XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-11, comp.mobile.android
Help!
In another thread, I asked this question but I'd like to ask here it as
as it would hijack the original poster to keep discussing it there.
https://groups.google.com/g/alt.home.repair/c/rSWfASPhOaY/m/Y1OB1NTIAgAJ
I'm trying to set up the open source "Silent Notes" Android app, which
says it shares to online WebDAV servers, to share to a LOCAL WebDAV server.
Apparently Windows already has a local WebDAV server built in so I
looked up how to set that up with self-signed certificates for encryption.
I don't really need encryption but I don't know if the Silent Notes app
will work without encryption (as the documentation says it requires it).
My two biggest hurdles are that I've never set up a WebDAV server on
Windows before and I don't know how to do the associated certificate stuff.
Also I don't have the same username on Windows as I do on Android, where neither my Windows nor Android user has a password so I have to leave it blank.
I just want to set up the simplest WebDAV server on Windows that was
ever set up - with a share open to everyone on the LAN without credentials.
If that's impossible, then I'll add teh simplest of credentials (if I have to), as what I'm trying to do is set up a simple WebDAV server on Windows.
Here's where I'm stumped.
I wrote it up so that you can get there in about five minutes if you want.
Then you can show me what I'm doing wrong in the last step which fails.
1. I installed that open source Silent Notes app to test it out on Windows.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ch.martinstoeckli.silentnotes
2. I created a few checklists in that Silent Notes app to test it out.
{amazon,costco,homedepot}
3. I realized I needed a WebDAV server on Windows so I watched this video.
How to Setup WebDAV Server On Windows 10 / 11 and Map WebDAV drive
https://youtu.be/M4DZcS6V-Zs
The video glosses over a few steps, so I clarify those steps below.
4. Win+R | control.exe
View by: Category | Programs | Turn Windows features on or off
Expand "Internet Information Services"
Expand "World Wide Web Services"
Expand "Common HTTP Features"
Set the checkbox for "WebDAV Publishing"
Control Panel | Programs | Turn Windows features on or off |
Expand "Internet Information Services"
Expand "World Wide Web Services"
Expand "Security"
Set the checkbox for "Basic Authentication"
OK
5. Start "Windows Administrative Tools" "Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager"
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools\Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.lnk
Win+R | %windir%\system32\inetsrv\InetMgr.exe
6. Navigate to the "Default Web Site"
IIS | Connections | Sites | Default Web Site
Under "Default Web Site Home" doubleclick on "WebDav Authoring Rules"
Under "Actions" make sure "Enable WebDAV" is turned on
Rightclick in the "WebDAV Authoring Rules" window
Select "Add Authoring Rule" from the context menu that pops up
Allow access to: All content
Allow access to this content to: All users
Permissions: Read, Source, Write
OK
7. IIS | Connections | Sites | Default Web Site
Under "Default Web Site Home" doubleclick on "Authentication"
Select "Anonymous Authentication" & under "Actions" set it to "Disabled"
Select "ASP .NET Impersonation" & under "Actions" set it to "Disabled"
Select "Basic Authentication" & under "Actions" set it to "Enabled"
Select "Digest Authentication" & under "Actions" set it to "Disabled"
8. IIS | Connections | Your computer name
Doubleclick "Server Certificates"
Rightclick in the windows & select "Create self-signed certificate"
Specify a friendly name for the certificate: My self-signed certificate
Select a certificate store for the new certificate: Personal
OK
9. IIS | Connections | Sites | (Rightclick on "Default Web Site")
Select "Edit Bindings" from the context menu that pops up
In the "Site Bindings" form that pops up, click the "Add" button
Set Type to "https" (Port 443)
Under "SSL certificate" select the certificate you had created
OK | Close
10. Fabricate a test domain by first checking it doesn't exist
Win+R | cmd | ping myserver.com
That ping should report that the server couldn't be found.
Find your local IP address to add into hosts as that domain
Win+R | cmd | ipconfig | look for "IPv4 Address"
For example: IPv4 Address... 192.168.0.2
Edit C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
192.168.0.2 myserver.com # my local webdav test server
Win+R | cmd | ping myserver.com
That ping should now report that the server was found.
11. Create a subfolder under C:\inetpub\wwwroot named "android"
Set that subfolder to full access by rightclicking on the subfolder
and selecting "Properties | Security | Edit } CREATOR OWNER |
Press the "Add" button & then the "Advanced" button
Press the "Find Now" button & scroll down the list of users
I selected "Guest" but I wasn't sure what user to select here.
MachineName\Guest | OK
12. In the "Permissions for android" form, select "Guest",
click to "Allow" all permissions & then click "Apply"
And then click "OK" & "OK" to close the folder permission form.
13. I think the instructions missed the "Sharing" step of the folder
C:\inetpub\wwwroot\android
14. To map a WebDAV drive and to populate it with files as a user,
rightclick on "My PC" & in the context menu that pops up,
select "Map network drive" and in the "Folder" field
enter \\MYPC\inetpub\wwwroot\android & click "Finish"
You should now have a new "Z:" drive labeled something like
"android (\\MYPC\inetpub\wwwroot)"
You can also map that network drive from the Windows command line.
net use Y: \\MYPC\inetpub\wwwroot\android
net use X: \\192.168.0.2\inetpub\wwwroot\android
net use U: \\192.168.0.2\inetpub\wwwroot\android /USER:guest
net use W: \\myserver.com\inetpub\wwwroot\android
Enter the username for 'myserver.com' = guest
Enter the password for 'myserver.com' = <blank>
15. On Android, start the Silent Notes app & click the "cloud" icon.
A Silent Notes activity will ask "Set up the online storage"
to which you click "Continue" & then you select your cloud provider
out of {FTP,WebDAV,Dropbox,Google Driver,OneDrive,Nextcloud,GMX}.
I selected "WebDAV" out of that list.
A form labeled "Online storage credentials" popped up.
Server directory URL:
https://192.168.0.2/inetpub/wwwroot/android
User name = guest
Password = <blank>
[x]Accept unsafe certificates
This is where I'm stuck as I keep trying things but I must have something
wrong with the form of the Windows WebDAV server URL in Silent Notes.
https://192.168.0.2/DavWWWRoot
https://192.168.0.2/inetpub/wwwroot/android
I need a way to test the Windows WebDAV server to make sure it's alive. (Although the "net use" command worked without error so I think it is.)
I do note that Silent Notes says it only does encryption so I had
to use the "http(s)" instead of "http" but neither works for me yet.
Maybe my self-signed certificate isn't being specified on Windows?
I don't know. I've never done half this stuff. Have you ever done it?
Can someone who wants to set up their own WebDAV server on Windows
with Silent Notes test out the steps I did above - as it should take
you only a few minutes (whereas it took me many hours to get here).
Any help is happily appreciated as it would be useful to anyone on
Windows to be able to securely share files over a local WebDAV server.
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