gvfsd

gvfsd [options]

--version
    Display the version number and exit.

--help
    Display help information and exit.

--replace
    Replace an existing gvfsd instance.

gvfsd is the daemon process behind GVFS (GNOME Virtual File System). GVFS is a userspace virtual file system designed to provide access to remote resources using a modular architecture. It allows applications to seamlessly access files over protocols like SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, SMB, and others as if they were local files.

Essentially, gvfsd handles the communication and translation between applications requesting file access and the underlying network protocol. Each protocol has a corresponding GVFS backend (a module) that knows how to interact with the remote server. When an application tries to access a file using a GVFS URI (e.g., sftp://user@host/path/to/file), the gvfsd daemon and the appropriate backend are invoked to handle the request. This provides a consistent and unified interface for accessing various types of remote resources, simplifying application development and usage.

Users generally don't interact with gvfsd directly. It runs in the background, managed by the user's GNOME session. Its purpose is to mediate file access requests from applications to the various protocols and handle the translation into the local file system.

gvfsd is a background process, so killing it directly can disrupt file access to mounted GVFS volumes. If you experience issues, restarting your GNOME session is usually the best way to ensure a clean restart of GVFS.

GVFS uses a modular architecture with backends that support different protocols. When an application requests to access a resource using a GVFS URI, the corresponding backend communicates with the remote server. gvfsd acts as the central point of contact, managing the backends and providing the requested access.

To debug GVFS issues, you can use the `G_MESSAGES_DEBUG` environment variable. For example, `G_MESSAGES_DEBUG=all gvfs-mount sftp://...` will produce verbose debugging output. This information can be helpful for troubleshooting connection problems or backend issues.

GVFS was created as a replacement for the older gnome-vfs library. The development started in the mid-2000s with the intention of providing a more modular, robust, and user-friendly way to access remote filesystems. GVFS aimed to improve upon gnome-vfs by leveraging the D-Bus IPC mechanism for communication and by using a separate process (gvfsd) to handle the file system operations. This design enhances security and stability compared to the monolithic approach of gnome-vfs. The gvfsd daemon became a core component of the GNOME desktop environment, enabling features like seamless network browsing in file managers and the ability to open remote files directly in applications.

gvfs(1), gvfs-mount(1), gvfs-open(1)