Ubuntu 18.04: Install WebDAV for file server

• This article uses default SSL/TLS certicication file for https. Please change your SSL/TLS certification file.
• Use https or davs for SSL.
• WEBDAV_USERNAME is username and WEBDAV_PASSWORD is password for digest authentication.

#!/bin/sh

set -e

[ -z "${WEBDAV_USERNAME}" ] && \
  WEBDAV_USERNAME=webdav
[ -z "${WEBDAV_PASSWORD}" ] && \
  WEBDAV_PASSWORD=webdav

sudo apt install -y apache2

cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/apache2/sites-available/webdav.conf
Alias /webdav /var/www/webdav

<VirtualHost _default_:443>
  SSLEngine on
  SSLCertificateFile    /etc/ssl/certs/ssl-cert-snakeoil.pem
  SSLCertificateKeyFile /etc/ssl/private/ssl-cert-snakeoil.key
</VirtualHost>

<Location /webdav>
  DAV On
  SSLRequireSSL
  AuthType Digest
  AuthName webdav
  AuthUserFile /etc/apache2/.webdav
  Require valid-user
</Location>
EOF

sudo mkdir /var/www/webdav
sudo chown www-data:www-data /var/www/webdav

for mod in dav dav_fs dav_lock ssl auth_digest; do
  sudo a2enmod ${mod}
done
sudo a2ensite webdav
sudo systemctl restart apache2

# Create digest password file with expect command.
sudo apt install -y expect
expect -c "
set timeout -1
spawn sudo htdigest -c /etc/apache2/.webdav webdav ${WEBDAV_USERNAME}
expect \"New password: \"
send \"${WEBDAV_PASSWORD}\n\"
expect \"Re-type new password: \"
send \"${WEBDAV_PASSWORD}\n\"
expect eof
"

Install davfs2 package for mounting davfs.

$ sudo apt install -y davfs2

Run "mount -t davfs".

$ sudo mount -t davfs https://localhost/webdav /mnt
Please enter the username to authenticate with server
https://localhost/webdav or hit enter for none.
  Username: webdav
Please enter the password to authenticate user webdav with server
https://localhost/webdav or hit enter for none.
  Password:
<snip>
Accept certificate for this session? [y,N] y

Write file via WebDAV.

$ echo hello | sudo tee /mnt/hello.txt

For updating written file immediately, unmount /mnt.

$ sudo umount /mnt

Written file can be read in /var/www/webdav.

$ sudo cat /var/www/webdav/hello.txt
hello