Welcome to the Deep Dive. This is where we take a stack of information, often
things you've sent us,
and really dig in to pull out the key insights. That's right. We try to make even
complex stuff
understandable, engaging, and, well, useful. Think of us as your guides to the core
knowledge,
cutting through the noise. Exactly. Helping you get informed without getting bogged
down.
And this particular Deep Dive is supported by Safe Server. They're great for
hosting needs and
can help with your digital transformation journey. Yeah, they really help make
explorations like this
possible. You can find out more about them at www.safe-server.de. So a big thank
you to Safe
Server. Our topic today is a pretty interesting piece of open source software
called SyncThing.
SyncThing. Okay, the name definitely hints at synchronization. What exactly are we
digging into here? Well, we're looking at the official SyncThing website,
and its GitHub page, basically where the creators define it. Right, the primary
sources. And our
mission is to unpack what SyncThing is, really focusing on making it easy to grasp
for you,
the listener, whether you're deep into Tacker, just want your files sorted and safe.
So highlight
the core ideas, the benefits, and I guess why it matters for your own data today.
Precisely,
especially that personal control aspect. All right, let's dive in. At its heart,
what is SyncThing?
The sources call it a continuous file synchronization program. Kind of a mouthful.
Yeah, but that's basically it. Its main job, its whole purpose, is to keep files in
sync between
two or more computers automatically, continuously. So like I have a folder on my
desktop. Right,
and you want that exact same folder, same file, same changes to just instantly show
up on your
laptop or maybe a server at home. Okay, yeah. SyncThing does that in real time.
Okay, so that
sounds a bit like, you know, Dropbox or Google Drive, things lots of people use.
How similar is
it? Well, on the surface, yes, it syncs files, but the way it works is
fundamentally different,
and that difference gets right to the core problem SyncThing solves. Those other
services that use
central servers run by a company. Your files get copied up there, then synced down.
SyncThing is
all about giving you control. No third party needs to hold your data. Ah, okay, so
my files
don't live on some company's server in the cloud somewhere. That's a huge
difference. It really is.
How does that work then, technically? Like, for someone who doesn't want to get
lost in network
stuff, how does it sync without that central hub? This is where the peer-to-peer
part is key. P2P.
It means there is no central server storing your files. Not at all. Nope. Your data
lives only on
the computers you choose. Your desktop, your laptop, whatever you've set up. My
files stay on my
machines. Period. Exactly. The syncing, the communication, it all happens directly
between
your devices. The ones you've specifically allowed. How does it know which devices
are mine or which
ones to trust? Right, so every device running sync thing gets a unique device ID.
The sources call it
a strong cryptographic certificate. Okay, fancy term. Yeah, but think of it like a
super secure,
unique fingerprint. Or like a name tag for that computer or phone that no one else
has.
A secure ID for each machine makes sense. And here's the crucial part for control.
You have to explicitly tell device A that it's okay to talk to device B using its
ID.
So I have to approve every connection. Yes. You decide which devices are allowed to
connect to
your other devices and sync specific folders. No random connections. You build your
own trusted
network. That feels much more direct, more control, especially for privacy. Now the
syncing
sources talk about core goals, like guiding principles, and they list them in a
specific
order. What's number one? This really shows their priorities. Top of the list, the
most important
thing, safe from data loss. They actually use the word paramount, right? Absolutely.
It means above
pretty much everything else, the software is designed to do everything it
reasonably can to
not corrupt your files, not lose data during sync, to protect the stuff you care
about. Why is that
so critical? What does that mean for you, the listener, practically? Well, think
about it. The
whole reason you sync is to have your important stuff, photos, documents, projects,
everywhere you
need them. Right. If the sync process itself was risky, if it might damage or
delete things,
the whole system would be useless, maybe even dangerous. Yeah, that would defeat
the purpose
entirely. So the safety goal means they'll prioritize keeping your data intact over,
say,
syncing it a tiny bit faster if that speed introduces risk. They're careful with
your
files. Okay. Safety first. Makes total sense. What's the second goal on their
priority list?
Secure against attackers. Right after making sure the program itself doesn't mess
up your data,
the next focus is protecting it from outside threats. And how do they tackle that?
The
sources mentioned a few things. Yeah. First off, all the communication between your
devices,
it's always encrypted. No exceptions. They use TLS. Okay. TLS. That's the same
stuff used
from secure websites, right? Like the padlock icon in the browser. Exactly that.
