Local Web Share (lw-share)

A lightweight, cross-platform web application for sharing files and chatting over a local network. Perfect for quick file transfers and real-time communication between devices on the same network without requiring external services or internet connectivity.

✨ Features

• 📁 File Sharing: Upload, download, and manage files through an intuitive web interface
• 💬 Real-time Chat: Instant messaging with live updates using WebSockets
• 📱 Cross-Platform: Works on any device with a web browser (desktop, mobile, tablet)
• 🔗 QR Code Generation: Easy connection via QR codes for mobile devices
• 🔍 Auto Port Detection: Automatically finds and uses available ports
• 🎯 Drag & Drop: Intuitive file uploading with drag and drop support
• 🌐 Network Discovery: Displays all available network addresses for easy access
• 🚀 Zero Configuration: Works out of the box with sensible defaults

📸 Screenshots

Home Dashboard

QR codes for easy mobile device connection with network addresses

Real-time Chat

Live messaging with user presence and message history

File Sharing

Drag & drop file uploads with real-time file management

QR Code Generation

Generate QR codes for easy sharing and access

🛠 Technologies Used

• Backend: Node.js, Express.js
• Real-time Communication: Socket.io
• Frontend: HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, Bootstrap 5
• QR Code Generation: qr-image, qrcode-terminal
• CLI: Commander.js

📦 Installation

Usage

npm install lw-share

"use strict";

const {
    init: initApp, httpServer, getUrlList, getRandomPort,
} = require('lw-share');

getRandomPort().then((port) => {
    const dir = './share'; // Directory to share

    console.log('Starting lw-share...');
    initApp(dir, port);
    httpServer.on('listening', () => {
        console.log('Listening on:');
        const urls = getUrlList(port);
        urls.forEach((url) => {
            console.log(url);
        });
    });
    httpServer.listen(port);
});

ES Module:

"use strict";

import {
    init as initApp, httpServer, getUrlList, getRandomPort,
} from 'lw-share';

Global Installation

npm install -g lw-share

Local Development

git clone https://github.com/raksa/lw-share.git
cd lw-share
npm install

🚀 Usage

Quick Start

lw-share

This will:

• Start the server on an automatically detected available port
• Share the current ./share directory (creates it if it doesn't exist)
• Display QR codes for easy mobile access
• Show all available network URLs

Examples

# Share a specific directory
lw-share -D /path/to/your/files

# Use a specific port
lw-share -P 3000

# Share your Downloads folder on port 8080
lw-share -D ~/Downloads -P 8080

🌟 Features Overview

🏠 Home Dashboard (/)

• QR codes for easy mobile device connection
• Overview of all available network addresses
• Quick navigation to file sharing and chat features

📂 File Sharing (/files/)

• Upload: Drag & drop files or use the file picker
• Download: Click on any file to download
• Delete: Remove files with confirmation dialog
• Real-time Updates: File list updates automatically across all connected devices
• All File Types: Support for any file format

💭 Chat (/chat/)

• Real-time Messaging: Instant message delivery using WebSockets
• User Presence: See who's online
• Message History: Persistent chat history during session
• Mobile Friendly: Responsive design for all screen sizes

🌐 Network Access

When you start the server, you'll see output similar to this:

Starting lw-share...
Listening on:
-------------------
http://192.168.1.100:3000
 ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
 █ ▄▄▄▄▄ █▀█ █▄█▀▀▀█▀▄▄██ ▄▄▄▄▄ █
 █ █   █ █▀▀▀█ ▄▄█▄▀▀  ▄█ █   █ █
 █ █▄▄▄█ █▀ █▀ ▄▀█▄█▄▄██▄ █▄▄▄█ █
-------------------
http://10.0.0.5:3000
 ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄

Use any of these URLs to access the application from other devices on your network, or scan the QR codes with your mobile device.

🖥 Browser Support

• Chrome/Chromium: 60+
• Firefox: 55+
• Safari: 11+
• Microsoft Edge: 79+
• Mobile: iOS Safari, Chrome Mobile, Samsung Internet

⚙️ System Requirements

• Node.js: 18.0.0 or higher
• Operating System: Windows, macOS, Linux
• Network: Local network connection
• Disk Space: Minimal (< 10MB)

🔒 Security Considerations

⚠️ Important: This application is designed for use on trusted local networks only.

• No Authentication: Files and chat are accessible to anyone on the network
• No Encryption: Data is transmitted in plain text over HTTP
• Local Network Only: Not designed for internet-facing deployments
• File Access: Anyone with network access can upload, download, and delete files

Recommended Use Cases:

• Home networks
• Office/corporate networks with trusted users
• Development environments
• Local file sharing between your own devices

📋 FAQ

Q: Can I use this on the internet?

A: No, this application is designed for local networks only. It lacks security features needed for internet deployment.

Q: What file types are supported?

A: All file types are supported. The application doesn't process files, it simply serves them.

Q: How many users can connect simultaneously?

A: There's no hard limit, but performance will depend on your network and system resources.

Q: Can I customize the interface?

A: Yes, you can modify the files in the public/ directory to customize the appearance.

🚀 Performance Tips

• Use wired connections for large file transfers
• Close unused browser tabs to free up resources
• For many large files, consider using the drag & drop upload feature
• The application works best with modern browsers that support WebSockets

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request. For major changes, please open an issue first to discuss what you would like to change.

Development Setup

git clone https://github.com/raksa/lw-share.git
cd lw-share
npm install
node lw-share.mjs

Project Structure

lw-share/
├── src/
│   ├── index.mjs        # Main application entry
│   ├── httpApp.mjs      # HTTP server setup
│   ├── fileApp.mjs      # File sharing logic
│   ├── chatApp.mjs      # Chat functionality
│   └── helpers.mjs      # Utility functions
├── public/              # Static web files
│   ├── index.html       # Home page
│   ├── fileApp.html     # File sharing interface
│   ├── chatApp.html     # Chat interface
│   ├── css/            # Stylesheets
│   └── js/             # Client-side JavaScript
└── lw-share.mjs      # CLI entry point

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

📝 Changelog

v0.0.1 (Current)

• Initial release
• File sharing functionality
• Real-time chat
• QR code generation
• Auto port detection

🐛 Issues & Support

If you encounter any issues or have questions:

1. Check the Issues page
2. Create a new issue with detailed information
3. Include your Node.js version and operating system

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

👨‍💻 Author

Raksa Eng - [email protected]

⭐ If you found this project helpful, please give it a star on GitHub!