"Virtual folder" in Linux

Question

I have a web service which allows the users to upload and keep track of their files on the server. What I want to do is create some sort of application which recreates my "online file system" on the local machine. Kind of like having a folder on my desktop which presents the files I have on the webserver, where I can move them, open, save, etc. If you know Dropbox you get the idea of what I want to accomplish.

My problem is that I have no clue on where to start to develop this. I guess I could go for some sort of Nautilus extension, but then I would be dependent of that file manager so I think it should be something implemented directly in the OS' filesystem.

I have already figured out how to do this on Windows (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc188741.aspx) and it seems pretty straight forward.

So what I want to know is if anyone here has experience in doing this on Linux and whats the best way to do it.

Thanks.

Answer 1

You can use use fuse to make a virtual file system: wikipedia, sourceforge. Here's a tutorial and another for python

It emulates a drive so it will work in the shell or nautilus or anything else.

There is also a Mac port so it could work there too.

Answer 2

If you want to develop this by yourself, use fuse

http://fuse.sourceforge.net/

But if I were in you, I would try first in searching an already existing solution with fuse, depending on the capabilities of your server.

HIH

Answer 3

As others have already suggested, you should be able to use Fuse.

You don't specify how your web service works, but if it's WebDAV-based (which would make sense for this type of application), then you could use existing Fuse modules for WebDAV such as davfs2.

Answer 4

Before you go ahead and create you own yet-another-network-filesystem I would recommend you look at what's already out there.

The first thing that comes to mind is ssh/scp/sftp. On modern unix (BSD, Solaris, Linux, MacOSX etc) the ssh daemon comes pre-installed by default. You just need to write scripts to manage user accounts from your web application.

If it HAS to be a web based thing then look at WebDAV. You can run WebDAV using most web servers. There is already a WebDAV filesystem on Linux and it looks like it is even built-in to Windows XP and above: winnt webdav network drive.

Box.net is one such service using WebDAV.

Answer 5

Check out http://www.dropbox.com/