FAQ

What is Nimbreth?

Nimbreth is a private shared space for your files. Create a space, share a key with someone, and a folder stays in sync directly between your machines. Your files live on your own devices and travel straight from peer to peer.

Where are my files?

In a normal folder on your disk. A space is just a directory you can open in Finder or your file manager like any other. Nimbreth watches that folder and syncs it; it does not lock your files away in an app database. If you ever stop using Nimbreth, your files are right where they always were.

Where do my files go when they sync?

Files move directly between the machines in a space, over an encrypted connection. When two peers are online, they connect and sync; when they are not, each keeps a full local copy.

Does it work offline?

Yes. Your files are always stored locally and available offline. Sync happens when peers are online and connected. Go offline and keep working; reconnect and changes sync automatically.

Who can see my files?

Only people who have the share key for a space. Nimbreth connects your machines directly with encrypted peer-to-peer networking, so your files travel only between the machines in the space.

Does Nimbreth collect any data?

Nimbreth does not collect analytics, telemetry, or usage data. Your files stay on your machines and travel directly between peers. The app reaches the network only to find your peers and to check for updates.

What is a share key?

A share key is a short string that identifies a space on the network. Anyone with the key can join the space and sync its files. Treat it like a password and share it through a channel you trust.

How will you make money?

Nimbreth is free to download and use today. Down the road, Nimbreth Labs may offer optional paid services that extend the app. We will be upfront about anything paid before it arrives.

What about NAT and firewalls?

Nimbreth finds and connects peers across most home and office networks without any configuration, including through common NAT setups. If you are behind a strict firewall that blocks the traffic it needs, a direct connection can fail. In that case Nimbreth can relay data through other peers, which works but adds some latency.

Why does macOS ask about the local network?

macOS asks this the first time Nimbreth talks to the network. Nimbreth connects directly to your devices and collaborators, and when a peer is on the same network, the fastest path is the local one. Allow it for direct local connections. If you decline, only peers on the same network are affected; syncing over the internet works as normal.

Why does the AppImage ask about a sandbox on Ubuntu?

Ubuntu 24.04 and newer restrict a kernel feature (unprivileged user namespaces) that Chromium apps use for their sandbox. Installed packages can ship a helper that keeps the full sandbox working, which is why the deb is not affected, but an AppImage cannot carry that helper. When Nimbreth detects the restriction it asks how you want to continue: switch to the deb and keep the full sandbox, or run the AppImage for this session without the Chromium sandbox. Nimbreth syncs and behaves the same either way; the sandbox is an extra isolation layer for the app’s own renderer.

What platforms are supported?

Intel Macs are not supported. Nimbreth needs an Apple Silicon Mac.

Can multiple people edit files in a space?

Yes. A space can have many peers, all reading and writing. Concurrent edits are reconciled automatically. For typical file workflows (documents, code, images) this is seamless.

How many people can share a space?

There is no hard limit. Performance depends on the number of files, how often they change, and network conditions. Nimbreth is built for individuals and small-to-medium groups.

What happens to my files if I leave or delete a space?

Leaving a space removes it from your list, but the files stay on disk in the folder you used for it. It does not delete anything from other people’s machines. You can also just stop syncing a folder without touching its contents.

Is the source code available?

Nimbreth is closed source, distributed as compiled builds. macOS builds are signed and notarized, and every asset ships with a SHA256 checksum, so you can verify the binary you run.

How do I update?

You mostly do not have to. On macOS and AppImage installs, Nimbreth updates itself in the background and asks you to restart when a new version is ready. If you installed the deb, Nimbreth tells you when an update is available and links you to the download. See Updating.

How do I report a bug or ask for help?

Come to Discord or email hello@nimbreth.com. For anything you think is a security issue, please report it privately: see SECURITY.