Strong,
standard encryption, but they add more. They specifically mentioned using Perfect
Forward
Secrecy. It sounds technical, but the benefit for you is pretty cool. Late on me.
Okay. So
imagine someone managed to record the encrypted data going between your computers
today.
Perfect Forward Secrecy makes it basically impossible for them to decrypt that old
data
later, even if they somehow got hold of your device's main security key in the
future. Whoa.
So even if a key gets compromised later, past conversations stay secret. Pretty
much. Yeah.
It's like the lock combination changes every single time. Stealing an old key doesn't
open
past locks. It's a really strong long-term protection. That does sound like a
significant
extra layer. Definitely. And then there's the authentication we talked about, those
unique
device IDs. Right. Only approved devices can connect. Exactly. Since only devices
you've
explicitly allowed can even start talking to your other machines, it blocks unauthorized
devices right at the door. No random connections allowed. So if you put the
encryption and the
authentication together, why is this secure against attackers goal so important for
the user,
for you? It means your data is shielded from snooping or tampering while it's
moving between
your machines. Nobody listening on the network can read your files and only the
devices you
trust can actually access the sync process. Your private stuff stays private. That
theme of personal
control and privacy just keeps coming up. It's interesting they even have a
specific way to
report security issues, emailing a dedicated address, not posting publicly. Yeah,
emailing
security at syncthing.net. They explicitly say not to use the form or issue tracker
for that stuff.
It shows they take security seriously, even how they handle potential problem
reports. It does
suggest a mature process. Okay, so top priorities, safety, then security. What
comes next? Goal number
three. Goal three is easy to use. The aim is to make it approachable,
understandable, inclusive,
not just for, you know, hardcore techies. Okay, but peer-to-peer sync, connecting
machines directly.
That sounds like it could get complicated. How do they make it easy? Well, the main
way you
interact with it, configure it, monitor it, is through a web browser interface. Ah,
web page.
Yeah, the sources describe it as responsive and powerful. So the engine runs in the
background,
but you manage it using something familiar. Okay, a web UI definitely lowers the
intimidation factor
compared to, like, a command line. For sure. And they design connecting devices to
be simple.
It's meant to just work over your home network or the internet without you needing
to fiddle
with IP addresses or port forwarding manually, usually. How does it manage that?
Devices find
each other using those unique IDs. Plus, they mention UPnP support. That's a tech
that helps
devices automatically negotiate pathways through typical home routers. Right. Router
settings can
be a real pain point for people with self-hosted things. Exactly. UPnP can help
bypass that hassle
if you don't know how or just don't want to set up port forwarding yourself. So why
does this
easy-to-use goal matter so much for you, the listener? It means you don't need an
IT degree
to get your file syncing securely across your devices. You install it, open the web
page,
add a device ID, maybe even scan a QR code, sometimes approve it on the other end,
pick a folder,
and boom, it starts working. It makes taking control of your own sync much more
accessible.
Accessibility is key. Okay, safety, security, ease of use. Goal number four. Automatic.
The idea here
is once it's set up, you shouldn't need to constantly interact with it, only when
absolutely
necessary, like adding a new device or folder. Set it and forget it, basically.
Pretty much.
And why that matters to you is simple. Once you've told it what to sync and where,
it just runs
quietly in the background, watching for changes and syncing them up. No need to
remember to copy
files or hit a sync now button. Right, you just save your document and it takes
care of getting
it to the other machine. Exactly. It just works. That automatic part is definitely
something people
expect from sync tools. What's goal number five? Universally available. It's
designed to run on
pretty much every common computer platform. And what does every common computer
mean here? What
systems are we talking about? Well, the list includes the big ones. Mac OS, Windows,
Linux,
but also FreeBSD, Solaris, OpenBSD, quite a few others. So desktops, laptops,
servers too. Yeah.
And it's generally lightweight enough to run on things like nav devices, network
attached storage
boxes. That covers a lot of ground. Why is that universality important for someone
listening?
It means you can sync between totally different types of machines. Your Windows
work PC,
your Mac laptop at home, maybe a Linux server you use for backups, all using the
same tool.
You're not locked into one ecosystem. Flexibility across devices is definitely
handy.
Okay. Goal number six. For individuals. The focus of SingThings development is
primarily on empowering
the individual user. Meaning? Meaning it's built mainly for a single person with
multiple devices
or maybe small groups like family or friends sharing folders. The design choices,
safety,
security, ease of use without needing central control. They're all geared towards
you managing
your own digital life. So less focused on big company needs, more on personal
control.
