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Show HN: Fileshifter – Easily convert files and videos between different formats

fileshifter.io

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Re: Show HN: Fileshifter – Easily convert files and videos between different formats

#31

Post by fvargas »

metaobject wrote: post #27
fvargas wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The creator mentions in another post that the service does indeed upload the data to a server for processing. But, in general, it being a web app doesn't mean it uploads your data any more than a locally run application might. A web app can just as well do the processing in the browser without it ever leaving your machine.

Using a web app requires one to upload their file 100% of the time. Using a local app requires one, I'd expect, to upload their file 0% of the time.

On what are you basing these expectations? Uploading means transmitting data to a third party. One could write a CLI that does just that. One could also write a web app where the processing takes place in the browser and the data never leaves the machine.

The difference is the web app runs within the browser sandbox while the CLI executes with user permissions.

Re: Show HN: Fileshifter – Easily convert files and videos between different formats

#32

Post by fvargas »

stevemk14ebr wrote: post #12
fvargas wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just curious, why would you want to self-host it?

Many reasons. Primarily because of security and control of my information. Secondly because services like these tend to be short-lived and unreliable, if i host it myself i can trust it's there when i need it. And i hadn't considered the uploading time issue mentioned in a previous comment, but that is actually a very good point that self-hosting would solve as well. I also just want to see the code because i think i…

Yeah, the primary benefit I see is if one fully audits the code and any future updates. Otherwise, self-hosting doesn't confer much in the way of guarantees for security or privacy.

Re: Show HN: Fileshifter – Easily convert files and videos between different formats

#33

Post by ldjb »

bo1024 wrote: post #14
stevemk14ebr wrote: post #6

Will this be open-sourced? I'd like the idea of a self-hosted version of this. Good work!

If you run Linux, you can use `ffmpeg` and `convert` to duplicate the functionality of this site locally. For example $ convert input-file.jpg output-file.pdf $ ffmpeg -i input-file.mov output-file.mp4

For the video, you'd probably want to do a stream copy, which will retain the original quality and save you from having to potentially wait a long time for it to encode:

  $ ffmpeg -i input-file.mov -c copy output-file.mp4
This works if the output container format supports the codecs used by the input file, which should be the case for most mov->mp4 conversions.

Re: Show HN: Fileshifter – Easily convert files and videos between different formats

#34

Post by mtusman »

mtusman wrote: post #7
paultopia wrote: post #5

Interesting. I tried to convert an iPhone photo from jpg to pdf (from phone) and it threw the following error: "C952B34B-95B4-4908-9018-C224DBB753A1.jpeg - File not in jpg format"

yep, looks like an error at the frontend. I’ll look it to it. Thanks for reporting it

Error is now fixed

Re: Show HN: Fileshifter – Easily convert files and videos between different formats

#35

Post by mtusman »

mtusman wrote: post #28
thomasswift wrote: post #23

Cool! I think you need a way to get back to the home screen so that someone can try another conversion. After I did the default png->pdf, there is nothing to click on to go back and try another conversion, besides editing the URL. (maybe a link 'try another' or just home) - but cool thanks for sharing! Edit: on Safari mac 10.13 if that helps

Hey, glad you liked it! I'm working on a new update that does exactly that! So, thanks for your suggestion.

Edit: Feature has now been implemented

Re: Show HN: Fileshifter – Easily convert files and videos between different formats

#36

Post by knight17 »

bo1024 wrote: post #13
Digital-Citizen wrote: post #2

Structurally, the service is hosted online as a website, this means one must upload a copy of their data to be converted. Naturally that raises questions because there's a lot we don't know about this site: who runs it, what are the terms of service (I saw none on the site), what are users granting the site owners to do with uploaded data? Answers to these are almost certainly guesses as this information is not readi…

- I appreciate these posts that promote software freedom. - The tools `convert` and `ffmpeg` should cover your criteria and the functionality of the site.

Thank you for suggesting this. I never knew about this. I learnt that it is from/ part of Imagemagick [1].

Unoconv tool [2], recommended in another comment here, is also great to convert documents to and from formats that are supported by OpenOffice (LibreOffice?).

Pandoc [3] is also a worthy option to convert between document formats.

[1] : https://www.imagemagick.org/script/convert.php, https://www.lifewire.com/convert-linux-command-unix-command-...

[2] : http://dag.wiee.rs/home-made/unoconv/

[3] : http://pandoc.org/

Re: Show HN: Fileshifter – Easily convert files and videos between different formats

#37

Post by thomasswift »

mtusman wrote: post #35
mtusman wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hey, glad you liked it! I'm working on a new update that does exactly that! So, thanks for your suggestion.

Edit: Feature has now been implemented

Wonderful!! I'll give it a try.
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