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Sharing

A device with the publish role shares a file, a directory or a local web server under its own name, without asking an admin each time.

Linux · FreeBSD

Setting it up #

You need a domain and an ingress, as Publishing services sets them up. Then an admin gives the device the role once:

juist grant laptop publish

The laptop then shares under laptop.example.org:

juist share ~/photos/2026          # at https://laptop.example.org/RANDOM/, until Ctrl-C
juist publish 8000 --for 2h        # this device's web server on port 8000, for two hours
juist share -b --for 7d ~/talk.pdf # in the background, for a week
juist share                        # lists this device's shares, with their links
juist share --stop ~/talk.pdf      # ends one, by its file, port or link

What others see #

  • A share is reachable only under its random path. Every other path answers 404, unless a juist publish PORT serves it. Entries such as .git stay hidden.
  • A directory is shown as a list, sortable by name, size or date, and downloads as a ZIP, whole or folder by folder. A folder with an index.html shows that page instead.
  • One certificate for the device’s name covers every share, so the paths never appear in a certificate log.

How long a share lasts #

  • A share ends when its command ends, or when --for runs out, after seven days at most. If the device goes away, the share ends within ten minutes.
  • With --background (-b), the command returns once the share is up. The share runs until juist share --stop or --for ends it, under the same link even across a restart of juistd.
  • juist share lists the shares with their links, and juist status counts them under Sharing.

Limits #

  • A device holds up to 16 shares, each under its own path, plus one juist publish PORT, which answers every path no share has.
  • juist share --stop without an argument ends the only share. If several run, it asks you to name one.
  • If the device is renamed, it shares under its new name, and juist share prints the new link.
  • Shares use TCP only, not HTTP/3.

Troubleshooting #

You seeWhat to do
this device holds no publish roleAn admin runs juist grant DEVICE publish.
this device publishes a port alreadyAnother juist publish PORT runs, perhaps in the background. juist share lists it; juist share --stop PORT ends it.
this device holds 16 shares alreadyjuist share lists them. End one with juist share --stop.
warning: nothing answers on 127.0.0.1:8000 yetStart the web server that juist publish 8000 points at.
juist status: Sharing says reached by nobody: the terminator does not runjuist share starts it. journalctl -u juist-serve shows why it stopped.