I managed to get NextExplorer fully working on ZimaOS with proper read, write, delete and folder creation. The main issue was permissions and user/group mismatch.
Below is the exact working method.
1. Create required folders
Run:
mkdir -p /DATA/AppData/nextexplorer/config
mkdir -p /DATA/AppData/nextexplorer/cache
2. Run NextExplorer container
Use this command:
docker run -d \
--name nextexplorer \
-p 8000:3000 \
-e NODE_ENV=production \
-e PUBLIC_URL=http://YOUR-IP:8000 \
-e PGID=1001 \
-v /DATA/AppData/nextexplorer/config:/config \
-v /DATA/AppData/nextexplorer/cache:/cache \
-v /media/Safe-Storage:/mnt/storage \
-v "/media/nvme1 Zima2:/mnt/nvme" \
--restart unless-stopped \
nxzai/explorer:latest
Replace YOUR-IP with your actual IP, for example:
http://192.168.1.193:8000
3. Fix permissions (this is the important part)
Without this, you will get permission denied when trying to delete or create files.
Run:
chmod -R 775 /media/Safe-Storage
chgrp -R 1001 /media/Safe-Storage
find /media/Safe-Storage -type d -exec chmod g+s {} \;
4. Restart container
docker restart nextexplorer
5. Access NextExplorer
Open in browser:
http://YOUR-IP:8000
6. Verify everything works
Test the following:
- create folder
- delete file
- upload file
All should now work without errors.
Why this fix is required
ZimaOS uses mixed ownership like:
- monitor:samba
NextExplorer runs internally as a non-root user.
If the group does not match, you will get:
permission denied (EACCES)
The fix aligns the group and enables proper write access.
Final result
- full file access working
- multi-disk support
- stable with BTRFS and ZimaOS
- no permission issues going forward
If anyone hits the same issue, do not waste time on chmod alone. The group alignment and setgid fix are the key.
No Custom App is required. Running via Docker CLI gives better control over permissions.
Warning – No Recycle Bin
NextExplorer permanently deletes files.
When you delete a file or folder:
- it is removed immediately
- there is no recycle bin
- there is no undo
This means deleted data cannot be recovered unless you have backups.
Recommendation
Be careful when deleting files, especially on shared or important storage.
If you need protection:
- keep regular backups
- or avoid using delete inside the app for critical data