QRServ is an Android application that turns a device into a local file-sharing server. Users select files (or use Direct Access Mode for single files without copying), and the app starts an embedded Ktor HTTP server on an unused port. The server URL is displayed as a QR code for other devices on the same network to scan and download files. Optionally, on Android 13+, QRServ can create a private Wi-Fi hotspot (with band selection on Android 16+) so that only devices joining the hotspot can access the files. The app runs a foreground service with a persistent notification, handles HTTP range requests for large files, and includes an idle timeout that automatically stops the server when no downloads occur for a configurable period. The architecture follows a standard Android MVVM pattern with Jetpack Compose UI, using StateFlow for reactive state management and a centralized ViewModel (QRServViewModel) that orchestrates server lifecycle, network callbacks, and hotspot control. The codebase demonstrates strong engineering practices including comprehensive unit tests, separation of concerns into repositories and controllers, and careful handling of Android-specific edge cases such as permission revocations, network changes, and file removal during sharing. The app is available on Google Play and IzzyOnDroid with multi-language support.
This repository is the deployment system for Internet-in-a-Box (IIAB): an offline-first learning server for schools and communities without reliable Internet. It is an Ansible configuration-management application that installs and configures a complete local network stack — nginx reverse proxy, PHP-FPM, MySQL/PostgreSQL, hostapd WiFi access point, dnsmasq DNS/DHCP, Squid proxy, captive portal, Samba, CUPS — alongside a catalog of educational services such as Kiwix (offline Wikipedia/ZIM), Kolibri, WordPress, MediaWiki, Nextcloud, Gitea, JupyterHub, Moodle, Calibre-Web, and an offline OpenStreetMap/vector-tile mapping system with geocoding. Python, PHP, and Jinja2 templates generate systemd units, nginx virtual hosts, and app configs for every deployed service. Architecture is a staged Ansible pipeline: eleven role groups (0-init through 9-local-addons, then network) are driven from top-level playbooks (iiab-stages.yml, iiab-from-cmdline.yml) invoked by shell entry points (iiab-install, iiab-configure, iiab-network). Every role follows consistent conventions: defaults in defaults/main.yml, an install.yml and enable-or-disable.yml, boolean *_install/*_enabled flags validated up front with Ansible assert tasks, install state recorded in /etc/iiab/iiab_state.yml, and disk usage audited into iiab.ini. A custom Ansible module (get_curl) performs resumable/atomic downloads used across roles. Content provisioning is data-driven: maps and ZIM catalogs are generated (roles/maps/generate-catalog.py) and fetched at install time; offline search and geometry utilities (FQR, static_search.js) are bundled into the served front end. The project is actively developed (Ubuntu 24.04 and Raspberry Pi OS CI matrices, expected-state integration tests) but carries heavy legacy baggage: a large 0-DEPRECATED-ROLES tree, numerous .unused files, Python 2 support scripts, hardcoded versions/vendor URLs, plaintext default secrets, and fragile per-distro workarounds. The reusable gems — the custom download module, the tested geographic FQR geometry utility, the client-side static geocoder, the Ansible facts script, and the pdsm proot service manager — are isolated enough to extract into new projects. Overall it is a solid, professional infrastructure-as-code project with a few genuinely reusable components, tempered by significant accumulated technical debt.