Giver – Still The Best Way to Send Files Across A Network [Linux]
posted on June 25, 2011 by Danny Stieben
You know that, no matter what operating system you use, sharing files across a network can sometimes be a pain. Sadly, Linux isn’t always an exception in this category either, although for basic folder sharing some distributions make it easier. Having to set up a shared folder is even more painful when all you really want to do is send a file to a different computer, without having to use Dropbox or another outside service.
Giver, which has already been reviewed back in early 2009, still belongs to the list of top-notch programs. This is even more surprising considering that the last release came out in 2007. Although the program itself hasn’t changed, the distributions themselves have changed dramatically, and yet the program still works.
Giver does file sharing a little differently. Instead of sharing a folder to the network, you can simply choose a file or folder to send to a certain computer. In other words, this is a one-time transaction, like sending an email with an attachment. That’s all Giver does while barely having any options to configure in order to keep the experience as simple and flawless as possible.
Installation
In my own experience all distributions simply name the package “giver”, but if you use a distribution with a small user base, you may want to double check.Procedure
As soon as Giver is installed on the two computers you would like to send files to and from, open up Giver on each computer. It magically detects the instances of Giver running on your own computer and any other computer on the network. From there, you can either left click, choose the option you want, and choose the file/folder to send, or you can drag and drop a file or folder onto a computer in the list to do the same.
A notification should then appear on the computer that is receiving the file or folder, where you must click Accept in order to start the process. It should go relatively quickly (it’s using your full LAN or WiFi speed, after all), and it will be stored in whatever folder you have set.
Options
Speaking of options, I’m going to mention them really quick. Like I said, there aren’t very many at all, as you can probably determine from the screenshot. Again, this was meant for easy and flawless operation with no configuration needed out-of-the-box. There are only three possible things you can configure. You can change your name if you would like (which it originally takes from whatever you have set for your system account for “Full Name”), what kind of icon appears whenever people see your computer on their list, and where to save files that were given to you.
Considerations
Linux distributions have changed quite a bit, considering the arrival of GNOME 3 and the general advancement of software stacks. No worries though, Giver runs perfectly fine alongside newer software stacks, and doesn’t give you any problems. However, it would be helpful to note that Giver directly uses ports. Therefore, if a port is not open thanks to your system firewall, nothing will get through, even if your computer appears on the other person’s list.Normally, setting a port exception would do the trick (the list even says what port it’s using!), but because Giver randomizes the port each time you start it up, that may not be a viable solution for you. I would think that the developers were fine with it being this way because it is meant to be used over a network anyway, which should be appropriately configured and protected. Therefore, for easy operation you should disable your firewall, but to protect yourself, make sure that your network has a firewall itself and that it works well.
Also, if you’re using this on a mobile computer, I highly recommend that you immediately turn on your firewall again before leaving your protected network. Linux may not be affected by any viruses (at least there’s nothing common out there), but direct attacks from hackers are still a possibility.
Conclusion
For networks, Giver is almost a must, especially in larger environments such as workplaces. Despite its age, it is very stable and works as great as it should. Maybe someday a group can come back and enhance Giver even more by adding new features, such as GTK3 support. However, as long as it runs, everything is in order.How often do you share files and folders? Do you often find yourself only doing this for some individual files? Would you use Giver, and how would you maybe improve it? Let us know in the comments!
Image Credit: Shutterstock
How To Transfer Files Easily Between Linux Machines
posted on March 6, 2009 by Damien Oh
Let’s say you’ve got two or more Linux machines in your home (or office). You want to transfer some files from one computer to another, what are the ways you can do this?
You can either:Let’s say you’ve got two or more Linux machines in your home (or office). You want to transfer some files from one computer to another, what are the ways you can do this?
- Use a USB drive
- Use Dropbox
- Use SSH (Secure Shell)
Giver is a simple desktop file sharing application. It is a zero configuration software that anyone can use quickly and easily. Other people running Giver on your network are automatically discovered and you can send files to them by simply dragging the files to their respective entries in Giver.
If you are using Ubuntu 8.10, you can easily install Giver by clicking here or type in the following command in the terminal:
sudo apt-get install giver
Once you have finished the installation, you can access Giver via Applications -> Internet -> Giver.
All the computers that have Giver installed and running will instantly show up on the Giver window. To send files to another computer, you just need to drag and drop the files to the respective row.
Upon receiving a sent request, a notification will appear on the other computer and the user on the other end can decide if he/she wants to accept the file.
When the transfer is completed, a notification will appear on both computers stating that the files have been sent/received successfully.
A good thing about Giver is that it only creates the connection so that you can transfer files easily. It doesn’t set a limit on the number of files or the size of the files that you can send; so if you have a bunch of files or folders, you will have no problem getting them across to another computer.
One software that integrates well with Giver is the popular Tomboy notes. You can easily drag and drop any of the notes to get it sent over to another computer. On the other side, it will automatically add itself to the Tomboy notes and saving you the effort of re-importing the notes.
In a situation where there are many computers in the network and it is difficult to identify which computer entry belongs to who, Giver allows you to change your computer name and use your photos/web link/gravatar as the icon.
Using Giver is almost a no-brainer. There is zero-configuration and anyone can use it immediately, even if you have no technical knowledge.
One thing though, it only works between Linux machines. It would be great if it can also send files to a Windows or Mac computer.
What other software do you use to transfer files between different computers?
Source: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-transfer-files-easily-among-linux-machines/
