---
name: "sendfile"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "sendfile"
version: "2.1b.20080616-10"
release: "Debian 12 (Bookworm)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/sendfile"
---

# sendfile(1)

send file(s) via Internet

## NAME

sendfile - send file(s) via Internet

## SYNOPSIS

**sendfile** \[ **-stMgduzvolSPiqQV** \] \[ **-c=" comment"** \] \[ **-C=program** \] \[ **-ps=\[my\_ID\]** \] \[ **-pe=\[to\_user\]** \] \[ **-m LIMIT** \] *file* \[...\] *user\[@host\]*

**sendfile** **-a="***archive"* \[ **-uviqQ** \] \[ **-c=" comment"** \]  \[ **-C=program** \] \[ **-ps\[=my\_ID\]** \] \[ **-pe\[=to\_user\]** \] *file\_or\_directory* \[...\]  *recipient*

## DESCRIPTION

**sendfile** sends files to the specified recipient.

On the receiving site there must be a SAFT-server (Simple Asynchronous File Transfer) installed like  **sendfiled** which stores incoming files into the recipients spool-directory.

SAFT knows about 4 file types:

- **BINARY**

  Byte-stream file which will not be modified.

- **SOURCE**

  Record oriented program source file. Only EOL will be translated.

- **TEXT**

  Human readable text files. EOL and the character set (like German umlauts) will be translated.

- **MIME**

  Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension file as defined by RFC 2045-2049.

Files can be sent compressed or pgp-encrypted and/or pgp-signed.  As an extension to SAFT, **sendfile** is able to send multiple binary files in one archive file.

Default mode for **sendfile** is sending compressed binary files. Compression will be disabled for hosts which are inside your LAN and for files which cannot be compressed.

With the helper program **sfconf** you can easily configure sendfile.

## ARGUMENTS

You have to specify at least one file name and the recipient's address. An address can be specified as:

- **user**

  a local user or a sendfile alias (see below), e.g.: framstag

- **user@host**

  an user on a remote host, e.g.: framstag@bofh.belwue.de

- **saft://host/user**

  like above, but in URL-syntax, e.g.: saft://bofh.belwue.de/framstag

- **saft://host:port/user**

  like above, but with alternate SAFT-port, e.g.: saft://bofh.belwue.de:4870/framstag

## OPTIONS

- **-4, -6**

  Explicitly force IPv4 or IPv6 connections. By default, the program will try to resolve the name given, and choose the appropriate protocol automatically. If resolving a host name returns both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, sendfile will try to use the adresses in the order they are returned by the resolver.

- **-s**

  Send in source mode (not needed if sending to a unix host).

- **-t**

  Send in text mode (not needed if sending to a unix host).

- **-M**

  Send MIME file (must be external composed before!).

- **-g**

  Send in guessed mode: sendfile tries to guess the correct mode (source, text or binary). This will not work in every case and not on all platforms!

- **-i**

  Print more transaction information.

- **-v**

  Verbose mode: show SAFT protocol messages.

- **-V**

  Show version information and exit.

- **-u**

  Send uncompressed.

- **-z**

  Send compressed.

- **-a**

  Send files or whole directories as one archive (binary mode only). You have to specify an archive name.

- **-d**

  Delete previous sent file. No wildcards allowed.

- **-o**

  Overwrite already sent file(s) with same name.

- **-P**

  Read file from stdin. You must specify a file name, too.

- **-S**

  Spool file into outgoing queue for later processing. You must run a sendfiled which supports this mode.

- **-l**

  List files in the outgoing spool.

- **-q**

  Quiet mode 1: print no transfer messages.

- **-Q**

  Quiet mode 2: print no transfer, information or warning messages.

- **-c**

  Add a short comment to a single file.

- **-C**

  Force usage of specified compression program (gzip or bzip2).

- **-pc**

  Encrypt file(s) with pgp (IDEA symmetric).

- **-pe**

  Encrypt file(s) with pgp (public key).

- **-ps**

  Add pgp signature(s) to the file(s).

- **-m**

  Limit the maximum thruput (in KB/s).

## ARGUMENTS

- *user*

  Recipient user name. Can be an alias, too. See below.

- *file*

  File name to be sent. Only when using the  **-a="***archive"* option you may specify any file or directory.

## EXAMPLES

sendfile -t project.txt chief@bigvax.somewhere.net\
\
 sendfile -a=jokes -c 'from Gary Larson' \*.gif framstag

## FILES

- */etc/sendfile.deny*

  Users which are not allowed to receive files or messages (set by root).

- */var/spool/sendfile/$USER/config/config*

  Your configuration file. Valid entries are (the \| symbol means " or"):

     bell = on\|off

  add a bell when a file or message arrives.

     deleting = on\|off

  allow remote users to delete their files after transmission

     msglog = on\|off

  log incoming messages in /var/spool/sendfile/$USER/msglog

     notification = none\|both\|mail \[user@host\]\|message \[user@host\]

  send a notification when a file has been arrived via mail or message or none or both mechanism.

     forward = user@host

  set a forward address.

- */var/spool/sendfile/$USER/config/restrictions*

  List of addresses from where you don't want messages or files. The format is:

     user@host \[mfb\]

  m stands for messages, f for files and b for both. Wildcards \* and ? are allowed. Examples:

     gates@microsoft.com b\
      \*aol.com m

  You may also specify the addresses in URL-syntax.

- */var/spool/sendfile/$USER/config/aliases*

  The sendfile alias file. Format:

     alias address \[sendfile-options\]

  Example:

     chief grmblfz@bigvax.somewhere.net\
      ccc chaoscomputerclub@saft.ccc.de -pe -ps

  You may also specify the addresses in URL-syntax.

## SEE ALSO

**sfconf** [**receive**(1)](/receive/1.md) [**sendmsg**(1)](/sendmsg/1.md) [**fetchfile**(1)](/fetchfile/1.md)

## AUTHOR

Ulli Horlacher  -  framstag@rus.uni-stuttgart.de