Introduction

The Files.com Command Line Interface (CLI) App is a great option for scripted or automated transfers between a local machine and Files.com.

Because it works through the standard Command Line, the CLI app is easy to script from a variety of environments without having to use our SDKs. With that said, if you are already using a programming language where we offer an SDK, the SDK may offer a higher level of integration for your application.

The CLI App is cross-platform (Windows/macOS/Linux) and supports fast, concurrent file transfers.

The CLI App uses the Files.com RESTful APIs via the HTTPS protocol (port 443) to securely communicate and transfer files so, when used interactively or from a script, no firewall changes should be required in order to allow connectivity.

Support For All Operations, Not Just File Operations

The CLI supports all file Operations including list, download, upload, move, rename, delete, etc. But equally important is that it supports operations on every resource available in Files.com including Users, Permissions, Groups, Remote Servers, Behaviors, etc.

The available resources are listed in this documentation under the Resources menu on the left.

Small-File Download Batching

When files-cli download or files-cli sync pull processes at least 500 eligible small files, it can batch them through the ZIP download path instead of issuing one download request per file. Files are eligible when they are smaller than 128 KiB.

The ZIP is only the transfer format. The CLI extracts each entry as it arrives, verifies it, and writes ordinary files to the requested local destination. It does not save a .zip archive.

ZIP batching is enabled by default and adjusts per job. The CLI starts with 16-file ZIP batches, can grow batches up to 32 files per stream, and compares ZIP throughput against normal per-file downloads. It keeps the ZIP path only when that path measures faster, and long jobs can re-check the decision as network conditions change.

Use --no-zip-batch to disable ZIP batching for a download or sync pull. Use --force-zip-batch for targeted performance testing when you want to bypass the automatic speed check.

Installation

Download the latest release for Windows, macOS, or Linux from the CLI App Releases page.

On that page, you'll need to pick your exact operating system to download the correct version.

On 64-bit AMD/Intel Windows systems, the MSI installer places the CLI in C:\Program Files\Files.com-CLI and adds that directory to the system %PATH%. Portable archives are also available and can be stored anywhere on your computer.

When using a portable archive, we recommend placing the app binary into one of the folders listed in your %PATH% (Windows) or $PATH (Linux and Mac).

Here are specific instructions, grouped by OS:

Windows

Download

Run the MSI installer (*.msi) to install files-cli.exe and add it to the system %PATH%. Open a new terminal before running files-cli.

For a portable installation, download the Zip archive (*.zip), extract it, and place files-cli.exe into any directory listed in your %PATH% environment variable.

Mac using Homebrew

For systems with Homebrew 6.0 or later, trust the Files.com CLI formula before installing it:

brew tap files-com/tap
brew trust --formula files-com/tap/files-cli
brew install files-cli

The brew trust --formula files-com/tap/files-cli command trusts only the files-cli formula. To trust the entire Files.com tap instead, run brew trust files-com/tap before installing. Homebrew versions earlier than 6.0 can install without the brew trust command.

Mac without Homebrew

Download the compressed Tar archive (*.tar.gz), extract the files from the archive, and place the files-cli binary file into any directory listed in your $PATH environment variable.

curl -L https://github.com/Files-com/files-cli/releases/latest/download/files-cli_macOS_64bit.tar.gz | tar zxv
sudo mv ./files-cli /usr/local/bin

Linux: RPM Package Manager Based Systems

For Linux systems that support RPM, such as Red Hat Linux, Fedora Linux, CentOS, openSUSE, Oracle Linux, and others, use the RPM Package Manager to install the CLI App:

curl -L https://github.com/Files-com/files-cli/releases/latest/download/files-cli_linux_{ARCH}.rpm -o files-cli.rpm

sudo rpm -i ./files-cli.rpm

Linux: Debian Based Systems

For Debian based systems, such as Ubuntu Linux, use the APT Package Manager to install the CLI App:

curl -L https://github.com/Files-com/files-cli/releases/latest/download/files-cli_linux_{ARCH}.deb -o files-cli.deb

sudo apt install ./files-cli.deb

Command Help

You can get usage information for the files-cli program and any of its commands or subcommands by using the --help option.

files-cli --help
files-cli folders --help

Getting Support

The Files.com Support team provides official support for all of our official Files.com integration tools.

To initiate a support conversation, you can send an Authenticated Support Request or simply send an E-Mail to support@files.com.