CopyFlow

A high-performance command-line tool for copying large files efficiently. Designed especially for copying large files (like videos) to USB drives and external storage with seamless flow and smart retry logic.

Features

• 🚀 Efficient streaming: Uses Node.js streams to copy files without loading them entirely into memory
• 📊 Progress tracking: Real-time progress bar showing copy status
• 🔍 Integrity verification: Optional MD5 hash verification to ensure file integrity
• 🔄 Automatic retry: Configurable retry mechanism for failed transfers
• ⚡ Speed monitoring: Shows transfer speed and estimated time
• 💾 Memory efficient: Works with files of any size without memory issues

Installation

Install globally

npm run install-global

Or use directly with npx

npx copyflow <source> <destination>

Usage

Basic usage

copyflow /path/to/source.mp4 /media/usb/destination.mp4

With integrity verification

copyflow --verify /large-file.zip /backup/large-file.zip

With custom retry count

copyflow --retries 5 /video.mkv /external/video.mkv

Show help

copyflow --help

Options

• --help, -h: Show help message
• --verify, -v: Verify file integrity after copying using MD5 hash
• --retries, -r <number>: Set number of retry attempts (default: 3)

Examples

Copy a 2GB video file to USB drive:

copyflow /home/user/movie.mp4 /media/usb/movies/movie.mp4

Copy with verification (recommended for important files):

copyflow --verify /important/document.pdf /backup/document.pdf

Copy with 10 retry attempts:

copyflow --retries 10 /large/database.sql /external/backup.sql

Development

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Run in development mode
npm run dev

# Build the project
npm run build

# Install globally for testing
npm run install-global

# Uninstall global installation
npm run uninstall-global

What Makes CopyFlow Unique?

🎯 Specialized for Large Files

Unlike standard cp or GUI file managers, CopyFlow is specifically optimized for large files (2GB+ videos, databases, backups) that often cause issues with traditional copying methods.

🔄 Smart Retry System

• Automatic retry with configurable attempts (1-10 retries)
• Intelligent error recovery for network drives and USB devices
• Handles temporary connection drops gracefully

📊 Real-Time Visual Feedback

• Beautiful progress bar with Unicode characters (█░)
• Live speed monitoring (MB/s)
• File size formatting (Bytes → KB → MB → GB)
• Percentage completion tracking

🛡️ Built-in Integrity Verification

• Optional MD5 hash verification to ensure file integrity
• Detects corruption during transfer
• Critical for important data transfers

💾 Memory Efficient Streaming

• Uses Node.js streams instead of loading files into memory
• Can copy files larger than available RAM
• Constant memory usage regardless of file size

⚡ Performance Optimized

• Chunked reading/writing for optimal I/O performance
• Async operations prevent UI blocking
• Cross-platform compatibility (Linux, macOS, Windows)

🎨 User Experience Focus

• Clean, emoji-enhanced CLI interface
• Detailed error messages with context
• Professional help system
• Easy global installation

Comparison with Alternatives

| Feature | CopyFlow | Standard cp | GUI File Managers | rsync | |---------|-----------|---------------|-------------------|---------| | Progress Bar | ✅ Real-time | ❌ None | ✅ Basic | ✅ Basic | | Speed Display | ✅ MB/s | ❌ None | ✅ Limited | ✅ Basic | | Retry Logic | ✅ Configurable | ❌ None | ❌ Manual | ✅ Limited | | Integrity Check | ✅ MD5 Hash | ❌ None | ❌ None | ✅ Checksum | | Memory Usage | ✅ Constant | ✅ Constant | ❌ Variable | ✅ Constant | | Large File Support | ✅ Optimized | ✅ Basic | ❌ Often fails | ✅ Good | | CLI Interface | ✅ Modern | ✅ Basic | ❌ None | ✅ Complex |

Why Not Just Use cp or rsync?

Standard cp command:

• No progress indication for large files
• No retry mechanism
• No integrity verification
• Limited error handling

rsync:

• Complex syntax and options
• Overkill for simple file copying
• No visual progress bar
• Primarily designed for synchronization

GUI File Managers:

• Often freeze with very large files
• Limited retry options
• No integrity verification
• Can't be automated or scripted

CopyFlow fills the gap by providing a simple, reliable, and visually appealing solution specifically for large file transfers.