The popular jailbreak program iFile allows running a server out of any directory. Not sure if it’s still around or not; I haven’t been jailbroken since about iOS 8, but I’m sure it still is
The benefit of an POP/IMAP email server is that a non-jailbroken iPhone can connect to the local hotspot, add the email account, check mail, and download all the files at once.
Saving photos one at a time via a web server is a hassle. And it doesn't work for other file types (e.g. music).
Wanted to get my vpn keys onto an i-product without A) going over the net and without B) installing itunes.
So I first tried hosting the file on a local webserver, but apple treated it as a text file and displayed it in the browser.
Then I wrote a pop server on android to deliver a client.ovpn file as a mime attachment in an email. Worked wonderfully and thought about extending it to deliver photos from my phone to others' i-products.
You didn't set the MIME type correctly on the server. I know for a fact that you can serve .mobileconfig files to Safari iOS, which will open them as config files if the mimetype is set correctly.
I'm sorry but the idea of using email servers for file exchange, in 2017, is ridiculous.
The benefit of an POP/IMAP email server is that a non-jailbroken iPhone can connect to the local hotspot, add the email account, check mail, and download all the files at once.
Saving photos one at a time via a web server is a hassle. And it doesn't work for other file types (e.g. music).