Peer-to-peer file sharing
Swap Meet

© Photo by Charisse Kenion on Unsplash
For the occasional local file transfer, a few simple tools can do the job quickly and efficiently.
For smooth file transfer between computers, companies typically use file servers or locally installed cloud instances. But server-based systems require a capable hardware infrastructure; they need to be managed by an administrator and can pose vulnerabilities if configured incorrectly. If you only need to exchange a few files between individual workstations from time to time, these solutions are usually oversized.
It is far easier and faster to send and receive data using applications installed locally on workstations that work on a peer-to-peer basis. You don't need a server, and the data only travels back and forth between the participating computers without being stored on a third system.
Requirements
When choosing a tool to transfer data directly between two computers, there are a few things you need to consider. Most importantly, the tool needs to secure the data with end-to-end encryption so that third parties cannot sniff the data.
[...]
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
-
TUXEDO has unveiled a new InfinityBook Pro with an AMD Ryzen AI 300
This new notebook offers serious power that is ready for your business, development, or entertainment needs.
-
Is This the Year of Linux?
Another major organization has decided to kick Windows and Office to the curb, in favor of Linux.
-
Linux Mint 20 Reaches EOL
With Linux Mint 20 at its end of life, the time has arrived to upgrade to Linux Mint 22.
-
TuxCare Announces Support for AlmaLinux 9.2
Thanks to TuxCare, AlmaLinux 9.2 (and soon version 9.6) now enjoys years of ongoing patching and compliance.
-
Go-Based Botnet Attacking IoT Devices
Using an SSH credential brute-force attack, the Go-based PumaBot is exploiting IoT devices everywhere.
-
Plasma 6.5 Promises Better Memory Optimization
With the stable Plasma 6.4 on the horizon, KDE has a few new tricks up its sleeve for Plasma 6.5.
-
KaOS 2025.05 Officially Qt5 Free
If you're a fan of independent Linux distributions, the team behind KaOS is proud to announce the latest iteration that includes kernel 6.14 and KDE's Plasma 6.3.5.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 Now Available
The latest Linux kernel is now available with several new features/improvements and the usual bug fixes.
-
Microsoft Makes Surprising WSL Announcement
In a move that might surprise some users, Microsoft has made Windows Subsystem for Linux open source.
-
Red Hat Releases RHEL 10 Early
Red Hat quietly rolled out the official release of RHEL 10.0 a bit early.