Peer-to-peer file sharing
Setting up Syncthing
Syncthing's installation routine creates three entries for Syncthing in the desktop environment menu hierarchy. Besides a launcher for the actual program, which then runs in the background, a second launcher activates the GTK-based GUI. A third launcher runs Syncthing in the browser.
The developers follow a very unusual operating concept: Syncthing is configured in the web browser the first time it is called up. First you start the actual program and then, using the appropriate launcher, you open the web browser with the application's configuration interface (Figure 5).

In the background, the software generates the required certificates and creates the Sync/
folder in your home directory, the contents of which it will then synchronize with other computers later on. In the graphical interface in the browser, these folders are preconfigured as the Default Folder located on the window's left. On the right, Syncthing lists various statistics for the system and data transfers.
Syncthing communicates with individual computers via a unique ID that is set when the software is first launched on each computer. You can discover your device's ID by clicking the Actions button in the top right corner of the browser window and selecting Own ID from the context menu that opens. A QR code and the system's identifier, comprising a total of 56 alphanumeric characters, now appear in a separate window.
To synchronize data between your computer and a remote computer, you also need to know the remote system's ID. To integrate the second computer's ID, click Add Device bottom right in the web interface and enter the remote system's ID in the window that opens. You do not need to type in the complete ID: All computers running a Syncthing instance share their IDs on the intranet. They all appear with their IDs in the computer's web interface, letting you select a remote station with a simple mouse click.
To replace the somewhat cryptic default name of the remote system with a more meaningful name, you just need to type a name in the Device Name field. The remote computer is then displayed with the new name. After clicking the Save button, the newly detected device is displayed bottom right under Remote Devices.
New Folders
Click on Add Folder to add more folders to the synchronization routine. You only need to do this on one of the two devices to be synchronized. Syncthing detects that a new folder has been created on one system and asks the connected system if the new folder should be added there, too. After clicking the Add button, it will add the new folder to the system and synchronize it automatically (Figure 6).

Synchronization
To synchronize the files that exist in a folder with the second computer, you first need to tag the corresponding source folder as a folder to be shared. To do this, click on the Edit button under Remote Devices below the device list. In the window that opens, select the target system and then go to the Sharing tab, where you will find Default Folder.
If you have specified additional folders that you want Syncthing to include, they will also be in the list. To enable a folder to be synchronized, check the box for the corresponding directory. After a short delay, the application will now start synchronizing the two folders, with a corresponding progress indicator appearing above the synchronizing folder under Folders. To the right of the folder name, Syncthing also displays the transfer rates for upload and download. When the sync is complete, the folder's status changes to Up to Date to the right of the folder name.
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Direct Download
Read full article as PDF:
Price $2.95
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
News
-
KDE Plasma 6 Looks to Bring Basic HDR Support
The KWin piece of KDE Plasma now has HDR support and color management geared for the 6.0 release.
-
Bodhi Linux 7.0 Beta Ready for Testing
The latest iteration of the Bohdi Linux distribution is now available for those who want to experience what's in store and for testing purposes.
-
Changes Coming to Ubuntu PPA Usage
The way you manage Personal Package Archives will be changing with the release of Ubuntu 23.10.
-
AlmaLinux 9.2 Now Available for Download
AlmaLinux has been released and provides a free alternative to upstream Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
-
An Immutable Version of Fedora Is Under Consideration
For anyone who's a fan of using immutable versions of Linux, the Fedora team is currently considering adding a new spin called Fedora Onyx.
-
New Release of Br OS Includes ChatGPT Integration
Br OS 23.04 is now available and is geared specifically toward web content creation.
-
Command-Line Only Peropesis 2.1 Available Now
The latest iteration of Peropesis has been released with plenty of updates and introduces new software development tools.
-
TUXEDO Computers Announces InfinityBook Pro 14
With the new generation of their popular InfinityBook Pro 14, TUXEDO upgrades its ultra-mobile, powerful business laptop with some impressive specs.
-
Linux Kernel 6.3 Release Includes Interesting Features
Although it's not a Long Term Release candidate, Linux 6.3 includes features that will benefit end users.
-
Arch-Based blendOS Features Cool Trick
If you're looking for a Linux distribution that blends Linux, Android, and web apps together, blendOS might be what you're looking for.