Add the following to mod/forum/lib.php : function forum_before_file_created($newfile, $fileinfo) { error_log("== START BEFORE FILE CREATE HOOK TRIGGER WITH STRING ==");     error_log('forum_before_file_created');     error_log(var_export(($newfile), true);     error_log(var_export(($fileinfo), true); error_log("== END BEFORE FILE CREATE HOOK TRIGGER WITH STRING =="); } Download the attached hooks_test.php file and place it in your moodle root Tail your web server's error log Run hooks_test.php from the CLI: {php hooks_test.php} Verify you see the output similar to: == START BEFORE FILE CREATE HOOK TRIGGER WITH STRING == forum_before_file_created stdClass Object (     [contextid] => 2     [component] => course     [filearea] => test     [itemid] => 0     [filepath] => /     [filename] => test.txt     [timecreated] => 1501815056     [timemodified] => 1501815056     [userid] =>    [source] =>     [author] =>     [license] =>     [status] => 0     [sortorder] => 0 )   Array(     [pathname] =>     [content] => foo )   == END BEFORE FILE CREATE HOOK TRIGGER WITH STRING ==     == START BEFORE FILE CREATE HOOK TRIGGER WITH PATHNAME == forum_before_file_created stdClass Object(     [contextid] => 2     [component] => course     [filearea] => test2     [itemid] => 0     [filepath] => /     [filename] => test2.txt     [timecreated] => 1501815056     [timemodified] => 1501815056     [mimetype] => text/plain     [userid] =>     [source] =>    [author] =>    [license] =>    [status] => 0     [sortorder] => 0 )   Array(     [pathname] => ./index.php     [content] => )   == END BEFORE FILE CREATE HOOK TRIGGER WITH PATHNAME == Setup the filesystem, and dropbox repositories Try linking files from those repositories as a reference file