While it might seem as effortless as a walk in the park for some users, sending files from one computer to another can prove quite the challenge especially for novices or “boomers,” despite the plethora of options out there.
That’s exactly why the developers of Linux Mint (you know, one of the most popular Linux distributions out there), decided to fix everyone’s problems (with sending files from one computer to another) with the creation of Warpinator.
Warpinator is a free and open-source application, and it’s actually Linux Mint’s default file transfer tool, as highlighted by the Linux Mint team in a blog post a while back.
Warpinator is included in Linux Mint 20 and up, and is available for a wide range of Linux distributions via Flathub. Of course, being an open-source app, you can also build it yourself by following the instructions on the app’s official GitHub repository.
It allows you to easily connect to multiple computers (and other devices, but more on that a bit later) on a local area network (LAN), and share files in a swift and secure manner.
The main appeal of this app is, of course, just how easy it makes flinging files from one computer to another over the local network. There are no third-party hosting requirements, no extra steps to be taken, you just install the app on both computers, and run the app, and the computers should be able to find each other without your intervention.
Being that connection issues are the bane of most users’ existence, we’re going to go through a few troubleshooting tips. If you’re experiencing connection problems check your group code (the devices MUST share the same code).
If the problems still persist, make sure you’re using a valid network interface. In short, make sure all your devices are on the same subnet (look on the lower right corner and you should see something similar IP addresses in the form of 192.168.1.xxx). If you’re running a VPN or a super edgy firewall, then some extra tweaking might also be required, in which case, you should take a thorough look on the Troubleshooting Tips provided on the GitHub repo.
So, is Warpinator a good file transfer app? A lot more than it might appear at first glance. It’s free and open-source, and it works on most Linux distributions, as well as on other platforms such as Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, as well as Chrome OS (do keep in mind that these apps are unofficial ports that use the same protocol as Warpinator).
It’s also super easy to use, super fast, and it can also work over Wi-Fi. It can run multiple transfers in parallel, it offers decent security, and it even has various other options such as the option to auto-start on boot, compression, and so forth.
