How to Successfully Network between macOS, Ubuntu Linux, and Windows using the Dukto file-transfer app

 

 

In my last two articles, I wrote about setting up secure networks using SSH and SFTP. Now I’m going to switch gears and tell you about a not-so-secure file transfer app designed strictly for use on a Local Area Network where you trust all the users.

 

The name of the app is Dukto and Emanuele Colombo, an Italian software developer and engineer, wrote it for OS X, for Linux, and for Windows.

 

This is Dukto on my Ubuntu MATE machine. You can get it for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Linux

 

This is Dukto for macOS. It’s available for 10.6 on up. I’m using it on 10.12.3.

This is Dukto for Windows 10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s not a secure, locked-down networking app. You install it on each of your computers, start up the app, and they all start recognizing each other on the local area network. You can send and receive files, folders, text files and text from the clipboard via Dukto to your various computers.

 

THERE ARE NO PASSWORDS. Which may be a blessing or a curse, depending on the circumstances. Your mileage may vary, caveat emptor, and so on and so forth.

 

Now you have to send them from a computer to a computer. Unlike shared drives, where you can see the drive on the other computer, you can’t see the files or folders on the other computer. So use the text feature to tell someone else to send files to you that you asked for last Wednesday.

 

It’s a really nice app for when you don’t need an elaborate network and you don’t have the time to set up passwords and security fingerprints and such. You just want the files from the other computer sent to your computer ASAP.

 

How do I set it up?

With macOS, you download the .dmg file from msec.it, Mr. Colombo’s Web site with links to all the versions for various operating systems.. It’s the same install process, drag and drop from the mounted .dmg file into your /Applications folder, as you’ve done before.

 

Here’s a link to the Sourceforge.net site, which also has links to the other versions for other OS.

With Windows, you can get it at the Windows 10 Store (which is where I got my copy), or from Mr. Colombo’s  Web site or from various download sites. It even has a portable version you could install. On a flash drive.

The link above is for the OS X version. Look below the green box for the OS X version and you will see a link for Browse all files. You will see the Windows installer. Download the Windows installer, double-click on it, and follow the prompts.

 

 

The Linux versions are hosted at the OpenSUSE Web site. You can install from the Terminal by copying and pasting the command lines posted on the Web site into your Terminal, or just scroll down for the binary .deb files for Ubuntu and .rpm for Fedora.

Download the .deb installer file for Ubuntu, double-click on it and follow the prompts from the graphic Gdebi installer app. Remember, you want the R6 version, the latest one.

How do I use it once I’ve installed it on my computers?

Go to your applications menu, click on the flower pot icon, and you’re ready to go.

It should identify the other instances of Dukto on the network, so that you can just click on a “buddy” to send files, folders, or text to.

Dukto lets you use the file dialog box of your system to pick which files and folders to send, or you can just drop and drag them from your File Manager onto Dukto. Either way, Dukto sends the files over to your buddy immediately.

You can select which folder/directory to save files into.

That’s about it. It’s as simple a file sending app as can be. It’s not designed for security, so don’t even consider using it outside of a closed Local Area Network. It’s a convenient way to link multiple computers of disparate operating systems together.

And if you like this app, please consider donating via Paypal to Mr. Colombo. He’d appreciate it.

Tom Briant

Editor, MacValley Voice.