> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/9001/copyparty/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# copyparty

> The main copyparty server command

# copyparty

The main copyparty server command starts the file sharing server with HTTP, WebDAV, and optional protocol support.

## Synopsis

```bash theme={null}
copyparty [OPTIONS] [-v VOLUME ...]
```

## Description

copyparty is an HTTP file sharing server with features including:

* File upload/download via web UI
* WebDAV support
* Optional SFTP, FTP, TFTP, SMB protocols
* Audio/video streaming and transcoding
* Full-text search and tagging
* mDNS/SSDP service discovery
* Upload deduplication
* Event hooks and handlers

## General Options

<ParamField path="-c" type="path">
  Config file path (repeatable). Allows loading configuration from file instead of command-line arguments.

  **Example:** `-c /etc/copyparty/config.txt`
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="-nc" type="integer" default="512">
  Maximum number of concurrent client connections.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="-a" type="string">
  Add user account (repeatable). Format: `USERNAME:PASSWORD`

  **Example:** `-a alice:secretpass -a bob:hunter2`
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="-v" type="string">
  Add volume/share (repeatable). Format: `SRC:DST:PERMISSIONS[:FLAGS]`

  Where:

  * `SRC` is the local filesystem path
  * `DST` is the URL path to mount it at
  * `PERMISSIONS` define user access (see Permissions section)
  * `FLAGS` are optional volume configuration flags

  **Examples:**

  * `-v .::r` - Share current directory as read-only for everyone
  * `-v /data/music:/music:r:rw,alice` - Share /data/music at /music, read-only for everyone, read-write for alice
  * `-v /tmp/uploads:/up:w:c,nodupe` - Write-only upload folder with duplicate detection
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--grp" type="string">
  Define user group (repeatable). Format: `GROUPNAME:USER1,USER2,...`

  **Example:** `--grp admins:alice,bob,charlie`
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--usernames" type="boolean">
  Require both username and password for login (default is password-only).
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--chdir" type="path">
  Change working directory before mapping volumes.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="-ed" type="boolean">
  Enable the `?dots` URL parameter which allows clients to see dotfiles/hidden files.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--name" type="string">
  Server name displayed in the browser UI and mDNS announcements.

  **Default:** Hostname or random identifier
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--site" type="string">
  Public URL to assume when creating links.

  **Example:** `--site https://files.example.com/`
</ParamField>

## Binding Options

<ParamField path="-i" type="string" default="::">
  IP addresses or unix sockets to listen on (comma-separated).

  **Examples:**

  * `-i ::` - All IPv4 and IPv6 (default)
  * `-i 0.0.0.0` - All IPv4 only
  * `-i 127.0.0.1` - Localhost only
  * `-i unix:770:www:/dev/shm/party.sock` - Unix socket with permissions
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="-p" type="string" default="3923">
  TCP ports to listen on (comma-separated or range).

  **Examples:**

  * `-p 3923` - Single port
  * `-p 80,443,3923` - Multiple ports
  * `-p 8000-8010` - Port range
</ParamField>

## Upload Options

<ParamField path="--dotpart" type="boolean">
  Prefix incomplete uploads with a dot, hiding them from clients unless `-ed` is set.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--dedup" type="boolean">
  Enable symlink-based upload deduplication (volflag=dedup).
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--hardlink" type="boolean">
  Enable hardlink-based deduplication; falls back to symlinks when hardlinking is impossible (volflag=hardlink).
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--no-dupe" type="boolean">
  Reject duplicate files during upload (volflag=nodupe).
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--u2ts" type="string" default="c">
  How to timestamp uploaded files:

  * `c` - Client's last-modified time
  * `u` - Upload time
  * `fc` - Force client time
  * `fu` - Force upload time

  **(volflag=u2ts)**
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--chmod-f" type="string">
  Unix file permissions (octal) for new files.

  **Examples:**

  * `644` - Owner RW, all read
  * `600` - Owner RW only
  * `666` - All RW

  **(volflag=chmod\_f)**
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--chmod-d" type="string" default="755">
  Unix directory permissions (octal) for new directories.

