CopyParty macOS GUI

[nyteshade]

I created a native macOS GUI wrapper app for copyparty, and it includes its own Python runtime.

Some time ago, I discovered copyparty, a powerful file server that supports HTTP/HTTPS, WebDAV, FTP/FTPS, SFTP, TFTP, SMB, and zeroconf, all from one script.

It’s fantastic, but it’s mainly designed for the command line and uses config files. I wanted something that felt native to macOS—a real app where I could create shares, set user permissions, and manage multiple servers without using the terminal.

So I built one. Meet CopyParty GUI:
https://github.com/nyteshade/copyparty-gui.

What I’m most proud of is that it’s completely self-contained.
You don’t need to install Python first or deal with dependency issues. The app includes a relocatable CPython 3.12 runtime (via python-build-standalone), copyparty, and all the optional extras like paramiko, Pillow, mutagen, impacket, and argon2. You get full protocol coverage right away. Just download, open, and share.

Since the engine is included in the app, it can check GitHub for new copyparty releases and show an update indicator in the UI. You can see the installed and latest versions and refresh with one click. The tool stays up to date without any extra effort.

What’s in the box:

• Native SwiftUI app: manage multiple server instances, each running in its own isolated process.
• Per-volume and per-user access rules: set granular permissions with a clean UI.
• Config export and import: easily move your setup between machines.
• Pre-flight port checks and automatic conflict resolution: the app offers available ports instead of crashing.
• Reliable process reaping: when you quit the app, child servers are never orphaned, so there are no zombie processes using your ports.
• Live engine status: see the version and update popover, with automatic checks on launch.

A genuinely fun themed UI: glossy cassette-yellow sidebar with APCA-correct contrast.

Architecturally, each server runs as an independent, supervised process. Ports are validated before launch, child processes are tracked and cleanly terminated on quit or SIGTERM, and the app is fully relocatable. Nothing leaks onto your system.

Source is MIT. Built and verified on Apple Silicon, macOS 26.

Big thanks to the copyparty project for providing such a great foundation. If you’ve ever wanted something like Dropbox that you own and runs locally, give it a try.

#macOS #Swift #SwiftUI #OpenSource #Python #SelfHosted #FileSharing #copyparty #IndieDev