LanXchange
A simple tool for spontaneous, local network file transfers.
Supports Windows, Mac and Linux PCs and Android phones.
Features
- No setup required
- Automatically detects files offered by other computers and displays them
- Can transfer single files, folders or a combination of both
- Allows transfers between different platforms/operating systems
- Transfers files as fast as your home network allows to
Requirements
- Runs on Windows, OS X and Linux PCs with Java 7 installed.
- Runs on Android >= 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
Getting started
- Download LanXchange:
- Unzip the downloaded archive to some place in your home folder (like “My Documents”)
- Run it by double-clicking “LXC.exe” (Windows) or “lxc” (OS X, Linux)
- Repeat these steps for all computers/phones and start sharing!
Q&A
Q: Aren’t file transfers a solved problem?
A: Not entirely. This tool was written years ago for fast file transfers on Lan-Parties (hence the name), where we had a mix of Windows 98 and Windows XP PCs, and copying files was not solved back then.
Q: Ok, but why would anyone use this today, we have {$cloudprovider, AirDrop, …}?
A: LanXchange is much faster than the cloud (no slow upload involved) and, unlike AirDrop does support virtually all PC OSes + Android. (anything that can run a JVM)
Q: But why Java?
A: Historical reasons, I was in school when I started this and only knew Java. Plus, years later it made porting LanXchange to Android much easier.
