This project is supported by Github sponsors.
`croc` is a tool that allows any two computers to simply and securely transfer files and folders. AFAIK, *croc* is the only CLI file-transfer tool that does **all** of the following: - allows **any two computers** to transfer data (using a relay) - provides **end-to-end encryption** (using PAKE) - enables easy **cross-platform** transfers (Windows, Linux, Mac) - allows **multiple file** transfers - allows **resuming transfers** that are interrupted - local server or port-forwarding **not needed** - **ipv6-first** with ipv4 fallback - can **use proxy**, like tor For more information about `croc`, see [my blog post](https://schollz.com/software/croc6) or read a [recent interview I did](https://console.substack.com/p/console-91).  ## Install Download [the latest release for your system](https://github.com/schollz/croc/releases/latest), or install a release from the command-line: ``` curl https://getcroc.schollz.com | bash ``` On macOS you can install the latest release with [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/): ``` brew install croc ``` On macOS you can also install the latest release with [MacPorts](https://macports.org/): ``` sudo port selfupdate sudo port install croc ``` On Windows you can install the latest release with [Scoop](https://scoop.sh/), [Chocolatey](https://chocolatey.org), or [Winget](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/package-manager/): ``` scoop install croc ``` ``` choco install croc ``` ``` winget install schollz.croc ``` On Unix you can install the latest release with [Nix](https://nixos.org/nix): ``` nix-env -i croc ``` On Alpine Linux you have to install dependencies first: ``` apk add bash coreutils wget -qO- https://getcroc.schollz.com | bash ``` On Arch Linux you can install the latest release with `pacman`: ``` pacman -S croc ``` On Fedora you can install with `dnf`: ``` dnf install croc ``` On Gentoo you can install with `portage`: ``` emerge net-misc/croc ``` On Termux you can install with `pkg`: ``` pkg install croc ``` On FreeBSD you can install with `pkg`: ``` pkg install croc ``` Or, you can [install Go](https://golang.org/dl/) and build from source (requires Go 1.17+): ``` go install github.com/schollz/croc/v10@latest ``` On Android there is a 3rd party F-Droid app [available to download](https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.github.howeyc.crocgui/). ## Usage To send a file, simply do: ``` $ croc send [file(s)-or-folder] Sending 'file-or-folder' (X MB) Code is: code-phrase ``` Then to receive the file (or folder) on another computer, you can just do ``` croc code-phrase ``` The code phrase is used to establish password-authenticated key agreement ([PAKE](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Password-authenticated_key_agreement)) which generates a secret key for the sender and recipient to use for end-to-end encryption. There are a number of configurable options (see `--help`). A set of options (like custom relay, ports, and code phrase) can be set using `--remember`. ### Using `croc` on Linux or Mac OS On Linux and Mac OS, the sending & receiving is slightly different to avoid [leaking the secret via the process name](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-43621). On these systems you will need to run `croc` with the secret as an environment variable. For example, to receive with the secret `***`: ``` CROC_SECRET=*** croc ``` This will show only `croc` in the process list of a multi-user system and not leak the secret. For a single-user system the default behavior can be permanently enabled by running ``` croc --classic ``` and confirming. Run this command again to disable classic mode. ### Custom code phrase You can send with your own code phrase (must be more than 6 characters). ``` croc send --code [code-phrase] [file(s)-or-folder] ``` ### Allow overwriting without prompt By default, croc will prompt whether to overwrite a file. You can automatically overwrite files by using the `--overwrite` flag (recipient only). For example, receive a file to automatically overwrite: ``` croc --yes --overwrite
```
### Use pipes - stdin and stdout
You can pipe to `croc`:
```
cat [filename] | croc send
```
In this case `croc` will automatically use the stdin data and send and assign a filename like "croc-stdin-123456789". To receive to `stdout` at you can always just use the `--yes` will automatically approve the transfer and pipe it out to `stdout`.
```
croc --yes [code-phrase] > out
```
All of the other text printed to the console is going to `stderr` so it will not interfere with the message going to `stdout`.
