🚠 fileway v0.9.0

Table of Contents

• 1. tl;dr
• 2. Overview
• 3. Tutorial
• 4. Documentation

1. tl;dr

Fileway is a real-time file transfer service that works through a web browser or command line. It lets two users exchange files through an intermediary server without storing data or requiring direct access to each other’s systems - like a live-streaming version of WeTransfer™^[1].

Note	While it’s called file-way, it can also transfer text; useful for config snippets or similar.

You can jump in following the tutorial or read on for an architectural overview.

2. Overview

fileway is a client/server application that transfer single files (well, technically…​) or text snippets. It accepts an upload and blocks it until a download is initiated, then processes the upload and sends the data to the downloading client.

It can be used to relay files (or text) from a server to another, if the two servers can’t easily "see" each other but can see a third server, where fileway is installed.

Figure 1. Sequence diagram

The transfer is secure: a unique link is generated, and you should only take care to serve it via HTTPS (discussed below).

Uploads can be done with a web interface - works on mobile, too - or via a python3 script, for shells. Downloads can be done via a browser or using the commandline, e.g. curl. The uploading script or web session must be kept online until the transfer is done. Of course, multiple concurrent transfers are possible, and it transfers one file/text at a time.

fileway doesn’t store anything on the server, it just keeps a buffer to make transfers smooth. It doesn’t have any dependency other than go. It’s distributed as a docker image, but you can easily build it yourself. Also provided, a docker image that includes caddy for simple HTTPS provisioning.

Builds are reproducible.

3. Tutorial

For a quick test, you can run it locally. Prerequisites are docker, a file to upload, nothing else.

Run the server:

docker run --rm -p 8080:8080 -e FILEWAY_SECRET_HASHES='$2a$10$I.NhoT1acD9XkXmXn1IMSOp0qhZDd63iSw1RfHZP7nzyg/ItX5eVa' ghcr.io/proofrock/fileway:latest

Tip	The hash is in BCrypt format, so it has some $; it must be escaped appropriately. In this case, using single quotes.

Then open http://localhost:8080 to access the upload web page. Put mysecret as the secret, and choose a file; or select the right radio button and input a text.

Press the Upload button.

In the two boxes that will be displayed, you’ll find an URL to be open directly in a browser; and a curl commandline to download the file.

Note	You can use anything to download a file URL, as long as it supports taking the filename from the Content-Disposition header. That’s the -J switch for curl and the --content-disposition one for wget (still marked experimental).

4. Documentation

• About the server and how to configure it, build it and add a reverse proxy;

• About the upload methods, which one to choose and how to use them best;

• About the download links and all the design choices.

Let me know if you need more info!

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1. WeTransfer™ is a trademark of WeTransfer B.V.