Magic-Wormhole & Destiny: Get Things From One System to Another, Simply, Securely, and Safely

[Anonymous Bosch]

I initially planned to post this as a response buried within another discussion thread. However, upon reflection, I believe this particular free and open-source tool is sufficiently useful that it merits its own dedicated thread.

Firstly, Magic-Wormhole is a free and simple tool designed to transfer things from one system to another, safely and securely. It's essentially a powerful command-line tool that allows you to securely and simply send and receive files and directories between systems. This means users can easily transfer files on a local network or across the Internet without needing to configure complex network settings or worry about exposing their data to potential threats. To see how the original command-line version operates, have a butcher's at this helpful YouTube video:



In light of that, Destiny is a mighty useful cross-platform graphical client for Magic-Wormhole. The process is much the same, except Destiny uses a clear and intuitive graphical interface instead: you select what you want to transfer, and the client generates a unique code. The recipient enters this code on their device, allowing them to receive the file directly. This method ensures that the transfer is encrypted, providing an additional layer of security. Also, because Destiny is cross-platform, it significantly enhances convenience when transferring files across different systems and devices on your local network.



Included below are the relevant installation instructions for the cross-platform Destiny graphical client:

Installation Instructions
Android
Via Google Play Store (recommended)

1. Open Play Store app
2. Search for an app with the name Destiny Secure File Transfer or open a direct link to the Play store.
3. Press Install

Via F-Droid Store (privacy friendly)

1. Open F-Droid Store app or if you don't have, go to (F-Droid.org)[https://f-droid.org/] to install it
2. Search for an app with the name Destiny or open a direct link to the F-Droid store.
3. Press Download APK

Manual APK file install

1. Download destiny_android.apk
2. Open destiny_android.apk file
3. There might be a popup asking if you really want to install, press Install

Note: installing directly is not recommended, also there won't be automatic updates

Windows
MSIX (recommended)

1. Download destiny_windows.msix
2. Run the MSIX file
3. Press Install on Installer window
4. Search and run destiny.exe

ZIP

1. Download destiny_windows.zip
2. Extract the zip
3. Run destiny.exe

Note: might require additional libraries

Apple
Via Apple App Store

1. Open the App Store
2. Search for an app with the name Destiny Secure File Transfer or open a direct link to the App store
3. Tap on the Get button

macOS (M1 or Intel chip based)

1. Download destiny_macos.dmg
2. Open downloaded DMG file
3. Drag and drop Destiny icon in Applications folder
4. Search and run Destiny

Linux (x64)AppImage (recommended)

1. Download destiny_linux_amd64.AppImage
2. Run chmod u+x destiny_linux_amd64.AppImage && ./destiny_linux_amd64.AppImage Note: If your system does not have FUSE you can extract the appimage:

   Code: Select all

   ./destiny_linux_amd64.AppImage --appimage-extract
   ./squashfs-root/AppRun

Tarball

1. Download destiny_linux_amd64.tar.gz
2. Extract tar xzvf destiny_linux_amd64.tar.gz
3. Go inside directory destiny_linux
4. Run ./destiny

[Kasey Chang]

Nice, but you need to repeat the passphrase entry phase PER FILE, which is kinda PITA.

[Anonymous Bosch]

Nice, but you need to repeat the passphrase entry phase PER FILE, which is kinda PITA.

Sure, but this is because the Magic Wormhole protocol was specifically created to provide the easiest way possible to securely transfer files from one device to another. The need for one-time code entry may seem inconvenient, but this is what allows Magic Wormhole to perform 'identity-less' transfers, without any sign-up process or necessity to disclose identifying information like your name, e-mail address, or phone number. The design of Magic Wormhole prioritizes security and privacy, which is why the one-time passphrase step is required. That extra step is a small trade-off that enables the protocol to facilitate end-to-end encrypted and anonymous file transfers without relying on any personal identifiers.

So, if you need to send multiple files at the same time using Destiny, the simplest approach is to compress them into a single ZIP file before initiating the transfer. That way, you'll only need to enter a single one-time code, rather than having to repeat passphrase entry for multiple separate transfers. This streamlines the process and minimizes any potential inconvenience.