kubo/docs/fuse.md

# FUSE

**EXPERIMENTAL:** FUSE support is limited, YMMV.

Kubo makes it possible to mount `/ipfs`, `/ipns` and `/mfs` namespaces in your OS,
allowing arbitrary apps access to IPFS.

## Install FUSE

You will need to install and configure fuse before you can mount IPFS

#### Linux

Note: while this guide should work for most distributions, you may need to refer
to your distribution manual to get things working.

Install `fuse` with your favorite package manager:
```
sudo apt-get install fuse3
```

On some older Linux distributions, you may need to add yourself to the `fuse` group.  
(If no such group exists, you can probably skip this step)
```sh
sudo usermod -a -G fuse <username>
```

Restart user session, if active, for the change to apply, either by restarting
ssh connection or by re-logging to the system.

#### Mac OSX -- OSXFUSE

It has been discovered that versions of `osxfuse` prior to `2.7.0` will cause a
kernel panic. For everyone's sake, please upgrade (latest at time of writing is
`2.7.4`). The installer can be found at https://osxfuse.github.io/. There is
also a homebrew formula (`brew cask install osxfuse`) but users report best results
installing from the official OSXFUSE installer package.

Note that `ipfs` attempts an automatic version check on `osxfuse` to prevent you
from shooting yourself in the foot if you have pre `2.7.0`. Since checking the
OSXFUSE version [is more complicated than it should be], running `ipfs mount`
may require you to install another binary:

```sh
go get github.com/jbenet/go-fuse-version/fuse-version
```

If you run into any problems installing FUSE or mounting IPFS, hop on IRC and
speak with us, or if you figure something new out, please add to this document!

## Prepare mountpoints

By default ipfs uses `/ipfs`, `/ipns` and `/mfs` directories for mounting, this can be
changed in config. You will have to create the `/ipfs`, `/ipns` and `/mfs` directories
explicitly. Note that modifying root requires sudo permissions.

```sh
# make the directories
sudo mkdir /ipfs
sudo mkdir /ipns
sudo mkdir /mfs

# chown them so ipfs can use them without root permissions
sudo chown <username> /ipfs
sudo chown <username> /ipns
sudo chown <username> /mfs
```

Depending on whether you are using OSX or Linux, follow the proceeding instructions. 

## Make sure IPFS daemon is not running

You'll need to stop the IPFS daemon if you have it started, otherwise the mount will complain. 

```
# Check to see if IPFS daemon is running
ps aux | grep ipfs

# Kill the IPFS daemon 
pkill -f ipfs

# Verify that it has been killed
```

## Mounting IPFS

```sh
ipfs daemon --mount
```

If you wish to allow other users to use the mount points, edit `/etc/fuse.conf`
to enable non-root users, i.e.:
```sh
# /etc/fuse.conf - Configuration file for Filesystem in Userspace (FUSE)

# Set the maximum number of FUSE mounts allowed to non-root users.
# The default is 1000.
#mount_max = 1000

# Allow non-root users to specify the allow_other or allow_root mount options.
user_allow_other
```

Next set `Mounts.FuseAllowOther` config option to `true`:
```sh
ipfs config --json Mounts.FuseAllowOther true
ipfs daemon --mount
```

## MFS mountpoint

Kubo v0.35.0 and later supports mounting the MFS (Mutable File System) root as
a FUSE filesystem, enabling manipulation of content-addressed data like regular
files. The CID for any file or directory is retrievable via the `ipfs_cid`
extended attribute.

```sh
getfattr -n ipfs_cid /mfs/welcome-to-IPFS.jpg 
getfattr: Removing leading '/' from absolute path names
# file: mfs/welcome-to-IPFS.jpg
ipfs_cid="QmaeXDdwpUeKQcMy7d5SFBfVB4y7LtREbhm5KizawPsBSH"
```

Please note that the operations supported by the MFS FUSE mountpoint are
limited. Since the MFS wasn't designed to store file attributes like ownership
information, permissions and creation date, some applications like `vim` and
`sed` may misbehave due to missing functionality.

## Troubleshooting

#### `Permission denied` or `fusermount: user has no write access to mountpoint` error in Linux

Verify that the config file can be read by your user:
```sh
sudo ls -l /etc/fuse.conf
-rw-r----- 1 root fuse 216 Jan  2  2013 /etc/fuse.conf
```
In most distributions, the group named `fuse` will be created during fuse
installation. You can check this with:

```sh
sudo grep -q fuse /etc/group && echo fuse_group_present || echo fuse_group_missing
```

If the group is present, just add your regular user to the `fuse` group:
```sh
sudo usermod -G fuse -a <username>
```

If the group didn't exist, create `fuse` group (add your regular user to it) and
set necessary permissions, for example:
```sh
sudo chgrp fuse /etc/fuse.conf
sudo chmod g+r  /etc/fuse.conf
```
<!--
TODO: udev rules for /dev/fuse?
-->

Note that the use of `fuse` group is optional and may depend on your operating
system. It is okay to use a different group as long as proper permissions are
set for user running `ipfs mount` command.

#### Mount command crashes and mountpoint gets stuck

```
sudo umount /ipfs
sudo umount /ipns
sudo umount /mfs
```

#### Mounting fails with "error mounting: could not resolve name"

Make sure your node's IPNS address has a directory published:
```
$ mkdir hello/; echo 'hello' > hello/hello.txt; ipfs add -rQ ./hello/
QmU5PLEGqjetW4RAmXgHpEFL7nVCL3vFnEyrCKUfRk4MSq

$ ipfs name publish QmU5PLEGqjetW4RAmXgHpEFL7nVCL3vFnEyrCKUfRk4MSq
```

If you manage to mount on other systems (or followed an alternative path to one
above), please contribute to these docs :D