FastDrop

Ultra-lightweight, zero-dependency file and text sharing server with a sleek modern Web UI, streaming transfers, authentication, shared clipboard, and a built-in code editor.

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Why FastDrop?

Python's built-in python -m http.server is convenient, but it only supports downloading. Third-party alternatives like uploadserver add upload functionality, but:

1. They lack a modern, intuitive user interface and professional vector icons.
2. Naive upload handling buffers entire multi-gigabyte files into system RAM, quickly exhausting server memory and crashing processes.
3. They lack crucial features like built-in authentication, quick text copy/paste sharing, file editing, directory creation, and batch actions.

FastDrop solves all of this. It is designed to be the ultimate developer utility: zero external dependencies, instant startup, constant low memory usage (< 20MB RAM) even while uploading 50GB files, vector SVG icons, and a modern responsive dashboard you actually enjoy using.

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Features

• Ultra-Lightweight & Zero-Dependencies: Built entirely using Python's standard library. No bloated third-party dependencies required. Instant installation and startup.
• Constant Memory Streaming (< 20MB RAM): Both uploads and downloads stream in 64KB chunks directly to and from disk. You can upload a 100GB video without increasing RAM usage.
• Modern Responsive Web Dashboard:
  • Crisp, professional SVG vector icons (no emojis, zero external icon font requests).
  • Responsive layout for desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
  • One-click Dark and Light theme toggle (persisted across sessions).
  • List View and Grid/Card View.
  • Live client-side instant search and filtering (shortcut: /).
  • Real-time disk storage gauge and item statistics.
• Android & Mobile App Experience:
  • Material Floating Action Button (FAB) with expandable Speed Dial menu (Upload Files, Upload Folder, New Folder, New File, Quick Text).
  • Native-style Action Bottom Sheet for file actions (Download, Copy, Edit, Preview, Rename, Delete) with 48px+ thumb-friendly touch targets.
  • Dynamic Android browser status bar tinting via <meta name="theme-color"> matching dark/light mode.
  • Mobile safe-area insets (env(safe-area-inset-bottom)) supporting modern gesture bars and notches.
  • Fullscreen touch-optimized Code Editor and Quick Text clipboard modals.
  • Horizontal swipeable breadcrumbs navigation.
• Quick Text & Clipboard Sharing:
  • Quickly paste, share, and copy text snippets, tokens, links, or notes across devices on your local Wi-Fi without creating files.
  • 1-click Copy to Device Clipboard via browser clipboard API.
  • Sync text in real-time with the FastDrop server.
  • Option to save shared text directly as a file into the current directory.
  • 1-click Copy Content button on any text file in the file explorer.
• Seamless Uploads:
  • Drag and drop files anywhere on the screen.
  • Drag and drop entire directory trees (preserves folder structure).
  • Multi-file picker with real-time upload progress drawer and speeds.
  • Streaming raw binary upload API (/api/upload-stream) and multipart form support.
• Flexible Authentication:
  • HTTP Basic Auth (--auth user:password or -u user -P pass).
  • Bearer Token authentication (--token secret or --generate-token).
  • Write-Auth-Only Mode (--write-auth-only): Allow anyone to browse and download files publicly, while requiring authentication to upload, edit, rename, or delete!
• Built-in Code & Text Editor:
  • View and edit .py, .js, .json, .html, .css, .md, .txt, .sh, .yml, .env, and more directly in the browser.
  • Syntax gutter with line numbers.
  • Tab indentation support (inserts 4 spaces instead of losing focus).
  • Keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl+S (or Cmd+S) to save immediately, Esc to close.
  • 1-click Copy All button to copy file content to clipboard.
  • Unsaved changes indicator and discard prevention.
• File Management Controls:
  • Create new folders with one click.
  • Create new text/code files on the fly.
  • Rename files and folders safely.
  • Delete individual files or multi-select for batch deletion.
  • Download entire directories as .zip in a single click.
• Instant LAN / Network Sharing:
  • Automatically discovers your local Wi-Fi / Ethernet IP address and prints clickable links in the terminal so you can immediately connect from your phone or another PC.
• Resumable Downloads & Video Streaming:
  • Full support for HTTP Range requests (206 Partial Content). Seek through videos or resume interrupted downloads seamlessly.
• Built-in Security:
  • Strict path traversal mitigation (os.path.commonpath).
  • Hidden dotfile filtering (--show-hidden flag to reveal).
  • Safe atomic file writes using temporary staging files.
  • Optional Read-Only mode (--readonly) and Drop-Box mode (--upload-only).

