A lightweight, open-source NAS . it uses an SD card module , ethernet , an esp32 (WIFI) , It provides a modern web interface for browsing, uploading, downloading, and managing your SD card files over your local network—offering a simple alternative to Bluetooth and USB transfers. computers . users can upload,download , delete , browse and manage files through a simple interface withouth removing the memory card or using files
I created the ReadME , and completed the project info implementation
Since the last devlog, I completed the remaining work needed to finish the first milestone of the ESP32 NAS project (Mayby the first and the last ) . On the backend, I added the missing HTTP API endpoints for storage information, file listing, downloading, uploading, deleting, renaming, and creating folders, along with their corresponding request handlers. The FileService was also extended to support multiple missions (it will be long so I will not cover them here).
On the frontend, I finished the JavaScript logic by implementing storage usage monitoring with a live progress bar, storage statistics in both the dashboard and footer, file upload, download, delete, rename, and folder creation, client-side search (still working o it), automatic refresh of file and storage information, and proper initialization when the page loads.
With these additions and fixes, this milestone is now complete. I tried it , and it’s fully functional , The ESP32 NAS now provides a smooth web interface with complete file management capabilities and live storage monitoring.
well, it was a fasciniting project , and I really learned a lot, I ’m proud of it .(yeah,after I get a headache during debugging ) .
since the last time , I tried to turn the interface to a multi-page interface that contains the 3 main sections files , Network , Settings and I tried to integrate java script navigation , between pages and itms , and during this I got some javascript issues ,because the javascript file refused loadeding , but I fixed it later , after completing the navigation process I created an /api/network endpoint that returns live Wi-Fi information from the ESP32, and connected the Network page,I also implemented the /api/files API in the HTTP server, which converts the FileService output into JSON, then I started laying the foundation for folder navigation , which will allow the browser to navigate directories just like a desktop file explorer.**important note :**the data in the screenshot is fake because I run UI files in the live server , not yet to the esp32
FileService and HttpServer classes . I also implemented the first HTTP API endpoints that will allow the frontend to communicate with the ESP32, I really struggled to make the HTTP server work .On the frontend, I redesigned the HTML layout, cleaned up the structure, fixed some dumb problems , and introduced dedicated pages for Files, Network, and Settings. for the actual moment the backend is ready , and the same thing for the frontend (I will improve it later) , now I have to connect them all through JavaScript and the REST API.well I come along a hard way to this , but it deserves it
Today’s session was all about strengthening the software architecture of the ESP32 NAS.
SDManager module.WiFiManager module and established a successful Wi-Fi connection.FileService module.exists()createFolder()deleteFile()deleteFolder()rename()fileSize()copyFile()moveFile()’The next ’milestone is integrating these modules with the web server and building the NAS interface.
Stay tuned.
Today I finished one of the core modules of the ESP32 NAS project: SDManager.
The pupose of this module is simple: make the SD card completely independent from the rest of the project. From now on, no other class will communicate directly with SD.h; everything goes through SDManager.
I also spent a good amount of time debugging the module. Most of the issues were caused by mismatched function declarations, missing braces, incorrect return types, and a few IntelliSense false positives. After fixing them one by one, the project finally compiled successfully.
Finally, I connected the SD card to the ESP32 and verified that everything works correctly. The board successfully detects the SD card and prints its information, including storage capacity and available space.
With the storage layer now complete, the foundation of the project is becoming much stronger.
Next step: build the WiFiManager module and add mDNS support so the NAS can be accessed using a hostname
One day, I wanted to transfer some files from the SD card in my phone to my desktop. I thought it would be easy—just send them over Bluetooth.
Well… that’s not what happened.
I tried transferring the files using Bluetooth, but every single time the connection failed. Then I had to pair the two devices again, only for the transfer to fail once more. I kept thinking,
“Come on, it shouldn’t be this hard.”
After wasting almost an hour of my precious time (and remember, 1 hour of my precious time = $100), I looked at my second option.
Nope.
I really dislike opening and reopening the SIM tray every time I need to transfer a few files.
So there I was, stuck between two terrible options:
Then I remembered something… or maybe I just invented it.
“When you have two bad options, don’t choose either of them. Make a third one.”
I don’t even know if SpongeBob ever said that.
Probably not.
But it sounded meaningful enough to me.
So I rolled up my sleeves and decided to build something that would solve the problem once and for all.
Something fast.
Something reliable.
Something that uses Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth.
After a lot of thinking… and thinking… and more thinking (okay, and not that much research >-<), I finally decided to build a lightweight NAS powered by an ESP32. So I started sketching the web interface and began coding it.
Right now, it’s a little rough around the edges (okay… maybe more than a little >_<), but that’s completely fine. My goal isn’t to make it perfect on day one—it’s to build a solid foundation first and improve the design as the project evolves.
Moral of the story:
Always listen to SpongeBob.
Thanks, Bob.
