gvfs-tree

gvfs-tree [OPTION...]

-s, --status
    Displays detailed status information for each GVfs mount point, providing more context than the default output.

-u, --uris
    Shows the Universal Resource Identifier (URI) for each GVfs mount point, indicating the source of the virtual filesystem.

-h, --help
    Shows a concise help message with available command options and usage information.

--version
    Displays the version number of the gvfs-tree utility.

The gvfs-tree command is a utility designed to display the hierarchical structure of mount points within the GVfs (GNOME Virtual File System).

GVfs is a userspace virtual filesystem that provides applications with access to various remote and local resources, such as FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, SMB/CIFS shares, MTP devices, and archives, treating them as if they were local filesystems. Unlike traditional kernel-level mounts, GVfs operates at the application level, abstracting the complexities of different protocols.

When executed, gvfs-tree presents a tree-like view of all currently active GVfs mounts, showing their relationships and underlying protocols. This command is invaluable for debugging, understanding how applications are accessing remote resources, or simply gaining insight into the GVfs daemon's current state. It helps users and developers visualize the dynamic virtual filesystem landscape managed by GVfs, including details like the mount URI and the backend handling the connection.

Requires the GVfs daemon to be running; if no virtual filesystems are mounted, the output will be minimal or empty.
gvfs-tree shows userspace virtual mounts, not kernel-level mounts viewable via commands like mount or df.
The information presented is specific to the current user's active GVfs sessions.

GVfs is a userspace virtual filesystem abstraction layer designed for the GNOME desktop environment. It allows applications to access various forms of data (local files, remote shares, MTP devices, archives) through a unified API, making them appear as standard filesystem objects. It handles authentication, protocol details, and error recovery transparently, enhancing the user experience by integrating diverse sources into the desktop environment.

GVfs is built on top of GIO, which is the I/O abstraction layer of the GLib library. GIO provides an object-oriented API for various I/O operations, including file operations, network sockets, and asynchronous I/O. GVfs extends GIO's capabilities by providing concrete implementations for various URI schemes and network protocols, making them accessible through GIO's standard file operations. This symbiotic relationship ensures a consistent and modern approach to file handling in GNOME.

GVfs (GNOME Virtual File System) was introduced to replace libgnomevfs, which was part of older GNOME versions. The transition to GVfs, built on top of GIO (GLib Input/Output), aimed to provide a more robust, extensible, and asynchronous I/O framework for the GNOME desktop environment.

The gvfs-tree command, being a part of this suite, emerged as a direct way to inspect the virtual filesystem structure managed by GVfs, offering an essential diagnostic tool for users and developers alike as GVfs became central to file handling in GNOME.

gvfs-mount(1): Manages GVfs mount points., gvfs-ls(1): Lists contents of GVfs locations., gvfsd(8): The main GVfs daemon., gio(1): A general command-line utility for GIO operations, which GVfs extends.