ferr

Secure, Byte-for-Byte CLI File Copy Tool for DITs & Power Users

Warning

Disclaimer: Personal Project & Vibe Coding
I created this tool strictly for my own personal use. I am not a professional software developer, and this entire project is the result of "vibe coding" (built through exploration and AI assistance).
The code is provided "as is", without any warranties, safety guarantees, or liability. Use it at your own risk.

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ferr is a high-performance command-line utility designed for absolute data integrity. Whether you're a Digital Imaging Technician (DIT) managing 8K cinema footage or a power user moving critical backups, ferr ensures every byte is accounted for through cryptographic verification and hardware-accelerated redundancy.

🚀 Why use ferr?

Traditional copy tools can fail silently or leave you wondering if your data is actually safe. ferr bridges the gap between a simple cp and complex industrial workflows:

• 🛡️ Zero-Trust Copying: Every file is hashed on-the-fly (XXH64 or SHA-256).
• ⚡ Multi-Destination: Copy from one source to up to 3 destinations simultaneously.
• 🏗️ Self-Healing Data: Native par2 support—if a bit flips on your drive, ferr can repair it.
• 💾 Smart History: Powered by a local SQLite database to prevent duplicate copies.
• 📽️ Cinema-Ready: Automatic detection of BRAW, R3D, ARRI, Sony, and more.

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🏎️ Quick Start

Installation

# Requires Rust 1.75+
git clone https://github.com/freddewitt/ferr
cd ferr
cargo install --path ferr-cli

Basic Usage

# Secure copy to one destination (default XXH64)
ferr copy /Volumes/SOURCE /Volumes/DEST

# Mirror copy to two SSDs with 5% PAR2 redundancy
ferr copy /Volumes/CARD /mnt/ssd1 --dest2 /mnt/ssd2 --par2 5

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🎖️ Feature Highlights

1. Portable Integrity Certificates (ferr cert)

Portable certificates allow you to vouch for the integrity of a folder without sharing your entire session database. Useful for shipping drives to post-production labs or clients.

• Create: ferr cert create /MyData --output verification.ferrcert
• Verify: ferr cert verify verification.ferrcert /ReceivedData
• Perfect for shipping drives to post-production labs or clients.

2. DIT Automation & Renaming

Detect camera formats and rename clips based on metadata dynamically:

ferr copy /Volumes/A001 /RAID --camera --rename "{date}_{camera}_{reel}_{clip}{ext}" --eject

3. "Watch" Mode

Set it and forget it. ferr monitors mount points and kicks off copies as soon as a card is inserted:

ferr watch /Volumes --dest /mnt/backups --profile onset

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🏗️ System Architecture

ferr is built as a modular Rust workspace for maximum speed and reliability:

Component	Responsibility
ferr-core	Orchestration, dry-runs, and job logic.
ferr-cert	Portable PEM-encoded integrity certificates.
ferr-par2	Native PAR2 verification and repair engine.
ferr-hash	High-performance streaming hashing (xxHash/SHA2).
ferr-session	SQLite-backed transfer history and deduplication.
ferr-report	JSON manifest architecture and PDF generation.

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📖 Documentation & Reference

For a complete breakdown of every command, diagnostic flag, and real-world DIT automation scenario, please refer to the:

👉 ferr CLI Reference Guide

# Get context-specific help at any time
ferr copy --help
ferr cert --help

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📜 License

Licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.