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:

Safe From Data Loss

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

Syncthing should be approachable, understandable, and inclusive.
Automatic

User interaction should be required only when absolutely necessary.
Universally Available

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

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

Signed Releases

As of v0.10.15 and onwards, release binaries are GPG signed with the key
D26E6ED000654A3E, available from https://syncthing.net/security/ and
most key servers.

There is also a built-in automatic upgrade mechanism (disabled in some
distribution channels) which uses a compiled in ECDSA signature. macOS
binaries are also properly code signed.