jupyterlab-share-files-extension 1.0.5

Peer-to-peer file sharing for JupyterLab - create named shares (drops) or requests (inboxes), get a link, share it. Files served directly from your server; recipients can use a JupyterLab panel or a plain browser.

jupyterlab_share_files_extension

[!TIP] This extension is part of the stellars_jupyterlab_extensions metapackage. Install all Stellars extensions at once: pip install stellars_jupyterlab_extensions

Peer-to-peer file sharing for JupyterLab. Create a named share (a read-only drop) or a request (an inbox), copy the link, paste it in chat. The recipient opens the link either in their own JupyterLab side panel or in any plain browser - no account, no extension required on their side.

Think AirDrop, except the link is the discovery mechanism and the JupyterLab server is the peer.

Features

Sharing files

• Shares (file drops) - "Here are my files, grab them via this link." Create a named, read-only snapshot of one or more files or folders. Anyone with the link can download
• File browser context menu - right-click any file or folder and pick "Share Files..." - the selected items become a new share, the link is auto-copied to clipboard, and a popup shows it for verification
• Drag-and-drop to create - drag from the JupyterLab file browser onto the panel's bottom drop-zone to start a new share
• Extend a share by drag - drop more files onto an existing share row to add them; folders are copied recursively, structure preserved
• Remove items - hover any file inside an expanded share and click the small [x] to remove just that item from the share
• Delete share - hover any share row to reveal a trash icon, or right-click for the context menu

Requesting files

• Requests (inboxes) - "Send me files here." Create a named landing zone; anyone with the link can upload one or many files or folders
• Per-uploader organisation - uploads are placed under subfolders named after the uploader (or anonymous if they did not provide a name)
• Live upload notifications - JupyterLab pops a notification when someone uploads to your request, so you know without having to refresh
• Delete request - same hover trash icon as shares; deleting also removes all uploads

Connecting to other people's links

• Connect by paste - paste someone else's share link into the panel's connect field to subscribe to it; the share's contents appear in the Connected section
• Click-to-download - click any file in a connected share to open the direct download URL in a new browser tab; folders download as ZIP
• Drag-to-upload - if the connection is a remote request, drag files from your file browser onto the request row to upload them to the other peer
• Self-connect refused - the panel and backend both refuse links pointing back to your own server, so you never get a circular connection
• Disconnect - drop a connection from the panel without affecting the remote side

Working with files in the panel

• Copy to Current Folder - right-click any file or folder shown in the panel (My Shares, My Requests uploads) and pick "Copy to Current Folder" - it gets copied via JupyterLab's Contents API into whatever directory the file browser is currently showing. Toast confirms the destination
• Show in File Browser - right-click and pick "Show in File Browser" to switch focus to the file browser tab, navigate to the entry's parent directory, and select it - useful when you want to inspect or move the file with standard JupyterLab tools
• Workspace-aware - both actions work for any entry inside the workspace; if you have configured shares_dir to point outside the workspace, the right-click menu just does not appear for those entries (graceful fallback)

Links and recipients

• Standalone HTML page - every share or request link opens a self-contained page in any browser (no login, no JS framework, no extension required on the recipient side)
• Copy-link popup - hover any share or request to reveal a copy-link icon; clicking flashes the icon and opens a popup with the selectable, copyable URL
• 8-character base32 token - the share/request ID; the link itself is the credential (no extra password by default)

Storage and configuration

• Local filesystem layout - files live under <server_root_dir>/uploads/ by default in a human-readable <slug>-<id> folder structure, so you can find a share visually in the file browser
• Configurable storage path - admins can set c.ShareFilesConfig.shares_dir in jupyter_server_config.py to redirect storage anywhere on disk
• Symlink-friendly - sharing files from symlinked locations like @shared/... works transparently; the share contains a real copy of whatever the symlink points to
• Filesystem is the source of truth - if you delete a share folder directly from the file browser, the panel picks it up on the next poll and cleans the entry

UI

• Side panel - dedicated right-rail panel with three foldable sections: My Shares, My Requests, Connected
• Auto-refresh - polls every 15 seconds; refresh icon in the header spins while polling and can be clicked for an immediate refresh
• Drag-target highlight - dropping files onto a valid target (share row, request row, drop-zone) shows a clear blue outline before commit
• Toggleable features - turn file sharing or file requests off individually under Settings → Settings Editor → Share Files; both default to on
• Theme-aware UI - panel inherits JupyterLab's font family, font sizes, theme colours and layout dimensions; mirrors the file browser visual conventions so it reads as a native sidebar

Security

• Link is the credential - 40 bits of token entropy (8-char base32) protects against guessing; share links carry no other auth
• Inherits HTTPS - if your JupyterHub or Jupyter server is HTTPS-terminated (e.g. behind Traefik, nginx, or the hub's built-in proxy), links are encrypted end-to-end
• No accidental cross-user access - the public endpoints only expose data from the share/request directories; the rest of your workspace is unreachable through the link
• Path traversal blocked - file and folder names from incoming uploads are sanitised; .. components are stripped, absolute paths are rejected
• No automatic expiry - links live until you delete the share; suitable for trusted-channel sharing (Slack, email, etc.)

How it works

Files are stored under <server_root_dir>/uploads/ by default:

<workspace>/uploads/
  shares/
    <slug>-<id>/
      manifest.json
      data/                # copies of shared files
        ...
  requests/
    <slug>-<id>/
      manifest.json
      uploads/
        <uploader>/        # subfolder per uploader
          ...
  connections.json         # links you have connected to

Each share and request is identified by an 8-character base32 token. The folder name is <slug>-<id> so you can find a share visually in the file browser while routes still resolve by ID. The token is the secret - anyone with the link gets access.

Links are served unauthenticated from your own Jupyter server (HTTPS if your hub uses HTTPS), so:

• Your server must be running for the link to work (same as AirDrop needing your phone on)
• Anyone with the link can access - no password, no expiry by default
• Suitable for closed JupyterHub teams where the link travels via trusted channels (Slack, email, etc.)

Settings

Open Settings → Settings Editor → Share Files to toggle:

• Enable file sharing (default on) - hides My Shares section, the Share Files context menu, and the New Share command
• Enable file requests (default on) - hides My Requests section and the New Request command

Toggles apply live. Connections remain available even with both features off, so you can still consume other people's shares and uploads.

Installation

Requires JupyterLab 4.0.0 or higher.

pip install jupyterlab_share_files_extension

Configuration

By default, shares and requests live in <server_root_dir>/uploads/. To change the location, add to your jupyter_server_config.py:

c.ShareFilesConfig.shares_dir = "/path/to/your/storage"

Relative paths resolve against the server root. The directory is created on demand - no setup step required.

Uninstall

pip uninstall jupyterlab_share_files_extension