FOSSPicks
File transfer
X-Pipe
With so many options for transferring files from one computer or location to another, it's surprising that it can still be a difficult and unpredictable process. Two computers need to support the same protocol or run the same client. They may need to be on the same network, have common access through a firewall, or permit a third-party proxy to negotiate a connection on their behalf. It's complicated. And that's before we've considered operating systems, or even which Linux distribution to run. These are the problems that X-Pipe attempts to solve through either a graphical file manager interface or its command line equivalent, and both have been specifically designed to make transferring files and directories from one place to another as simple as possible.
X-Pipe takes a clever and pragmatic approach to providing all this seamless connectivity, and it accomplishes this by not really doing anything at all. Instead of trying to negotiate a connection and manage the transfer itself, it uses tools it natively finds on the client's respective system. For Linux users, this means X-Pipe will use SSH, but it will also work on macOS and Windows. The desktop application can automatically detect targets, including Docker and LXD instances, virtual machines, WSL on Windows, and even PostgreSQL databases. Adding any of these will take you to the connection panel, and entered details are securely saved. Hosts can now be selected in the main view, where they'll each appear as tabs, as will your local filesystem, which is accessed in the same way. You can now explore the remote filesystem or data storage, copy and paste between tabs, or drag files into the download panel to save them locally. It works well and could be a great option if you need to help non-technical users access certain files across operating systems.
Project Website
https://github.com/xpipe-io/xpipe
Secrets searcher
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Gnome 48 Debuts New Audio Player
To date, the audio player found within the Gnome desktop has been meh at best, but with the upcoming release that all changes.
-
Plasma 6.3 Ready for Public Beta Testing
Plasma 6.3 will ship with KDE Gear 24.12.1 and KDE Frameworks 6.10, along with some new and exciting features.
-
Budgie 10.10 Scheduled for Q1 2025 with a Surprising Desktop Update
If Budgie is your desktop environment of choice, 2025 is going to be a great year for you.
-
Firefox 134 Offers Improvements for Linux Version
Fans of Linux and Firefox rejoice, as there's a new version available that includes some handy updates.
-
Serpent OS Arrives with a New Alpha Release
After months of silence, Ikey Doherty has released a new alpha for his Serpent OS.
-
HashiCorp Cofounder Unveils Ghostty, a Linux Terminal App
Ghostty is a new Linux terminal app that's fast, feature-rich, and offers a platform-native GUI while remaining cross-platform.
-
Fedora Asahi Remix 41 Available for Apple Silicon
If you have an Apple Silicon Mac and you're hoping to install Fedora, you're in luck because the latest release supports the M1 and M2 chips.
-
Systemd Fixes Bug While Facing New Challenger in GNU Shepherd
The systemd developers have fixed a really nasty bug amid the release of the new GNU Shepherd init system.
-
AlmaLinux 10.0 Beta Released
The AlmaLinux OS Foundation has announced the availability of AlmaLinux 10.0 Beta ("Purple Lion") for all supported devices with significant changes.
-
Gnome 47.2 Now Available
Gnome 47.2 is now available for general use but don't expect much in the way of newness, as this is all about improvements and bug fixes.