gvfs-save

gvfs-save [OPTION...] URI

URI
    The target GVFS URI where the file content from standard input will be saved. Examples include 'file:///home/user/document.txt', 'sftp://user@host/path/file.pdf', or 'smb://server/share/document.odt'.

--help
    Displays a help message and exits.

--version
    Shows version information for the command and exits.

--overwrite
    If a file or directory already exists at the specified URI, this option forces gvfs-save to overwrite it.

--no-overwrite
    This is the default behavior. If a file or directory already exists at the specified URI, gvfs-save will fail and report an error instead of overwriting it.

--progress
    Displays progress information (e.g., percentage complete) during the saving operation. This is particularly useful for large files or slow connections.

--display=DISPLAY
    Specifies the X display to use. This is primarily relevant when the command interacts with X server components, such as for authentication dialogues.

--debug
    Enables debug output, providing more verbose information for troubleshooting.

The gvfs-save command is a utility within the GNOME Virtual File System (GVFS) framework. It enables applications to save arbitrary content to a specified GVFS URI. This URI can represent various backends, including local filesystems, remote network shares (SMB, SFTP, WebDAV), or other virtual locations managed by GVFS.

Typically, gvfs-save is invoked by graphical applications like Nautilus (GNOME's file manager) or other GNOME-based software to handle the saving process seamlessly. It reads the data to be saved from standard input (stdin) and writes it to the designated destination, managing tasks such as authentication, progress reporting, and error handling behind the scenes. It's a crucial component for providing a unified file management experience across diverse storage locations.

gvfs-save typically reads its input from standard input (stdin). This means it expects the content to be piped to it or redirected from a file. It is primarily a backend utility for applications, not commonly invoked directly by end-users in a terminal. Its functionality relies on the GVFS daemon (gvfsd) being active and properly configured to handle the specified URI scheme and backend.

The command reads the file content to be saved from its standard input (stdin). For example, to save the output of a command or the content of an existing file: echo 'Hello World' | gvfs-save file:///tmp/hello.txt or cat /etc/hosts | gvfs-save sftp://user@host/remote_hosts.

While callable from the command line, gvfs-save's primary purpose is to serve as an internal helper for graphical applications within the GNOME desktop. Applications leverage its capabilities to provide transparent saving functionality to local or remote destinations without needing to manage the underlying protocol complexities themselves.

gvfs-save is a component of the GVFS (GNOME Virtual File System) project, which was introduced to replace the older GNOME VFS library. GVFS was developed to provide a more modern, modular, and robust virtual filesystem layer for the GNOME desktop environment, leveraging D-Bus and GIO (Glib Input/Output) for better integration and extensibility. Its development focused on abstracting file operations across diverse locations and protocols, making saving and accessing files more consistent for applications and users.

gvfs(7), gvfs-cat(1), gvfs-copy(1), gvfs-info(1), gvfsd(8)