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Goals

Syncthing is a continuous file synchronization program. It synchronizes files between two or more computers. We strive to fulfill the goals below. The goals are listed in order of importance, the most important ones first. This is the summary version of the goal list - for more commentary, see the full Goals document.

Syncthing should be:

1. Safe From Data Loss

   Protecting the user's data is paramount. We take every reasonable precaution to avoid corrupting the user's files.

2. Secure Against Attackers

   Again, protecting the user's data is paramount. Regardless of our other goals, we must never allow the user's data to be susceptible to eavesdropping or modification by unauthorized parties.

3. Easy to Use

   Syncthing should be approachable, understandable, and inclusive.

4. Automatic

   User interaction should be required only when absolutely necessary.

5. Universally Available

   Syncthing should run on every common computer. We are mindful that the latest technology is not always available to every individual.

6. For Individuals

   Syncthing is primarily about empowering the individual user with safe, secure, and easy to use file synchronization.

7. Everything Else

   There are many things we care about that don't make it on to the list. It is fine to optimize for these values, as long as they are not in conflict with the stated goals above.

Getting Started

Take a look at the getting started guide.

There are a few examples for keeping Syncthing running in the background on your system in the etc directory. There are also several GUI implementations for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Docker

To run Syncthing in Docker, see the Docker README.

Getting in Touch

The first and best point of contact is the Forum. If you've found something that is clearly a bug, feel free to report it in the GitHub issue tracker.

If you believe that you’ve found a Syncthing-related security vulnerability, please report it by emailing [email protected]. Do not report it in the Forum or issue tracker.

Building

Building Syncthing from source is easy. After extracting the source bundle from a release or checking out git, you just need to run go run build.go and the binaries are created in ./bin. There's a guide with more details on the build process.

Android Mobile Interface

This repository also contains a native Android application that interfaces with the Syncthing backend through its REST API.

Building the Android App

cd android
./gradlew build

Development

The Android app uses the same REST API as the web interface. When updating the desktop version, make sure to update the corresponding API endpoints in the Android app if needed.

Shared Constants

API endpoints and configuration constants are shared between desktop and mobile versions through lib/api/constants.go. This ensures that both versions stay in sync when APIs change.

Development Workflow

1. Make API changes in desktop version
2. Update shared constants in lib/api/constants.go if needed
3. Update Android app to use new APIs
4. Test both desktop and Android together
5. Release both versions simultaneously

Signed Releases

Release binaries are GPG signed with the key available from https://syncthing.net/security/. There is also a built-in automatic upgrade mechanism (disabled in some distribution channels) which uses a compiled in ECDSA signature. macOS and Windows binaries are also code-signed.

Documentation

Please see the Syncthing documentation site [source].

All code is licensed under the MPLv2 License.