01 · START HERE

What DUALINK connects

DUALINK has two parts: this dashboard, and a small companion agent on every computer. The dashboard stores your links and shows progress. The agent sees only the folders you approve and transfers queued files when that device starts.

02 · SERVER

Set up the website and database

1. Upload the DUALINK folder to a PHP 8.2+ host with HTTPS enabled.
2. Open phpMyAdmin, select your database, then import api/schema.sql.
3. Copy api/config.example.php to api/config.php and add your host’s database details and Google OAuth keys.
4. Keep api/config.php outside Git and outside the public web directory when your host allows it.
5. Create a Google OAuth “Web application”, add your HTTPS callback URL, and complete server-side ID-token verification in api/auth/google-callback.php.

Open your domain in a browser. The Server Status card should change to Server online when the health endpoint is configured.

03 · LINUX

Connect your Linux system

1. Install the DUALINK desktop companion from the project releases.
2. Sign in with the same Google account used on the website.
3. Name the device, for example Linux workstation.
4. Select each Linux folder you want to link and choose its Windows destination.
5. Allow notifications if you want “project.zip arrived” messages.

For right-click Send to DUALINK, enable the file-manager integration from the companion’s Settings. It adds Send to DUALINK to supported file-manager menus.

04 · WINDOWS

Connect your Windows system

1. Install and open the companion app after booting Windows.
2. Sign in with the exact same Google account.
3. Choose your target folders such as Downloads, Desktop, Documents, or D:\Projects.
4. Accept the folder permissions. DUALINK cannot read anything outside folders you explicitly link.
5. Keep “Start with Windows” enabled so queued Linux transfers arrive automatically.

05 · OTHER SIDE

Browse without syncing

Open Other Side, type a path like C:\Users\Fares\Downloads, then select Go. Use the search field to filter by file or folder name. Select Bring to Linux to queue only that item; no full-folder sync is created.

For safety, the desktop agent rejects paths outside your approved folder roots. This prevents a browser session from exploring the whole operating system.

06 · SECURITY

Your files and database stay private

• Use HTTPS everywhere, never plain HTTP in production.
• Database credentials belong only in api/config.php; the file is ignored by Git and must not be public.
• Use a unique database user with access only to the DUALINK database.
• Google login is verified server-side; never trust a Google profile sent directly from the browser.
• Store uploaded file objects outside public_html or in private object storage with short-lived signed URLs.

07 · HELP

When something does not arrive

Server shows offline

Check HTTPS, PHP error logs, database connection, and the API health endpoint.

File stays in queue

Boot the other system and make sure its companion is signed in with the same Google account.

Path is rejected

Add that folder as an approved location from the desktop companion, then retry.

Two edits conflict

Choose Keep Windows, Keep Linux, or Keep both. DUALINK never overwrites a conflict silently.