### Send text
Sometimes you want to send URLs or short text. In addition to piping, you can easily send text with `croc`:
```
croc send --text "hello world"
```
This will automatically tell the receiver to use `stdout` when they receive the text so it will be displayed.
### Use a proxy
You can use a proxy as your connection to the relay by adding a proxy address with `--socks5`. For example, you can send via a tor relay:
```
croc --socks5 "127.0.0.1:9050" send SOMEFILE
```
### Change encryption curve
You can choose from several different elliptic curves to use for encryption by using the `--curve` flag. Only the recipient can choose the curve. For example, receive a file using the P-521 curve:
```
croc --curve p521
```
Available curves are P-256, P-348, P-521 and SIEC. P-256 is the default curve.
### Change hash algorithm
You can choose from several different hash algorithms. The default is the `xxhash` algorithm which is fast and thorough. If you want to optimize for speed you can use the `imohash` algorithm which is even faster, but since it samples files (versus reading the whole file) it can mistakenly determine that a file is the same on the two computers transferring - though this is only a problem if you are syncing files versus sending a new file to a computer.
```
croc send --hash imohash SOMEFILE
```
### Self-host relay
The relay is needed to staple the parallel incoming and outgoing connections. By default, `croc` uses a public relay but you can also run your own relay:
```
croc relay
```
By default it uses TCP ports 9009-9013. Make sure to open those up. You can customize the ports (e.g. `croc relay --ports 1111,1112`), but you must have a minimum of **2** ports for the relay. The first port is for communication and the subsequent ports are used for the multiplexed data transfer.
You can send files using your relay by entering `--relay` to change the relay that you are using if you want to custom host your own.
```
croc --relay "myrelay.example.com:9009" send [filename]
```
Note, when sending, you only need to include the first port (the communication port). The subsequent ports for data transfer will be transmitted back to the user from the relay.
#### Self-host relay (docker)
If it's easier you can also run a relay with Docker:
```
docker run -d -p 9009-9013:9009-9013 -e CROC_PASS='YOURPASSWORD' schollz/croc
```
Be sure to include the password for the relay otherwise any requests will be rejected.
```
croc --pass YOURPASSWORD --relay "myreal.example.com:9009" send [filename]
```
Note: when including `--pass YOURPASSWORD` you can instead pass a file with the password, e.g. `--pass FILEWITHPASSWORD`.
## License
MIT
## Acknowledgements
`croc` has gone through many iterations, and I am awed by all the great contributions! If you feel like contributing, in any way, by all means you can send an Issue, a PR, or ask a question.
Thanks [@warner](https://github.com/warner) for the [idea](https://github.com/warner/magic-wormhole), [@tscholl2](https://github.com/tscholl2) for the [encryption gists](https://gist.github.com/tscholl2/dc7dc15dc132ea70a98e8542fefffa28), [@skorokithakis](https://github.com/skorokithakis) for [code on proxying two connections](https://www.stavros.io/posts/proxying-two-connections-go/). Finally thanks for making pull requests [@maximbaz](https://github.com/maximbaz), [@meyermarcel](https://github.com/meyermarcel), [@Girbons](https://github.com/Girbons), [@techtide](https://github.com/techtide), [@heymatthew](https://github.com/heymatthew), [@Lunsford94](https://github.com/Lunsford94), [@lummie](https://github.com/lummie), [@jesuiscamille](https://github.com/jesuiscamille), [@threefjord](https://github.com/threefjord), [@marcossegovia](https://github.com/marcossegovia), [@csleong98](https://github.com/csleong98), [@afotescu](https://github.com/afotescu), [@callmefever](https://github.com/callmefever), [@El-JojA](https://github.com/El-JojA), [@anatolyyyyyy](https://github.com/anatolyyyyyy), [@goggle](https://github.com/goggle), [@smileboywtu](https://github.com/smileboywtu), [@nicolashardy](https://github.com/nicolashardy), [@fbartels](https://github.com/fbartels), [@rkuprov](https://github.com/rkuprov), [@hreese](https://github.com/hreese), [@xenrox](https://github.com/xenrox) and [Ipar](https://github.com/lpar)!