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https://github.com/tom-james-watson/dat-cp
dcp | Dat Copy - remote file copy, powered by the Dat protocol
https://github.com/tom-james-watson/dat-cp
Last synced: 6 days ago
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dcp | Dat Copy - remote file copy, powered by the Dat protocol
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/tom-james-watson/dat-cp
- Owner: tom-james-watson
- License: mit
- Archived: true
- Created: 2018-11-02T12:48:47.000Z (about 6 years ago)
- Default Branch: master
- Last Pushed: 2023-11-29T07:23:32.000Z (12 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2024-10-01T15:18:35.535Z (about 1 month ago)
- Language: JavaScript
- Homepage:
- Size: 4.59 MB
- Stars: 315
- Watchers: 8
- Forks: 21
- Open Issues: 10
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE.md
Awesome Lists containing this project
- awesome-dat - dcp - remote file copy cli tool with an API reminiscent of scp/rsync (Dat Applications / Community Applications)
- awesome-starred - tom-james-watson/dat-cp - dcp | Dat Copy - remote file copy, powered by the Dat protocol (others)
README
`dcp` - Dat Copy
========
> Remote file copy, powered by the Dat protocol.
[](https://circleci.com/gh/tom-james-watson/workflows/dat-cp/tree/master)
[](https://www.npmjs.com/package/dat-cp)
[](https://www.npmjs.com/package/dat-cp)
[](https://www.npmjs.com/package/dat-cp)
`dcp` copies files between hosts on a network using the peer-to-peer [Dat network](https://datproject.org/). `dcp` can be seen as an alternative to tools like `scp`, removing the need to configure SSH access between hosts. This lets you transfer files between two remote hosts, without you needing to worry about the specifics of how said hosts reach each other and regardless of whether hosts are behind NATs.
`dcp` requires zero configuration and is secure, [fast](#Performance), and peer-to-peer.
**WARNING - this is not production-ready software. Use at your own risk**
### Contents
- [How dcp works](#how-dcp-works)
- [Installation](#installation)
- [Usage](#usage)
- [Development](#development)
### Example
### Use cases
* Send files to multiple colleagues - just send the generated public key via chat and they can receive the files on their machine.
* Sync files between two physical computers on your local network, without needing to set up SSH access.
* Easily send files to a friend without needing to create a zip and upload it the cloud.
* Copy files to a remote server when you have shell access but not SSH, for example on a kubernetes pod.
* Share files between linux/macOS and Windows, which isn't exactly known for great SSH support.
## How `dcp` works
`dcp` will create a dat archive for a specified set of files or directories and, using the generated public key, lets you download said archive from other hosts. Any data shared over the network is encrypted using the public key of the archive, meaning data access is limited to those who have access to said key. For more information on how Dat works, you can browse [the docs](https://docs.datproject.org/) or [read their whitepaper](https://github.com/datproject/docs/blob/master/papers/dat-paper.pdf).
### Advantages over plain [dat](https://github.com/datproject/dat)
`dcp` is designed to have an API that is more reminiscent of `scp` and `rsync`. The standard cli `dat` program requires the additional mental overhead of understanding how the underlying Dat protocol works. `dat` forces you to share a single whole folder, whilst with `dcp` you can copy an arbitrary set of paths. `dat` also pollutes the filesystem with metadata files, whereas with `dcp` these are kept in-memory instead.
### Performance
You can expect `dcp` to transfer at a similar speed to both `rsync` and `scp`.
Here's a benchmark for moving a 396.12MB file from my personal computer to a remote server over my 50mpbs connection.
| Method | Time |
|--------|-------|
| rsync | 1m07s |
| scp | 1m07s |
| dcp | 1m10s |
## Installation
```
npm i -g dat-cp
```
### Installing without npm
Alternatively, packaged binaries are available on [the releases page](https://github.com/tom-james-watson/dat-cp/releases). These bundle all dependencies into a single standalone binary.
Simply extract the zip and move the `dcp[.exe]` binary to a folder in your path, e.g. `/usr/local/bin`.
## Usage
```
Usage: dcp [options] {files ... | key}
Dat Copy - remote file copy, powered by the dat protocol.
Options:
-V, --version output the version number
-r, --recursive recursively copy directories
-n, --dry-run show what files would have been copied
--skip-prompt automatically download without a prompt
-v, --verbose verbose mode - prints extra debugging messages
-h, --help output usage information
Example:
Send files from host A:
> dcp foo.txt bar.txt
Receive files on host B:
> dcp
```
### Sending files
Pass an arbitrary set of files or directories to `dcp` to be copied. Copy the generated public key and use it to receive the files on a different host.
```bash
> dcp [-r] [-n] [-v] files ...
```
* Use `-n`/`--dry-run` to see what files will be sent
* Use `-r`/`--recursive` to recursively copy files within directories
* Use `-v`/`--verbose` to print extra debugging information
### Receiving files
Invoke `dcp` with the generated public key to receive the copied files.
```bash
> dcp [-n] [-v] [--skip-prompt]
```
* Use `-n`/`--dry-run` to see what files will be received
* Use `-v`/`--verbose` to print extra debugging information
* Use `--skip-prompt` to skip the download prompt
## Development
Install dependencies:
```
npm i
```
Run the tests:
```
npm t
```
Test the CLI executable
```
npm run cli -- foo.txt -v
```
*Note the `--` preceding the arguments.*