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Installation

Install FastDrop directly from PyPI:

pip install fastdrop

Or install from source:

git clone https://github.com/fastdrop/fastdrop.git
cd fastdrop
pip install .

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Quick Start

1. Launch with default settings

Serves the current directory on port 8000:

fastdrop

Terminal output:

  =====================================================
  FastDrop v0.1.0 - Ultra-Lightweight File & Text Server
  =====================================================

  -> Local:    http://localhost:8000/
  -> Network:  http://192.168.1.105:8000/
  Serving:     /home/user/my-folder

  Press Ctrl+C to stop the server

2. Protect with Password Authentication

fastdrop -a admin:secret123

3. Share Public Downloads, Protect Uploads

Allow anyone on your Wi-Fi to browse and download, but require password to upload, edit, or delete:

fastdrop -a admin:secret123 --write-auth-only

4. Quick Text Sharing Across Devices

• Click the Quick Text button in the top toolbar.
• Paste your snippet, token, link, or note.
• Click Save / Share — open FastDrop on your phone and tap Copy to Clipboard!

5. Serve a Specific Folder on a Custom Port

fastdrop /path/to/downloads -p 9090

6. Generate a One-Time Secure Access Token

fastdrop --generate-token

7. Read-Only Mode (Disable All Modifications)

fastdrop --readonly

8. Upload-Only Mode (Drop-Box / Submission Portal)

Users can only drop files; file listing and downloads are disabled:

fastdrop --upload-only

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Command-Line Options

Argument	Description	Default
directory	Directory path to serve	Current directory (.)
-p, --port PORT	Port to bind to	8000
-b, --bind ADDR	Network address to bind	0.0.0.0 (all interfaces)
-a, --auth USER:PASS	Basic authentication credentials	None
-u, --username USER	Username for basic auth	None
-P, --password PASS	Password for basic auth	None
-t, --token TOKEN	Secret access token	None
--generate-token	Generate random 32-char token	Disabled
--write-auth-only	Require auth only for write operations	Disabled
--readonly	Disable uploads, edits, and file modifications	Disabled
--upload-only	Drop-box mode: enable uploads only, hide listings	Disabled
--show-hidden	Display hidden files and dotfiles	Disabled
--cors	Enable Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS)	Disabled
--max-size SIZE	Maximum upload size limit (e.g. 500M, 2G)	Unlimited
--ssl-cert FILE	Path to SSL certificate for HTTPS	None
--ssl-key FILE	Path to SSL private key for HTTPS	None
-v, --version	Display version and exit

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Command-Line Scripting & cURL

FastDrop can be used directly from scripts and terminal tools:

Upload via cURL (Streaming):

curl -T archive.tar.gz "http://localhost:8000/api/upload-stream?filename=archive.tar.gz"

Upload with Authentication:

curl -u admin:secret123 -T file.zip "http://localhost:8000/api/upload-stream?filename=file.zip"

Read Shared Clipboard Text:

curl "http://localhost:8000/api/clipboard"

Update Shared Clipboard Text:

curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"text": "My shared text"}' "http://localhost:8000/api/clipboard"

Download a File:

curl -u admin:secret123 -O "http://localhost:8000/api/raw?path=document.pdf&download=1"

Download Entire Directory as ZIP:

curl -u admin:secret123 -o my_folder.zip "http://localhost:8000/api/zip?path=subfolder"

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Running Tests

Run the test suite with Python's built-in unittest:

python -m unittest tests/test_fastdrop.py

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Author

Developed by XIV4M (Shivam)

• GitHub: @XIV4M
• Repository: github.com/XIV4M/fastdrop

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License

FastDrop is open-source software licensed under the MIT License © 2026 XIV4M (Shivam).