What is the crowd's opinion of
NitroShare?
From 3.5 billion comments
10 reviews of this app found across the web:
It's a bit problematic to expect all linux distributions to choose the same default GUI tool for network file transfers. However, if you can install NitroShare (MIT licensed) once on each machine, you can do exactly what you described with the Pidgin analogy.
You did previously cover this app, but it has gone through a significant overhaul since, which makes the discovery of other computers much more straightforward.
Try this https://nitroshare.net/
Warpinator uses zeroconf broadcasts on link for service discovery, zeroconf on Linux is implemented by the avahi daemon
Warpinator issues go here https://github.com/linuxmint/warpinator/issues
Sure:
[Desktop Entry] Type=Application Name=Nitroshare Exec= /usr/bin/nitroshare
>IIRC, in the XFCE settings there should be a "startup applications" section that can create the autostart desktop files for you. Maybe you could try using that instead of creating the desktop file by hand.
I've given this a shot. Nitroshare doesn't have a settings option to "autostart" in it's linux version (It does have this option for OSX), and so I've had to write the command itself in the xfce settings. The same issue pops up: Nitroshare is running, but it won't appear in the indicator panel.
Unfortunately, the documentation is a little lacking for the program. I've checked the website (essentially just a splash page to download) and the github repository, but there doesn't seem to be anyone running into anything similar to my issue.
Again, because it's running, just not appearing on the indicator plugin, I'm starting to think the issue might lie there. Especially since it runs at start after trying a couple different methods.
In the interest of providing alternatives, other p2p file syncing applications.
https://syncthing.net/ (continuous monitoring and syncing)
These are more battle tested and wider used. Notably SyncThing. Also better documented and supported and available across platforms.
WebApp's reminds me of Active Desktop on Windows in an attempt at bringing web content to the desktop, back to the 90's again
Warpinator without a standard or availability on all platforms is pretty much missing the point of it really, NitroShare ( https://nitroshare.net/ ) solves that availability part, the only thing missing is a standard to allow sharing across any compatible app, or a well documented protocol (the protobuf is available on github if anybody wants to implement it though)
Sticky note apps, again, 2000's desk applets in full circle again, when what we really want is a very good OneNote competitor/compatible (and no there is none coming close)
They could take a look at StarDock customisation tools such as Fences and Groupy for useful features for the Linux desktop
As for printer support, we have moved into driverless printing now (I see no need for buying a USB printer when network printers are cheap as chips)
There is a common way of doing it. But some sources are a little different. If the developer have a great README file. Then it's usually a piece of cake. Sometime you run into what we call dependence hell. But usually the error messages give enough clue to get around that.
Just go to nitroshare and download the source codes and go through the README file. I'll help you through it.
First the download of the source codes
Linux Source Archive(TAR.GZ)
nitroshare-0.3.4.tar.gz
You can download this anywhere. My defaults to Downloads folder. But anywhere is fine.
Now just double click that file; nitroshare-0.3.4.tar.gz and you'll just Extract it with your default archive. OK now go to the folder you just extract. It should be in Downloads folder or where ever your default location of where you download it to. Open that folder name nitroshare-0.3.4. You'll should see this;
Now right click in a empty space and open up your terminal within that popup menu. Open Terminal Here....
Now just follow the instructions. Starting with 2.
https://github.com/nitroshare/nitroshare-desktop/wiki/Building-on-Linux
sudo apt-get install build-essential cmake qtbase5-dev
sudo apt-get install libgtk2.0-dev libappindicator-dev libnotify-dev
mkdir build && cd build
cmake ..
make
Your done building and it created a binary for you. Follow instruction of number 4.
The NitroShare binary will be in the out/ directory and can be run with:
out/nitroshare
You just build your first package from source. Congratulations.
If you get stuck. I'll just do a screenshot by screenshot for you then, step by step if I have to. But there should be enough basics to get by with.
Nitroshare? PPA don't work in MX. PPA is a Ubuntu thing. Not a Debian or MX thing.
You build it from source if it isn't in the MX repositories. And it's not, I just check.
You build from source.
nitroshare-0.3.4.tar.gz
> NitroShare (https://nitroshare.net/) an amazing ShareIt/Xender replacement which strangely has a poor-ish rating on the Play store.
That's because all the major bugs and delayed releases.
For example, one can't receive files in their Mac desktop app from Phone without disabling Mac's Firewall. And this one is an unresolved issue from 2018.
I've used F-Droid for quite some time and overall I think it's okay. I find open source apps to be great because they don't track you and don't show you 1 million ads each second (or in fact, any ads at all). The app quality can be a bit sketchy at times and there are some outdated packages. But that is to be expected since it is run and maintained completely by the community.
Another problem is entertainment/games, etc. Good games are basically non-existent. It does have a few emulators for older console platforms and text-based games. I don't think we can really expect it to completely replace Google Play or proprietary apps since many of us are very dependent on them. I did find some gems in the store like NitroShare (https://nitroshare.net/) which strangely has a poor-ish rating on the Play store.
Some apps I personally missed on F-Droid: - Office suite - Payments/Wallets (another problem because they refuse to promote proprietary network services) - Document scanning software - Bank apps (most banks mobile websites are terrible) - Information apps related to a specific area like a city
If you're intent on using only open source apps, you need to be prepared to make some sacrifices. But it's not completely impossible. Have fun.
Simplest solution might be to connect both laptops to the router with ethernet cables, then run something like Nitroshare to move the files. Transfers are pretty quick over ethernet, but also work on WiFi, but that would be slower. Link to Nitroshare.net