drop

A fast, lightweight CLI tool to transfer files between any devices on your local network using QR codes, direct HTTP links, or automatic peer discovery. No client app or installation is required on the receiving end.

Installation

1. Pre-compiled Binaries (Recommended)

Download the latest compiled binary for your operating system from the Releases page.

Rename the downloaded file to drop, make it executable, and move it into your PATH. For example, on Linux:

chmod +x drop
sudo mv drop /usr/local/bin/

2. From Source

If you have the Rust toolchain installed, you can build and install drop directly from source:

git clone https://github.com/xxeisenberg/drop.git
cd drop
cargo build --release

The executable can found at ./target/release/drop

OR

cargo install --git https://github.com/xxeisenberg/drop.git

(Make sure $HOME/.cargo/bin on Linux/macOS or %USERPROFILE%\.cargo\bin on Windows is in your system's PATH.)

Usage

Send a file

drop send path/to/your/file.ext

The terminal will display a QR code and a local IP link. Scan the QR code with a phone, or open the link on any other computer on your network.

Receive a file

Navigate to the folder where you want to save incoming files and run:

drop receive

Scan the QR code or open the provided link on another device. Select your file(s) and hit upload. It will save to your current working directory.

Join an existing session

If another drop instance is running on your network, you can connect to it directly without scanning QR codes or entering links:

drop join                        # join a host in 'send' mode (download)
drop join path/to/file.ext       # join a host in 'receive' mode (upload)

join uses mDNS to automatically discover active hosts on the local network. If multiple hosts are found, you'll get an interactive menu to pick one.

Options

Flag	Description
-p, --port <PORT>	Custom port (1024–65535, default: 1844)
--max-size <MB>	Maximum upload file size in megabytes (default: no limit)
--encrypt	Enable end-to-end encryption for CLI-to-CLI transfers
--https	Serve browser links and discovery sessions over HTTPS
--tls-cert <PATH>	PEM certificate to use with --https
--tls-key <PATH>	PEM private key to use with --https
--no-link-token	Disable token protection on generated QR code and browser links

drop send --encrypt ./secret.pdf
drop receive --port 8080 --encrypt
drop send --https ./secret.pdf
drop receive --https
drop send --https --tls-cert cert.pem --tls-key key.pem ./movie.mp4
drop send ./movie.mp4 --no-link-token

Encryption

When --encrypt is passed, drop uses AES-256-GCM streaming encryption. Both the sender and receiver must use the --encrypt flag. The encryption key is exchanged automatically over mDNS when using join.

--https is separate from --encrypt:

• --https protects browser links and CLI transport with TLS.
• --encrypt keeps the existing end-to-end encryption flow for CLI-to-CLI transfers.

If you enable --https without --tls-cert and --tls-key, drop generates a self-signed certificate at runtime. Browser sessions may show a trust warning unless that certificate is explicitly trusted. drop join still works with these self-signed hosts by pinning the advertised certificate fingerprint from mDNS.

Network Requirements

• Both devices must be connected to the exact same Wi-Fi or local network.
• Ensure your host system's firewall allows incoming TCP traffic on the port you are using.
  • Example (ufw): sudo ufw allow 1844/tcp
  • Example (firewalld): sudo firewall-cmd --add-port=1844/tcp