Temporary Autonomous Zone - A lightweight, cross-platform web-based file manager for instant file sharing and management.

TAZ is a simple, self-contained web application that allows you to quickly set up a file management interface on any supported device. Perfect for temporary file sharing, collaborative work environments, or when you need instant access to files across different devices on a network.

The Android app provides a comprehensive mobile interface, allowing you to run as a local WiFi access point, connect via BLE discovery, or scan your existing network for peers.

• Web-based interface - Access from any browser
• Full file management - Upload, download, create folders, rename, delete
• BBS messaging system - Optional bulletin board for team communication with audio room capability
• Optional password protection - Secure write operations
• External links - Add custom links to your file manager homepage
• Responsive design - Works on desktop and mobile
• Zero dependencies - Single binary deployment
• Cross-platform - Available for Linux, macOS, Windows, and Android
• Logging support - Optional request logging to file or stderr
• Android app - Full source included with BLE connectivity, WiFi hotspot, and network scanning

The app launches with a dashboard offering five main functions:

1. WiFi Server - Create a local WiFi access point with QR code sharing.
2. Radio Scan - Scan for BLE tags to automatically connect to existing TAZ instances.
3. Network Scan - Scan the local subnet to discover other TAZ nodes running on the network.
4. Settings - Configure app behavior, server name, and security.
5. Open - Open the embedded browser to manage your local files.

Before choosing an operational mode, you can configure the instance:

• Public - Toggle between public (0.0.0.0) or private (127.0.0.1) access.
• Bluetooth - Enable/disable BLE credential sharing when hosting.
• Name - Set a custom name for your TAZ node (defaults to a random ID).
• Password - Set a password for create/update/delete operations.
• Save & Return - Applies changes and restarts the internal server.

• Creates a temporary local WiFi network.
• Generates a random SSID and Password.
• Displays a status screen with two toggleable QR codes:
  • Show WiFi QR: Scannable credentials to join the network.
  • Show Browser QR: Scannable URL to open the file manager.
• Open Local: A shortcut to open the hosted instance in the internal view.

• Scans for Bluetooth Low Energy advertisements from other TAZ servers.
• Automatically receives WiFi credentials and IP information.
• Connects the device to the detected WiFi network and opens the interface.

• Scans the current local subnet (e.g., 192.168.1.x) for port 35248.
• Lists all discovered active TAZ nodes.
• One-tap connection to any discovered node.

The Android app requires specific permissions to function:

• Location & Nearby Devices: Required for BLE scanning and WiFi management.
• Audio: Required for the BBS audio room feature.
• WiFi Control: Required to create hotspots and connect to networks.

The BBS (Bulletin Board System) feature provides a simple messaging interface for team communication with added audio capability:

• Audio Room: Special microphone button brings participants to an audio-only room.
• Audio Controls: Participants can enable/disable their microphone at any time.

1. Download the appropriate binary for your platform from the Releases page.
2. Make it executable (Unix-like systems):

   chmod +x taz

3. Run with default settings:

   ./taz

4. Open your browser to http://localhost:35248.

./taz -root /path/to/your/files

./taz -password mypassword -web-port 8080

./taz \
  -password secret \
  -url "Documentation|https://example.com/docs" \
  -log \
  -log-file taz.log

For complex setups, you can manage all command-line options using a JSON configuration file. This is useful for creating reusable and easily shareable configurations.

To use a configuration file, pass its path to the -config flag:

./taz -config my_settings.json

In the JSON file, the option names are the same as the command-line flags, but with hyphens (-) replaced by underscores (_).

Example config.json:

{
  "web_host": "0.0.0.0",
  "web_port": 8080,
  "password": "secret",
  "root": "/shared/team-files",
  "log": true,
  "log_file": "taz_access.log",
  "url": [
    "Documentation|https://example.com/docs",
    "Team Chat|https://chat.example.com"
  ]
}

Note: Any options passed directly on the command line will override the values specified in the configuration file. For example:

# The web port will be 9090, overriding the value in the config file.
./taz -config config.json -web-port 9090

Here is the complete section for command line options, including the name parameter used by the Android application and the external link options.

You can add custom links to the homepage using the -url flag multiple times:

./taz \
  -url "Company Intranet|http://intranet.company.com" \
  -url "Project Repository|https://github.com/user/project" \
  -url "https://eja.tv"  # URL without custom name

To build the console binary:

git clone https://github.com/eja/taz.git
cd taz
make