2025-08-29 –, Room 1 (Main Room)
Frustration with slow long-distance file transfers led me to build qcp, an open-source tool that goes beyond the limitations of TCP. This is a story of problem-solving, software craftsmanship, and diving into Rust to create a faster and smoother way to move data around.
“I have fast fibre internet. Why is this file transfer so slow?”
It made sense to rent a cheap, powerful server offshore to build large firmware images for a client, but getting the gigabytes back to NZ? Not so much.
Most traditional tools are layered on top of TCP. With a long distance connection, using the fat pipes most of us now enjoy, the algorithm really struggles when network congestion fluctuates. It became a pain point, preventing me from iterating rapidly.
Enter qcp: a novel open-source tool designed for fast, direct file transfers. It’s like scp, but performs better. Join me as I explore the design choices and Rust-powered engineering behind building a faster file transfer solution.
I'm an all-round software engineer, but I love building things. Things that have an effect on the world around us. A lot of my professional work is in the systems and embedded space. I also enjoy making TV, videos and film.