Syncthing, your own (and really easy to install) Cloud

9 respostas [Última entrada]
albertoefg
Desconectado
Joined: 04/21/2016

Hello everyone.

I want to share with you Syncthing
https://syncthing.net/

Title is probably misleading, as Syncthing is not a "cloud" like owncloud or nextcloud.

It is a program that is way more easy to install and configure. It has clients for GNU/Linux and F-Droid.

Think of Syncthing as your private torrents, which no one can see and get synchronized automatically.

You don't need an http domain or do port forwarding on your router, like owncloud and nextcloud require.

You just install, and you use the generated number for your device to sync with your other devices.

The connection between devices is peer-to-peer.

For example, your phone and your laptop can sync, even if your work pc is off.

The same way, your work pc and your phone can sync, even if your laptop is off.

There is no need for a server.

Connections have encryption, authenticated and private, so no need to worry about a third party looking at your data.

It is also really easy to use, and choose what directories you want to sync, with what device.

You can also save versions of your data, so even if you delete something or change it by accident, you can easily find an older version.

I hope this is useful for you :)

hack and hack
Desconectado
Joined: 04/02/2015

Looks cool, thanks !

strypey
Desconectado
Joined: 05/14/2015

I had SyncThyng recommended to me by another user on GNU Social (name at domain), it looks like a great solution for remote backups and data sync. How did

>> You just install... <<

How did you install SyncThing? I can't find it in the Trisquel 7 repos. This is the main reason I haven't tested it yet. I've learned the hard way to be hesistent about randomly adding software to a GNU-Linux desktop when updates are not supported by the distro's own repo.

>> Title is probably misleading, as Syncthing is not a "cloud" like owncloud or nextcloud. <<

Indeed. ownCloud and NextCloud are not a "cloud" either, they are a server. The developers would have contributed less to the confusion around this fuzzy "cloud" marketing term if they had called the original project 'ownBox', and the fork 'NextBox', although it's possible DropBox may have sued for trademark infringement.

To the degree that "cloud" has any meaning at all, it refers to virtualization environments that share the load of multiple servers across a whole datacentre of boxes, similar to the way RAID shares the load of file storage across a whole boxful of drives. A better term than "cloud" might be RABIES (Redundant Array of Boxes Independent of Servers).

BTW there is a page on the LibrePlanet wiki, last updated a few months ago, investigating data sync options for the software freedom movement:
https://libreplanet.org/wiki/Group:SyncReplacement

IrishUSA
Desconectado
Joined: 12/03/2016

I do understand that the vagueness of "cloud" is a problem, in particular by obscuring the key fact that your data and your (perhaps) apps are residing on and dependent on a specific physical computer in a specific location owned and controlled by someone else who probably doesn't have your best interests at heart, but the term has become sufficiently widespread to make it necessary for us to use it to market our own alternatives. I especially like how we use its very vagueness against it to subvert its key model of seducing users into putting their data and computing into someone else's hands, and instead restoring user control and ownership.

As far as alternative names --- RABIES??

I constantly bonk my head on my desk over the free software community's penchant for confusing, distracting, unnecessarily controversial, off-putting, and even repellent names (and icons) for various projects. I have complained about many of them (including GNU, "daemon", Evolution, Claws Mail, Ubuntu, VLC, and many more), but this is the worst idea yet. It's almost as if it came to be in an SNL sketch level of awful software names.

What's next? A family tree program called "Pus-Oozing Sore"? A photo display and light editing program called "Rotting Vomit"?

strypey
Desconectado
Joined: 05/14/2015

"As far as alternative names --- RABIES??"

That was a joke, riffing off the name of RAID, which when you think about it should also be on your list of software terms with negative connotations, along with *anything* to do with computers that uses the words "master" and "slave". But I digress. I do think we could use RABIES when we talk about the proprietary services that are marketed using the buzzphrase "cloud", as in "those mercenary arseholes trying to sell you 'cloud' solutions are really just trying to give you RABIES (Redundant Array of Boxes Independent of Servers)" or "It may seem like GMail are giving you a convenient offsite 'cloud' solution for your organisational email, but it actually puts you email in RABIES", and so on.

albertoefg
Desconectado
Joined: 04/21/2016

>How did you install SyncThing? I can't find it in the Trisquel 7 repos. This is the main reason I haven't tested it yet. I've learned the hard way to be hesistent about randomly adding software to a GNU-Linux desktop when updates are not supported by the distro's own repo.

I was about to tell you how to install it. Then I read you are not going to install it anyway lol

strypey
Desconectado
Joined: 05/14/2015

"I was about to tell you how to install it. Then I read you are not going to install it anyway lol"

I didn't say that. I would like to test SyncThing. That's why I asked you how you installed it.

davidpgil
Desconectado
Joined: 08/26/2015

I use syncthing as my main syncing app. essentially you just install it via PPA, package manager, etc and then if you go to 127.0.0.1:8384 you get a web console of which folders are syncable. The syncing works by adding remote devices by ID or QR code so they are aware of eachother. This app works VERY well and "just works". The UX is great as far as free and open apps go. I wonder how secure it is though. I think there may be some remote servers that syncthing "bounces off of", but I do believe there is a way to just host this aspect yourself, though I havent tried.

I am just starting to learn about being a system admin for my home server. I recently set it up to automatically start as a systemd service. The documentation is excellent imo. syncthing has become one of my central apps.

albertoefg
Desconectado
Joined: 04/21/2016

Yes is really great :)

I found it easier to install and use than to use owncloud. I just need to sync files. Not all the things owncloud offers. Which are good. But not for my use :)

libreleah
Desconectado
Joined: 04/03/2017

i use syncthing myself and i can definitely recommend it