Download file from non public html folder with php

Question

I have a number of files that are stored on the server, but not in the public_html directory. The idea is that users who are logged in can download the files, using $_SESSIO

Answer 1

You can use readfile to get output as the file in question. EG:

$file = '/absolute/path/to/file.ext';

if (file_exists($file)) {
    header('Content-Description: File Transfer');
    header('Content-Type: application/octet-stream');
    header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename='.basename($file));
    header('Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary');
    header('Expires: 0');
    header('Cache-Control: must-revalidate, post-check=0, pre-check=0');
    header('Pragma: public');
    header('Content-Length: ' . filesize($file));
    ob_clean();
    flush();
    readfile($file);
    exit;
}

Answer 2

If this is outside of the public_html folder then create a php script to file_get_contents from the file .

here is part of a script I use

if ($type == "1" && $method == "f"){
    header('Content-type: application/pdf');
} else {
    header('Content-type: image/jpeg');
}

$fp = fopen($uploaded_dir . $result['theimage'], "r");
while ($data = fread($fp, 1024)){
    echo $data;
}
fclose($fp);