[Spice-devel] how to transfer files from guest to client

[Marc-André Lureau]

----- Original Message -----
> On 02/09/2014 11:51 PM, Marc-André Lureau wrote:
> > ----- Original Message -----
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >>> From: "Gianluca Cecchi" <gianluca.cecchi at gmail.com>
> >>> To: spice-devel at lists.freedesktop.org
> >>> Sent: Friday, February 7, 2014 12:06:38 PM
> >>> Subject: [Spice-devel] how to transfer files from guest to client
> >>>
> >>> Hello,
> >>> I upgraded my spice guest tools from 0.65 to 0.74 on my windows 7 guest.
> >>> I see that transfer was introduced in 0.72 for windows apparently.
> >>> In fact I can transfer files from my fedora 20 client (that is also
> >>> the spice server btw) to windows 7 guest (I see them on the desktop,
> >>> is this the default and only way?).
> >>>
> >>> But I have not understood if it is possible the other way from the
> >>> guest to the client and in that case how to do.
> >> It's not possible, not supported case, As I understand There is no way how
> >> you could know what you grabbed on the guest side (so no guest -> client
> >> direction) as well as no way how you could know where you drop transferred
> >> file on the guest (so it's by default copied to Desktop folder I believe).
> > Spice is missing "normal" drag and drop support between guest and client.
> > This is more complicated than just a "copy file" protocol.
> >
> > Afaik, this is something that is possible, and has been working for quite
> > some time in other solutions.
> 
> It is possible to add a virtual folder/icon on user's desktop in the
> guest, such that
> files drag-and-dropped on that folder are copied by spice-vdagent to a
> predefined
> directory on the client (using the current protocol but in a the
> opposite direction).

I am quite opposed to making the file copy more featureful. There is a pretty long list of limitations with the current approach.

Instead of developping a fake drag-and-drop, I would rather start looking at implementing a "real" one, that works for any drag and drop, fix most limitations, and will make the current copy behaviour obsolete.

Sharing folder will also make this "copy" protocol partially obsolete.