  **Examples:**

  * `755` - Owner RWX, all RX
  * `2750` - Setgid + owner RWX + group RX
  * `700` - Owner only

  **(volflag=chmod\_d)**
</ParamField>

## Database Options

<ParamField path="--dbd" type="string">
  Database durability profile (per-volume with volflag):

  * `acid` - Extremely safe but slow (never lose data)
  * `swal` - 2.4x faster, 99.9% as safe
  * `wal` - 21x faster on HDD, 90% as safe
  * `yolo` - Fastest, risk of losing entire database on power loss

  **Example:** `--dbd=swal` or as volflag: `-v ~/music:music:r:c,dbd=acid`
</ParamField>

## TLS/SSL Options

<ParamField path="--cert" type="path">
  Path to TLS certificate file (concatenation of key and certificate chain).
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--http-only" type="boolean">
  Disable SSL/TLS, force plaintext HTTP only.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--https-only" type="boolean">
  Disable plaintext HTTP, force TLS only.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--ssl-ver" type="string">
  Set allowed SSL/TLS versions. Use `help` to list available versions.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--ciphers" type="string">
  Set allowed SSL/TLS ciphers. Use `help` to list available ciphers.
</ParamField>

## Protocol Options

<ParamField path="--sftp" type="integer">
  Enable SFTP server on specified port.

  **Example:** `--sftp 3922`
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--ftp" type="integer">
  Enable FTP server on specified port.

  **Example:** `--ftp 3921`
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--ftps" type="integer">
  Enable FTPS (FTP over TLS) server on specified port.

  **Example:** `--ftps 3990`
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--tftp" type="integer">
  Enable TFTP server on specified port.

  **Example:** `--tftp 69`
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--smb" type="boolean">
  Enable SMB/CIFS server (read-only by default).

  **Warning:** Requires root on Linux/macOS unless using `--smb-port` above 1024.
</ParamField>

## Zeroconf/mDNS Options

<ParamField path="-z" type="boolean">
  Enable all zeroconf backends (mDNS, SSDP).
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--zm" type="boolean">
  Announce services over mDNS (multicast DNS-SD) for auto-discovery.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--zs" type="boolean">
  Announce services over SSDP for Windows discovery.
</ParamField>

## Event Hooks

See [Event Hooks](/cli/options#event-hooks) for detailed information.

<ParamField path="--xau" type="string">
  Execute command after file upload finishes (repeatable).

  **Example:** `--xau /scripts/notify-upload.py`
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--xm" type="string">
  Execute command on message (repeatable).

  **Example:** `--xm notify-send,message,--`
</ParamField>

## QR Code Options

<ParamField path="--qr" type="boolean">
  Show QR code on startup for easy mobile access.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--qrs" type="boolean">
  Use HTTPS URL in QR code.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--qrl" type="string">
  Location/path to include in QR code URL.

  **Example:** `--qrl "music/?pw=hunter2"`
</ParamField>

## Permissions

Permissions in volume definitions:

* `r` (read) - List folders, download files
* `w` (write) - Upload files (requires `r` to see uploads)
* `m` (move) - Move files/folders (requires `w` at destination)
* `d` (delete) - Delete files/folders
* `g` (get) - Download files without listing folders
* `a` (admin) - View uploader IPs, config reload
* `A` (all) - Same as `rwmda.`

## Examples

### Basic read-only server

```bash theme={null}
copyparty
```

Shares current directory as read-write for everyone on port 3923.

### Read-only music server with authentication

```bash theme={null}
copyparty -a alice:secret -v /data/music:/music:r:rw,alice
```

Shares /data/music as read-only for everyone, read-write for alice.

### Upload server with multiple users

```bash theme={null}
copyparty \
  -a alice:pass1 \
  -a bob:pass2 \
  --grp uploaders:alice,bob \
  -v /uploads:/up:w,uploaders:rw,alice
```

Uploaders group can write, alice has full access.

### HTTPS server with mDNS

```bash theme={null}
copyparty \
  --cert /etc/copyparty/cert.pem \
  --https-only \
  --zm \
  -v /data/share:/share:r
```

HTTPS-only server with mDNS announcement.

### Multi-protocol server

```bash theme={null}
copyparty \
  -p 80,443 \
  --sftp 22 \
  --ftp 21 \
  --zm \
  -v /data:/files:r
```

HTTP, HTTPS, SFTP, and FTP on standard ports.

## See Also

* [u2c](/cli/u2c) - Upload client
* [partyfuse](/cli/partyfuse) - FUSE mount tool
* [Common Options](/cli/options) - Shared options reference