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How to copy a file between devices? (2022)

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Re: How to copy a file between devices? (2022)

#102
Here's a thought:

This article is exploring the wrong problem.

The filesystem where my files reside should already be a fully-distributed filesystem covering all the devices I own, right from the moment I buy and enroll them.

With that precondition, my file is already where I need, and any physical bit shuffling is just a detail managed by the OS, using whatever connectivity is already available (or prompting me to "please connect cable type X between devices Y and Z for N minutes" if devices are out of sync).

Re: How to copy a file between devices? (2022)

#103
post #56

In an ideal world any hosts have an IPv6 global and any human have at least a domain name, with relevant subdomains for hes/shes own devices, a simple thing also offered to non technical users by ISPs in the form of a homeserver-router like the real one they offer but not crap, without violation of GPL, without doing their development just to milk data from users etc. So in an ideal world anyone can share files direc…

Unfortunately I think it would take governments to start waking up and treating internet access as a public utility. Even then they'd have to compete with ad companies to get the right people to do the job.

Re: How to copy a file between devices? (2022)

#104
Well, one can use a conventional torrent client. Half of the popular ones have some kind of “share mode” to automate the creation and link exchange. Or use a dozen other existing file sharing tools, including plain netcat.

The problems are elsewhere:

a) “Simple enough” is a moving target. Some time ago, users were expected to state their needs, find convenient tools, figure out how to use them, and be happy that their problem is solved. Nowadays it is proclaimed that user is an idiot, because the idiots don't actually choose anything, they do what someone else decided for them to do, and it's Good for Business.

b) People don't know which solutions already exist (looking at the author here).

c) Smartphones are deliberately crippled to create the market for 50 different bundled and third party file sharing apps and other reinvented wheels, with data and money trickling to the platform owner. In addition, rat race never ends, and the developers must update their apps constantly. Say, there is some ancient BTSync installer for Windows. It's rough, but it works. I'm not saying anyone should use that, but you can still transfer files that way. Can you use smartphone apps from ages ago in the same manner? Most likely not (and race organizers make sure you can't). It's quite like constantly resetting the MMORPG server to restart the money and activity flow into its economy.

Re: How to copy a file between devices? (2022)

#106

I made my own site for this. https://filepush.kevincox.ca/ It uses WebPush notifications to set up a WebRTC data channel. So full E2EE with no website-run server in the middle (unless you need TURN). The actual domain is just a static site. It is similar to a lot of the other WebRTC based solutions but it works better for me because the push notification means that I only have to navigate to the site on one device. T…

Do you have the source available for this? This is something I'd quite like to selfhost as well :)

Re: How to copy a file between devices? (2022)

#107
I'm truly sick of how difficult it is to copy files between devices in different ecosystems. It makes me grind my teeth that emailing/WhatsApping attachments has become a default for people literally standing next to each other.

No, we don't need more proprietary protocols like Apple This or Google That. We've got scp, sftp, Bluetooth, all manner of secure connecting and tunneling methods, all of which can be made easy to use and secure.

Apparently, I can't Bluetooth a file from my Android phone to my partner's Apple phone because apparently Bluetooth is insecure and Apple have hobbled it on iPhones. What a crock. Fix the damn protocol or make a new one that's open. It's anti-competitive and user hostile to do otherwise.

Yes, there are the various wormhole and filedrop services, and good for them. Unfortunately they sometimes don't work on corporate/academic networks.

Ugh. What a mess. Rant over.

Re: How to copy a file between devices? (2022)

#108

I must be missing something, but right-click -> share already works just fine? Share with kde connect, select your windows, linux, iOS, android whatever device, done. The only restriction is that both devices are connected to the same WiFi. Why are you looking for cloud solutions for a local transfer?

Unfortunately this doesn't always work on corporate/academic networks.

Re: How to copy a file between devices? (2022)

#109

I'm truly sick of how difficult it is to copy files between devices in different ecosystems. It makes me grind my teeth that emailing/WhatsApping attachments has become a default for people literally standing next to each other. No, we don't need more proprietary protocols like Apple This or Google That. We've got scp, sftp, Bluetooth, all manner of secure connecting and tunneling methods, all of which can be made ea…

People completely misunderstand Bluetooth. It's a fingerprinting and tracking protocol. A legend says that sometime somewhere someone was able to reliably pair devices with it.
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