node-drop-cli

Transfer files across your local network without cloud uploads, external accounts, app installations, or operating system restrictions.

Highlights

• Zero-Config Transfers: Streams directly over your Local Area Network (LAN) with no cloud relay, accounts, or tracking.
• Bi-Directional: Send from Desktop to Mobile or Mobile to Desktop seamlessly.
• Dynamic On-Screen QR Codes: Dropping a file into your desktop browser generates a high-contrast QR code on-screen for fast phone scanning.
• Automatic Browser Launch: Automatically opens the local transfer dashboard in your default browser on startup.
• Collision-Safe Writes: Automatically increments filenames to prevent overwriting or truncating local files.
• Format Agnostic: Transfers photos, 4K video, zip archives, documents, and multi-gigabyte binaries via native Node.js streams.

Quick Start

Run instantly without installing:

npx node-drop-cli

Or install globally:

npm install -g node-drop-cli

Usage

1. Receive Files (Default Dashboard Mode)

Start the receiver in your terminal:

node-drop-cli

• Launches the web dashboard in your default browser.
• Displays an ASCII QR code in your terminal.
• Scan the QR code with your mobile camera to upload photos, videos, or documents directly to your computer.
• Drag and drop files into the desktop dashboard to instantly generate a download QR code for other devices.

2. Custom Output Directory

Direct where incoming files should be saved on your filesystem using -d or --dir:

# Save to Downloads folder using -d
node-drop-cli -d ~/Downloads

# Save to Desktop using --dir
node-drop-cli --dir ~/Desktop

3. Send a File Directly

Share a specific file directly from your terminal:

node-drop-cli presentation.pdf
# or
node-drop-cli ~/Videos/render_4k.mov

Scan the terminal QR code from any device on your local network to start downloading the file immediately.

Options & Flags

| Flag | Shorthand | Description | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | --dir <path> | -d | Sets the target directory where files are saved. | | --no-open | | Disables automatically opening the default desktop browser. |

# Example: Headless mode saving to Downloads
node-drop-cli --no-open -d ~/Downloads

Requirements

• Node.js: v18.0.0 or higher
• Network: Connected devices must be on the same local network or subnet.

License

MIT