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Firefox Send: Free encrypted file transfer service

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Re: Firefox Send: Free encrypted file transfer service

#251

Post by chapium »

jwr wrote: post #200
mFixman wrote: post #12

I can't believe that there isn't a simple service to transfer data between my cellphone and my computer without going through the internet. iTunes is terribly bloated, MTP is a mess, and Bluetooth is slow and frustrating. Back in my hacker day I used to have an SSH server open on my cellphone and use it to transfer files back and forth with my computer. Why isn't there a mainstream service like that?

If you use Apple devices, it's called AirDrop and works surprisingly well. I use it a lot, between computers, phones, and ipads, within the family and sometimes with other people, too.

Just make sure your Mac's firewall is not blocking bluetooth.

Re: Firefox Send: Free encrypted file transfer service

#252

Post by runn1ng »

millstone wrote: post #208
skrowl wrote: post #174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In addition to NUMEROUS 3rd party tools, Google already provides a tool exactly like AirDrop for Android. It's a feature of the Files app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.and... which has over 100M installs. Look at the 3rd screenshot. ENCRYPTED FILE SHARING Files’s offline file sharing is secured with WPA2 encryption, providing a more secure file transfer. Files app uses Bluetooth to set up e…

Does Files actually allow transfer with desktops or laptops? It sounds like it only transfers between Android devices.

Apparently only Android - Android (and maybe ChromeOS, since that can run Android apps)

Re: Firefox Send: Free encrypted file transfer service

#254

Post by shmerl »

mFixman wrote: post #12

I can't believe that there isn't a simple service to transfer data between my cellphone and my computer without going through the internet. iTunes is terribly bloated, MTP is a mess, and Bluetooth is slow and frustrating. Back in my hacker day I used to have an SSH server open on my cellphone and use it to transfer files back and forth with my computer. Why isn't there a mainstream service like that?

KDE connect?

Re: Firefox Send: Free encrypted file transfer service

#258

Post by cr0sh »

TulliusCicero wrote: post #37
samcday wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tangentially related - I've always thought it's dumb that I can't just plug my iPhone in to any PC and have it show up as a removable storage device. I'm sure people who know more than me will give me a list of great reasons why it's not straightforward to implement... But it doesn't change the fact that I have this incredible device (iPhone X) with 256gb of blindingly fast NAND flash storage, of which I am only util…

> I'm sure people who know more than me will give me a list of great reasons why it's not straightforward to implement... Nah, Android phones have done this forever, it's not technical difficulties stopping it from working. It's The Apple Way . They don't want you using your phone that way, or something.

> Nah, Android phones have done this forever

Your only option today is MTP on Android, and it stinks.

At one time, Android did support showing up as a mass storage device. I know when I first got a G1, then the phone I had after that - both you could plug in, and they appeared as a mass storage device. Just like a USB thumb drive.

I don't recall if you could use the file system at the same time on both sides; I doubt it, though. This was never a problem for me. It just worked - just like a thumb drive.

Then something changed; I don't recall which Android version, but they gradually phased out the phone appearing as a USB drive, and started to phase in MTP. I recall MTP being absolute POS on Linux, barely workable everywhere else, and where it did work, it was slow.

It's gotten better over the years on all platforms, but it still isn't anything like it should be.

My theory on why they switched was to keep people from easily side-loading APKs, and backing them up easily, etc. I think it was all part of the battle to keep people from really owning their phones, keep them from rooting them, etc. The ever and ongoing battle in which nobody really wins, everything is left as rubble, and the results are futile, because if they lock things down completely, the people that want things open will just leave to create their own devices, and they don't really gain much.

As an aside - that's a direction I've been thinking about pursuing. There are now some relatively cheap 4G modules out there, and some open-source "phone" operating systems for the Raspberry Pi and other embedded controllers (with varying levels of "working-ness"). I'm just getting tired of not really owning my own phone, and I want to do something about it.

My current phone is an S7 (TMobile version) - and they've made it hard as heck to actually root; it seems like every time they come out with a way to do it, Samsung/T-Mobile updates to prevent it. I'm just tired of the whole cat-mouse thing; I want things completely open, even if it means I have to write my own apps.

Re: Firefox Send: Free encrypted file transfer service

#259

Post by novaRom »

millstone wrote: post #208
skrowl wrote: post #174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In addition to NUMEROUS 3rd party tools, Google already provides a tool exactly like AirDrop for Android. It's a feature of the Files app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.and... which has over 100M installs. Look at the 3rd screenshot. ENCRYPTED FILE SHARING Files’s offline file sharing is secured with WPA2 encryption, providing a more secure file transfer. Files app uses Bluetooth to set up e…

Does Files actually allow transfer with desktops or laptops? It sounds like it only transfers between Android devices.

You can only share files "with others nearby who also have the app".

Re: Firefox Send: Free encrypted file transfer service

#260

Post by [deleted] »

NKCSS wrote: post #228
AdmiralAsshat wrote: post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No one I've tried it with has ever had it fail on them. But to answer your question, I uploaded a 100mb+ file to FireFox Send, copied the link, RDPd into another computer, kicked off the download, and then cancelled it midway through download. The link did expire after that. So I guess they don't have an easy way of telling whether the download is successful or not. Maybe Mozilla's engineers can figure something out…

If they did, you could abuse it by just trasfering every byte except the last, add that in a custom link to complete the file transfer and have unlimited distribution ;) I think it's best the way they did it.

[deleted]
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