instantly run a simple no-installation web server on the command line, to allow easy file transfer between any windows and linux machine, with the free sfk httpserv command. Are you working on a machine without internet access, no shared network folders, unavailable USB ports, missing admin rights, and a thousand other reasons why it seems impossible to transfer a single file? then try the following on a second machine (the one from which you want to copy files).

- download the free swiss file knife base from sourceforge.
- unpack the tool using winzip or unzip.
- open the Windows Command Line or a Linux shell.

sfk httpserv [-h[elp]] [-port=nport] [-rw]

The SFK Instant HTTP Server for easy file transfer.

default behaviour:
* the CURRENT DIRECTORY is made accessible, without subdirs.
* any kind of directory traversal (.., / etc.) is blocked.
* just ONE CLIENT (browser etc.) can connect at a time.

options:
  -port=n     use other port than default, e.g. -port=81.
  -port2=n    alternative port, used if first port fails.
              use -port2=0 to disable alternative port.
  -rw         allow write access. displays a single file
              upload form when accessing "/".
  -nolist     do not provide a content listing, but change
              any access to "/" into "index.html".

NOTE: be aware that ANYONE may connect to your server.
      this is a primitive, low-performance http server
      made for easy transfer of boot strapping files
      like the sfk binaries and/or sfk source code.
      if you need more power and configurable security,
      download and install a real http server like apache.

see also:
  sfk ftpserv -h    the SFK Instant FTP server.
  sfk wget          a web file download command.
 

How to copy any file between Windows and Linux machines:

If the target machine has ANY connection to a local network:

   -  on the source machine, where you have SFK already, type

      sfk httpserv -port=9090

      within the directory from which you want to transfer files.

   -  then, on the target machine, try to open a web browser
      and to access

         http://othermachine:9090/

      OR type

         wget http://othermachine:9090/yourfile

If that fails (no browser, no gui, no wget command),
check if there exists an "ftp" command on the target machine.
If so, try:

SFK Instant FTP Server for easy file exchange

   -  on another machine where you have SFK already, type

      sfk ftpserv

   -  then, on the target machine, type

         ftp othermachine

      and if the login succeeds, try

         dir
         bin
         get yourfile

   -  if ftp connections fail to work, check if the "ftp"
      client on the target accepts the command

         passive

      then try to "get" again (ftp creates a new connection
      per file download, which is often blocked by firewalls.
      the passive command changes the way in which those
      connections are created.)


How to get SFK up and running anywhere:

Download the executables for Windows, Linux/lib6 or Linux/lib5

By browser:

-  http://stahlworks.com/dev/swiss-file-knife.html

   then click on one of the top links to either download
   binaries instantly, or look further on sourceforge:

-  http://sourceforge.net/projects/swissfileknife/

OR

On a Linux text console, use one of these:

   Instant binaries:

   -  wget http://stahlworks.com/dev/sfk/sfk       (Linux lib6)
   -  wget http://stahlworks.com/dev/sfk/sfk-lib5  (Linux lib5)

   Whole distribution package in a .zip (insert version for nnn):

   -  wget http://stahlworks.com/dev/sfk/sfknnn.zip

   Make sure your system has the real Info-ZIP unzip command,
   in version 5.50 or higher (just type "unzip" to find out).
   If nothing is available, get one of these:

   -  wget http://stahlworks.com/dev/unzip-linux-lib6.exe
   -  wget http://stahlworks.com/dev/unzip-linux-lib5.exe

OR

Apple Macintosh and 64-bit Linux in general:

-  there are no binary distributions so far, but you may compile
   the source code easily, even if you're no software developer.

   first, type "g++" to find out if a compiler exists on your system.
   if so, download the source code, contained in the sfknnn.zip, from

   http://sourceforge.net/projects/swissfileknife/

   then extract that by "unzip sfknnn.zip",
   and take a look into do-compile-unix.bat or type:

      Mac compile:

         g++ -DMAC_OS_X sfk.cpp patch.cpp inst.cpp -o sfk

      Linux 64-bit compile:

         g++ sfk.cpp patch.cpp inst.cpp -o sfk


How to prepare the SFK binary under Linux:

-  after download, you have to type

      chmod +x sfk-linux.exe

   to enable execution (the 'x' flag) of sfk.
   Then simply type

      ./sfk-linux.exe

   to get it running (the "./" is often needed as
   the PATH may not contain the current directory ".").               

Where to place the SFK executable:

Recommendation for Windows:

   -  create a directory structure

         c:\app\bin

      then rename sfknnn.exe to sfk.exe, and copy that to c:\app\bin .

      If you use the "sfk alias" command later, the created alias
      batch files will also be placed into "c:\app\bin".

   -  extend the Windows Shell Path

         set PATH=%PATH%;c:\app\bin

   -  make sure your Windows Shell supports command autocompletion
      and Copy/Paste of text (the QuickEdit and Insert setting),
      otherwise it is very hard to use! read more by typing

         sfk help shell

   -  further tools can be installed parallel to "bin" into c:\app

   This way you avoid the long, blank-character-contaminated,
   inefficient default paths like "C:\Program Files".

Recommendation for Linux:

   -  type "cd" then "pwd" to find out what your account's
      home directory is.

   -  within your home directory (e.g. /home/users/youruserid/)
      create a directory "tools"

         mkdir tools

      then rename sfk-linux.exe to sfk, and copy that
      into the tools dir.

   -  extend the PATH like

         export PATH=$PATH:/home/users/youruserid/tools

   -  then you should be able to run sfk by typing "sfk".

   By default, there are no colors, as it is not possible
   to autodetect the background color under Linux.

   If you like colorful output, type "sfk help color"
   and read on how to set the "SFK_COLORS" variable
   (read it careful! if you set a wrong "def:" value,
    you may end up with white text on white background)
  

read more about all sfk functions here.