Private files download permission

Version 7.x-1.x provided "two useful features which Drupal itself is missing: a simple permission to allow downloading of private files by role, plus the ability to combine both public and private downloads".
Version 7.x-2.x removed the "global" permission and implemented a per-directory by-user and by-role filter instead, to let the administrator better tweak the whole website and increment the overall security.
The 8.x port was rewritten from scratch, but many thanks to Paris Liakos and Andrey Kovtun for their precious help and hints.
The 3.x branch was created for Drupal 9 (although it also supported Drupal 8.8.3+), but it currently supports Drupal 10 and 11.
IMPORTANT: this project is no longer maintained.

Idea and code (mostly for version 7.x-1.x) were inspired by http://www.beacon9.ca/labs/drupal-7-private-files-module.
The 7.x-2.x development was partly sponsored by Cooperativa Italiana Artisti.