CodeDrop Specification

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Your apps, on their merry way.

Vision

CodeDrop is an open-source executable transmission platform that makes software distribution as simple as sending a text message.

Instead of uploading files to cloud storage, attaching large email attachments, or directing users to download pages, CodeDrop allows applications to be securely packaged, transmitted, verified, and prepared for installation in a single workflow.

Design Philosophy

Sending software should feel like sending a text message.

Instead of:

Download → Upload → Share Link → Download Again → Install

CodeDrop becomes:

Select → Send → Receive → Install

Feature Specification

Intelligent Packaging

CodeDrop automatically prepares software for transport.

Executable discovery
Dependency detection
Runtime analysis
Shared library collection
Configuration file detection
Portable application support
Package optimization
Compression
Package signing
Metadata generation

Package Manifest

Every package includes a signed manifest describing the contents before installation.

The manifest may include:

Application name
Package identifier
Version
Publisher
Description
Homepage
License
Build number
Build date
Package size
Target operating systems
Supported architectures
Dependency list
Installation type
Required runtime
Cryptographic checksums
Digital signatures
Release notes
Optional screenshots
Application icon

The manifest allows recipients to inspect software before installation.

Trust Levels

Recipients control how software is accepted.

Trust once
Always trust
Never trust
Ask every time
Always sandbox
Always verify signatures
Organization managed trust
Trusted publishers
Trusted devices
Revocable trust

Secure Transmission

End-to-end encryption
Forward secrecy
Ephemeral session keys
Authenticated encryption
Integrity verification
Replay protection
Tamper detection
Package verification

Addressing System

CodeDrop supports temporary addressing instead of permanent identities.

Supported methods include:

One-time codes
QR codes
Peer IDs
Public keys
NFC pairing
Local discovery
Organization directories

No phone numbers or email addresses are required.

Expiring Access

Senders choose how long packages remain available.

Examples:

5 minutes
15 minutes
30 minutes
1 hour
6 hours
12 hours
24 hours
Custom expiration

Expired packages are automatically removed.

Offline Relay

When recipients are unavailable, CodeDrop can temporarily relay encrypted packages.

End-to-end encrypted storage
Zero-knowledge relay
Automatic deletion after download
Automatic deletion after expiration
Resume interrupted downloads
One-time retrieval
Delivery confirmation
Optional self-hosted relays

Relay servers never possess decryption keys.

Peer-to-Peer Networking

Supported transport methods include:

LAN
Internet
Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth
WebRTC
NAT traversal
Relay fallback

Connections automatically select the fastest available route.

Installation Modes

CodeDrop supports multiple installation options.

Install immediately
Download only
Portable mode
Silent installation
Sandbox installation
Verify only
Developer extraction

Delta Updates

When recipients already possess an application:

Detect installed version
Compare package versions
Transfer only changed files
Reduce bandwidth usage
Resume previous updates

Transfer Engine

Parallel transfers
Chunked transmission
Automatic resume
Compression
Encryption
Integrity validation
Duplicate elimination
Adaptive bandwidth management

User Experience

Designed for simplicity.

Drag-and-drop
Progress indicators
Transfer history
Delivery notifications
Installation notifications
Countdown timers
Package previews
QR generation
QR scanning
Dark mode
Accessibility support

Security

CodeDrop is privacy-first.

No telemetry by default
No personal data transmission
No advertising
No trackers
No analytics required
Package verification
Signature verification
Trust management
Secure deletion
Cryptographic integrity

Organization Support

Organizations can operate private CodeDrop environments.

Internal package repositories
Software catalogs
Department collections
Organization relay servers
Trusted publishers
Organization trust policies
Package approvals
Version management
Software deployment
Internal updates
Private networking
Self-hosting
Administrative controls
Optional audit logging

Suitable for:

Businesses
Schools
Universities
Nonprofits
Government agencies
Development teams

Developer API

CodeDrop provides an open API for integration.

Capabilities include:

Package creation
Package inspection
Manifest generation
Transmission initiation
Progress monitoring
Transfer cancellation
Trust management
Relay management
Verification
Signature generation
Package signing
Installation events
Delivery events
Notification events

Possible integrations:

IDEs
Build systems
CI/CD platforms
Package managers
Enterprise deployment tools
Desktop applications
Mobile applications
Automation platforms

Guiding Principles

Every feature should satisfy one or more of the following:

Faster
Simpler
More secure
More private
More transparent
Easier to self-host
Easier to integrate
Easier to audit

Specification Branding License (SBL)

Standard

Fully AGPL-3.0+ compliant system
Copyleft enforced for network deployments
Required attribution:
- Roxanne Ardary
- https://www.roxanneardary.com/

Optional

Specification Branding License (SBL)
- Attribution-free commercial deployment
- Pricing based on scale, usage, and deployment scope
- https://roxanneardary.com/codedrop/

License & Notice Requirements

CodeDrop is released under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 or later (AGPL-3.0+).
By contributing to this project, you agree that your contributions will also be released under this license.

Please note the following:

All contributions must comply with the AGPL-3.0+ terms.
Under Section 7 of the license, all redistributions, forks, and derivative works must preserve attribution to:
Roxanne Ardary and roxanneardary.com.
CodeDrop specifications are free to use with attribution. A Specification Branding License can be negotiated upon request.
The project’s notice.md file tracks attribution requirements and contributor acknowledgments. Any update that adds new contributors or modifies attribution should also update notice.md.
When submitting a pull request, ensure that any new files maintain the attribution headers where applicable.
Network-deployed versions of this software must also remain fully AGPL-3.0+ compliant, including exposure of source code modifications when applicable under the license.

For full legal details, please refer to the AGPL-3.0+ license and the project’s notice.md file.

Notice – CodeDrop

Attribution Requirement: Under Section 7 of the AGPL 3.0+ license, all redistributions, forks, and derivative works, including network-deployed versions of this project, must provide attribution to Roxanne Ardary and roxanneardary.com.

Contributors

This file tracks contributors and their specific contributions to the project.

Roxanne Ardary, roxanneardary.com – March 13, 2026
Created the repository for CodeDrop. Developed an open-source, device-to-device file transmission system for instant, secure, and encrypted delivery of executable files and apps without sharing personal data, accounts, or cloud storage.
[Add other contributors here] – [Date]
[Describe contribution in one sentence]

License – CodeDrop

This repository is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 or later (AGPL-3.0+).

Key Points

You are free to use, modify, and distribute the code.
All redistributions, forks, and derivative works or network-deployed versions must also be licensed under AGPL-3.0+ and provide attribution to Roxanne Ardary and roxanneardary.com as required under Section 7 of the license.
The software is provided “as is,” without warranty of any kind.

For the full license text, see the GNU AGPL-3.0 License.

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