GmailFS

From Encoresoup - The Ultimate Guide to Free/Open Source Software

:GmailFS should not be confused with GoogleFS, the filesystem created by Google for use in heavyweight servers hard storage, adjusted for performance and large-file handling features.

GmailFS is a virtual file system developed by Richard Jones which uses a Gmail e-mail account for storage. GmailFS is written for Linux, but Windows and Mac OS X ports exist too.

It works by building a filesystem with the Filesystem in Userspace loadable kernel module, and manages communication with Gmail through a special purpose Python library called libgmail. The actual GmailFS is also implemented in Python.

The speed of this filesystem is limited by the speed of the user's Internet connection, and the upload/download speed of the Gmail server. Files can be any size, and are stored as (segmented) attachments.

Note that Gmail's terms of use impose no restrictions that would make use of GmailFS a direct violation of the Service agreement. However, they state that "Google also reserves the right to modify, suspend or discontinue the Service with or without notice at any time and without any liability to you" and "Google reserves the right to refuse service to anyone at any time without notice for any reason". As a result, Google would be well within its right to disable accounts used for GmailFS at any time and without warning; Google can and has suspended accounts for the sort of excess activity generated by GmailFS. Consequently, GmailFS should not be considered reliable for backup purposes. Furthermore, the "Program Policies" prohibit the user to "Reformat or frame any portion of the web pages that are part of the Gmail Service" which is arguably violated by use of GmailFS, which, after all, "reformats" documents transferred via HTTP ("web pages") into data accessible via FUSE.

Some users of GmailFS use filesystem-level encryption to protect the information they store with it.

[edit] See also

• FUSE for virtual filesystems
• Gmail
• GMail Drive - a similar virtual filesystem for Windows
• PhpGmailDrive

[edit] External links

• GmailFS official site
• FON Backup
• libgmail homepage
• gDisk for Mac OS X

v • d • e Google Inc.
Chairman/CEO: Eric E. Schmidt · Director/Technology President: Sergey Brin · Director/Products President: Larry Page · CFO: George Reyes Other Directors: John Doerr · John L. Hennessy · Arthur D. Levinson · Ann Mather · Paul Otellini · Ram Shriram · Shirley M. Tilghman
Advertising	AdSense · Advertising Professionals · AdWords · Analytics · Base · Checkout · Click-to-Call · DoubleClick (pending) · Trends
Communication	Apps · Calendar · Dodgeball · Gmail · GrandCentral · Groups · Gtalk · Joga Bonito · Orkut · Picasa Web Albums · Reader
Computer Software	Android · Browser Sync · Co-op · Desktop · Earth · Gears · Gmail Mobile · Keyhole ML · OpenSocial · Pack · Picasa · Pinyin · SketchUp · Talk · Toolbar · Updater · Video Player · Web Accelerator
Publishing	Blogger · Docs · FeedBurner · iGoogle · Jaiku · JotSpot · Knol · Notebook · Page Creator · Video (Marketplace) · YouTube
Search (PageRank)	Books · Code · Desktop · Finance · GOOG-411 · Images · Maps · News · Patents · Products · Scholar · Sitemaps · Street View · Usenet · Video · Web
Other	Alerts · Bookmarks · Code · Summer of Code · Translate · WiFi
See also	Acquisitions · Bomb · Censorship · Criticism · Google China · Google.org · Googleplex · Foundation · History · Hoaxes · I'm Feeling Lucky · Labs · Logo · Platform · Products
Annual Revenue: US$10.60 billion (73% FY 2006) · Employees: 15,916 full-time (September 30 2007) · Stock Symbol: (NASDAQ: GOOG, LSE: GGEA) · Motto: Don't be evil · Website: www.google.com