File Transfer
/ 3 min read
Here are a variety of tools for moving files between systems. For moving files between Linux server/desktops, scp or rsync does the job fast and securely. However for other system/OS combinations, here are some useful software to facilitate file transfer
Packet is a quick share client for Linux. It is available as a flatpak app. It will send and receive files between Android and Linux devices. It will also work for two Linux systems. Multiple file transfers are possible. It has end-to-end encryption.
Kde Connect does a lot besides file transfers. It provides a link between your android phone and your Linux system. It enables sharing of phone notifications and you can reply to text meesages directly from the desktop. Installing the client on Linux is straight forward if you are using the KDE Desktop. For Gnome users, there is the GSConnect Gnome extension option. Transfer is limited to 1 item at a time. It uses end-to-end TLS encryption.
Cross-platform filesharing with end-to-end encryption. It is for local transfers, no internet access needed. Software is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. It supports transfer of files and folders. Devices however must be on the same network.
Access to the file sharing is via the browser. Transfers can be made locally or over the internet. Joining a temporary public room allow transfer between the two clients over the internet. Files are transferred via WebRTC directly so are never stored anywhere else. It has a very clean and easy to use interface. You can permanently pair devices and enable auto-accept to speed up transfer of files. It cannot transfer mutiple selection of files or folders.
This is another web based file sharing application. It has no file size limit, transfer via web-rtc with end-to-end encryption. Very easy to use and support internet transfers using links and QR codes. It cannot transfer mutiple selection of files or folders.
Another web based transfer app. Large file transfer supported. Supports pause and resume of transfer. You can set a password when uploading and the downloader need enter the correct password to download the file. SHA-256 file checksum check is done to verify data integrity.
Microbin provides not only a means to share files and text snippets you can also selfhost the service on your own server. The files/text are stored on the server and the link to these items are shared for access. The items to be shared can have a expiration date assigned and encrypted with a password. The downloads can be limited with a preset number of accesses. They also offer to host the service for a monthly fee. The Free Tier has 256Mb of Storage, 4 request per second and a maximum of 30 days expiry. If you selfhost there are no set limits. Microbin will work well in the scenario where you need to share with a large number of people.
It is a python script that can be used to setup a file server on any system that supports python(2 or 3). It supports the following protocols http(s), webdav, sftp, ftp(s), tftp and smb/cifs. It will allow the upload and download of files/folders. There are many usage examples on the github site.