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Autofs and sshfs - the perfect couple

Posted by Sander_Marechal on · 11 comments
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sshfs is a file system in userspace (FUSE) and can be used to mount a remote ssh account locally in a folder. This is absolutely great - If I need to work on files from my server I can use a simple command and mount the remote file system over a encrypted connection. None of the programs are aware the files are remote and working on a file in the folder sshfs/ is the same as for local files - at least if the connection is fast enough. The great thing thing about autofs is that the commandline is no longer needed. The mounting of the remote file system is done in the moment I try to access the folder by the autofs daemon.

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Comments (11)

jezuch ·
I really really really really really wish the DE's, or distros, would adopt this approach. Sshfs (and others) over FUSE absolutely obsoletes GNOME VFS, KDE kio-slaves and other non-standard reinvent-the-wheel-again things...
Bob_Robertson ·
I rather like the kio-slave "fish", which treats a remote ssh account just like a local file system. And its been working seamlessly for years.

So who's reinventing?

Now don't get me wrong, this is an excellent answer, but I prefer a bit more flexibility. In an office or other static environment, sure.
Sander_Marechal Story submitter ·
Quoting:I rather like the kio-slave "fish"


You can't use "fish" everywhere. Only in KDE applications that use KIO slaves. sshfs+autofs can be used anywhere, even the shell. It's desktop agnostic.
Bob_Robertson ·
> It's desktop agnostic.

So why the plea to the "desktop environments"?

Simplify with an unaffiliated configuration utility to handle the mount point(s) and remote host(s) and the "desktop environments" will deal with it because it occurs below their perview.

The challenge isn't to the "desktop environments", it's to the distributions or just a little project.
Sander_Marechal Story submitter ·
Quoting:The challenge isn't to the "desktop environments", it's to the distributions


It is. I think jezuch wasn't quite sure at what level this operated.
jezuch ·
I'm not forcing anyone to do as I say, but I see it at the DE level ;)
Bob_Robertson ·
There's nothing to stop a KDE based configuration, keeping passwords in Kwallet, establishing mount points, etc. But just as there is a LILO configuration tool under KDE and no one defines LILO as being at the desktop level, there is no reason to wed such a tool to the desktop. In fact, there is no reason a "desktop" need be installed at all.

jezuch ·
Absolutely. But I think we're talking about different things :) I'm talking only about the "last mile" - the common base is there and is working great. I'm a console wizard, so I don't really care, but... ;)
Bob_Robertson ·
> I'm a console wizard...

Voice of Doc Hudson from "Cars": Oh ho ho! A race car, huh?
gus3 ·
"Ever since I was a young boy, I typed on the silver screen, Watching every dial-out, being 8-bit clean..."

Isn't that the song "Console Wizard" from "Tommy"?
jezuch ·
Quoting:Voice of Doc Hudson from "Cars": Oh ho ho! A race car, huh?


Quoting:"Ever since I was a young boy, I typed on the silver screen, Watching every dial-out, being 8-bit clean..."


Err, well, maybe I'm not *that* wizardly ;)

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