Exactly. It's about your data, your devices, your control. That fits the theme.
Okay. And the last
goal, number seven. Everything else. This is kind of a catch-all. It includes
things like performance,
using less CPU, being efficient with network bandwidth, specific features. The
optimizations.
Right. And the sources are clear. These things are good. They work on them,
but only if it doesn't conflict with the higher goals like safety and security.
So speed is nice, but never ever at the cost of potentially losing data or compromising
security.
Precisely. The top priorities are fixed. Everything else comes after. It gives a
really clear picture of what they value most. Makes sense. Now, beyond these
ordered goals,
the sources also really stress this open philosophy. What's that all about?
It's fundamentally about transparency and community. They have an open protocol,
meaning how devices talk is fully documented, no secrets in how the sync happens.
Anyone can see how it works.
Exactly. It's open source. All the code is on GitHub for anyone to look at, review,
even modify.
The sources say, you know, see exactly what the program is doing. No hidden funny
business.
Trust through transparency.
Right. Then there's open development, bug reports, feature plans, the work in
progress.
It's mostly visible to everyone on their issue tracker.
So you can see what's being fixed or added.
Yep. And finally, open discourse. There's a public forum for users and devs to
discuss things,
ask for help, share ideas. It's all out in the open.
Why does all this openness matter for you, the user?
It builds a huge amount of trust. You don't just have to hope it's secure.
Experts can actually look at the code.
Many eyes make bugs shallow, as they say.
Exactly. And it means the community can contribute, find problems, suggest
improvements.
It becomes a collaborative effort, which makes the software better for everyone
over time.
That community validation is definitely reassuring.
Okay, let's talk practicalities. You have it running. What can you do with it? Just
one folder?
Oh, no. Definitely not just one. You can set up multiple different folders to sync,
and each folder can have its own rules.
Like, sync folder A with devices X and Y, but sync folder B only with device Z.
Precisely. You get that granular control. Maybe sync photos between your family
computers,
but sync work documents only between your work machines. You decide per folder, per
device.
And getting started. Is it complex?
The sources mentioned guides are available, and while the core is a background
service,
there are user-friendly graphical interfaces, GUIs, for Windows, Mac, Linux. They
make setup
much easier.
So point-and-click interfaces, not just command lines.
Right. And adding devices is often simple, maybe just copying an ID,
or sometimes even scanning a QR code from one device's web UI with another device's
app.
Okay. QR codes sound pretty convenient for pairing.
What if you run into trouble or have questions? Where do you go?
The main place the sources point to is the official forum.
That's the hub for community support and discussion.
Good to know there's help available. And the license, just weekly.
Under the MPLv2 license. That's a recognized open source license.
And, you know, looking at the GitHub page gives a real sense of activity.
It's got, like, over 70,000 stars. That's huge. Shows tons of people like it.
Wow. Yeah, that's a lot.
And over 4,500 forks, meaning people are digging into the code.
Plus, they just had a recent release, May 6, 2025, version 1.29.6.
And there have been over 420 releases in total.
So definitely not dead software. It's actively maintained.
Very actively maintained. Mature, stable, but still evolving.
That's really reassuring when you're trusting it with your files.
Absolutely. Okay, so let's try to wrap this up for you, the listener.
What's the core takeaway?
I mean, syncing, based on its own sources, looks like a really solid option
if you want a private, secure way to keep your files synchronized across your
devices.
Yeah, it's automatic, designed to be easy, and importantly, it keeps you in control
because there's no central third-party server holding your data.
Exactly. It prioritizes safety and security above all else.
And that peer-to-peer model is key to the whole philosophy of personal control.
It really seems like a tool built for digital autonomy based on openness and trust.
So here's a thought to leave you with. In a world where so much of our digital
stuff,
documents, photos, messages, lives on servers, run by big companies,
what does it actually mean to own and control your own data?
Yeah, it's a big question.
SyncThings seems to offer one answer by making that direct,
private sync between your machines accessible and secure. Something to think about.
A powerful alternative, for sure.
And once again, this deep dive was made possible thanks to Safe Server.
They handle hosting and support digital transformation. Check them out at www.safeserver.de.
Thanks again to Safe Server.
And thank you for joining us for this deep dive into SyncThings.
Yeah, thanks for listening.