies one remote resource to another

dave> open host.org/dav_dir/

Create a copy of dir1/ as dav2/:

dave> cp dir1 dav2

Create a copy of dir1/file.txt as dav2/file.txt:

dave> cd dir1
dave> copy file.txt ../dav2

Create a copy of file.txt as ../dav2/new_file.txt:

dave> copy file.txt dav2/new_file.txt

Aliases: cp

rmdir URL / rm URL / delete URL — deletes a remote resource

dave> open host.org/dav_dir/
dave> delete index.html
dave> rmdir ./dir1
dave> delete /dav_dir/dir2/
dave> delete /dav_dir/*.html

This command recursively deletes directories. BE CAREFUL :) like genuinely, bestie, this one has main-character destructive energy 💀

This command supports wildcards (globbing). See get.

Aliases: rm, rmdir

edit URL — edits the contents of a remote file

dave> open host.org/dav_dir/
dave> edit index.html

edit is equivalent to the following sequence of commands:

LOCK index.html (if allowed)
GET index.html /tmp/dave.perldav.421341234124
sh $EDITOR /tmp/dave.perldav.421341234124
PUT index.html (if modified)
UNLOCK index.html (if locked)

Where $EDITOR is determined from the environment variables DAV_EDITOR or EDITOR.

If DAV_EDITOR is set, it will use that, otherwise it will use EDITOR. If neither variables are set, then vi will be used.

Notes:

  • The lock only lasts for 10 hours.
  • You cannot edit a directory (collection).
  • The temporary save directory is editable by editing dave and changing TMP_DIR.

get URL [FILE] — downloads the file or directory at URL

If FILE is not specified it will be saved to your current working directory using the same name as the remote name.

dave> open host.org/dav_dir/

Recursively get remote my_dir/ to .:

dave> get my_dir/

Recursively get remote my_dir/ to /tmp/my_dir/:

dave> get my_dir /tmp

Get remote my_dir/index.html to /tmp/index.html:

dave> get /dav_dir/my_dir/index.html /tmp

Get remote index.html to /tmp/index1.html:

dave> get index.html /tmp/index1.html

Use globs and save to /tmp:

dave> get index* /tmp                   # Gets index*.html, index*.txt, etc.
dave> get index*.html /tmp/index1.html  # Gets index*.html
dave> get index[12].htm?                # Gets file1 and file2, .htm and .html

? [CMD] / h [CMD] / help [CMD] — prints list of commands or help for CMD

dave> ?

dave> help get

Aliases: ?, h

lcd [DIR] — changes local directory

dave> lcd /tmp

lls [DIR] — lists local directory contents

dave> lcd /tmp
dave> lls
dave> lls /home

This command simply execs the local ls command and is equivalent to !ls.

lpwd — prints the current working directory, locally

This command simply execs the local ls command and is equivalent to !pwd.

dir [URL] / ls [URL] — lists remote directory contents or file props

dave> ls
Listing of http://host.org/dav_dir/
                ./          Aug 29 02:26  <dir>
   mtx_0.04.tar.gz   52640  Aug 11 11:45
        index.html    4580  Aug 11 11:45
    index0.04.html    4936  Nov 11  2000
            mydir/          Aug 19 21:14  <dir>,<locked>
dave> ls index.html
URL: http://www.webdav.org/perldav/index.html
Content-type: text/html
Creation date: Sun Aug 12 21:58:02 2001
Last modified:
Size: 4580 bytes
Locks supported: write/exclusive write/shared
Locks:

Use propfind to get a similar printout of a collection (directory).

Aliases: dir

lock [URL [TIMEOUT] [DEPTH]] — locks a resource

Without a URL you will lock the current remote collection.

TIMEOUT can be any of the following formats:

  • 30s — 30 seconds from now
  • 10m — ten minutes from now
  • 1h — one hour from now
  • 1d — tomorrow
  • 3M — in three months
  • 10y — in ten years time
  • 2000-02-31 00:40:33
  • 2000-02-31

Default is an infinite timeout.

See perldoc "HTTP::DAV::Resource" for more information about timeouts.

DEPTH can be either "0" or "infinity" (default).

Setting the lock Scope and Type is not currently implemented. Let me know if you need it as it shouldn't be too much effort.

mkdir URL / mkcol URL — make a remote collection (directory)

dave> open host.org/dav_dir/
dave> mkcol new_dir
dave> mkdir /dav_dir/new_dir

Aliases: mkdir

mv / move SOURCE_URL DEST_URL — moves a remote resource to another

dave> open host.org/dav_dir/

Move dir1/ to dav2/:

dave> move dir1 dav2

Move file dir2/file.txt to ../file.txt:

dave> cd dir2
dave> move file.txt ..

Move file.txt to dav2/new_file.txt:

dave> move file.txt dav2/new_file.txt

Aliases: mv

open URL — connects to the WebDAV-enabled server at URL

dave> open host.org/dav_dir/

Note that if authorization details are required you will be prompted for them.

https and Digest authorization are not currently supported. Please let me know if you need it.

options [URL] — show the HTTP methods allowed for a URL

dave> options index.html
OPTIONS, GET, HEAD, POST, DELETE, TRACE, PROPFIND,
PROPPATCH, COPY, MOVE, LOCK, UNLOCK

Note that Microsoft's IIS does not support LOCK on collections (directories). Nor does it support PROPPATCH.

propfind [URL] — show the properties of a resource

dave> propfind test
URL: http://host.org/dav_dir/test/
Content-type: httpd/unix-directory
Creation date: Wed Aug 29 00:36:42 2001
Last modified:
Size:  bytes
Locks supported: write/exclusive write/shared
Locks:

Using ls will get you the same printout if you ls a file. But ls'ing a collection will show you the collection’s contents.

put FILE [URL] — uploads a local file or directory to URL or the currently opened location

If URL is an existing collection then the dir/file will be copied INTO that collection.

dave> open host.org/dav_dir/

Recursively put local my_dir/ to host.org/dav_dir/my_dir/:

dave> put my_dir/

Put local index.html to host.org/dav_dir/index1.html:

dave> put /tmp/index.html index1.html

Put * to remote directory:

dave> put *

Put index[12].htm? to remote directory /dav_dir (/dav_dir must exist):

dave> put index[12].htm? /dav_dir

Put index[1234].htm? to remote directory /dav_dir (/dav_dir must exist):

dave> put index[1-4].htm? /dav_dir

Glob types supported are, * (matches any characters), ? (matches any one character), [...] (matches any characters in the set ...).

pwd — prints the currently opened URL (working directory)

dave> open host.org/dav_dir/
dave> cd new_dir/
dave> pwd
http://host.org/dav_dir/new_dir/

q / bye / quit — exits dave

Note that dave does not unlock any locks created during your session.

Aliases: q, quit

set URL PROPERTY VALUE [NAMESPACE] — sets a custom property on a resource

dave> set file.txt author "Patrick Collins"
dave> set file.txt author "Patrick Collins" "mynamespace"

The NAMESPACE by default is "DAV:".

! / sh — executes a local command (alias !)

dave> sh cat localfile
dave> !gzip localfile.gz
dave> ! "cat localfile | less"

Aliases: !

showlocks — show my locks on a resource

Shows any locked resources that you've locked in this session.

See propfind if you'd like to see anyone's locks held against a particular resource.

steal [URL] — remove ANY locks on a resource

Useful if you accidentally forgot to unlock a resource from a previous session or if you think that somebody has forgotten to unlock a resource.

unlock [URL] — unlocks a resource

Note that unlock will only unlock locks that you have created. Use steal if you want to forcefully unlock somebody else's lock.

unset URL PROPERTY [NAMESPACE] — unsets a property from a resource

dave> unset file.txt author
dave> unset file.txt author "mynamespace"

The NAMESPACE by default is "DAV:".

📬 GETTING HELP 📬

okay so there’s the perldav mailing list — it exists for PerlDAV and dave, for Developers and Users. Please see http://mailman.webdav.org/mailman/listinfo/perldav.

🛠️ INSTALLATION 🛠️

dave is installed to /usr/local/bin by default when you install the PerlDAV library. See http://www.webdav.org/perldav/ for installation details of PerlDAV.

🌍 WHAT PLATFORMS WILL IT WORK ON? 🌍

dave is pure perl so only needs Perl5.003 (or later) and the PerlDAV library to be installed.

I have not ported dave to Windows but would like somebody to have a shot at it.

👀 SEE ALSO 👀

The PerlDAV perl API at http://www.webdav.org/perldav/ or by typing perldoc HTTP::DAV on your command line.

This module is Copyright (C) 2001 by

Patrick Collins
G03 Gloucester Place, Kensington
Sydney, Australia

Email: pcollins@cpan.org
Phone: +61 2 9663 4916

All rights reserved.

You may distribute this module under the terms of either the GNU General Public License or the Artistic License, as specified in the Perl README file.

🫶 MAINTAINER 🫶

Cosimo Streppone, <cosimo@cpan.org>

okay that’s the whole page, bestie — this iconic little manual is from perl v5.42.0, dated 2024-10-17, and it’s DAVE(1). slay 💅✨

📦 where this page comes from