# GmailFS

> file system using GMail as storage backend

**Wikidata**: [Q187767](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q187767)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/gmailfs

## Summary
GmailFS is a file system designed to use Gmail as its storage backend, allowing users to store and retrieve files by leveraging Gmail's email storage capabilities. It functions as a Linux file system, providing a novel way to integrate a web service with local file system paradigms.

## Key Facts
- GmailFS is a file system that utilizes Gmail as its storage backend.
- It is classified as a Linux file system and free software.
- The programming language used for GmailFS is Python.
- Its license is the GNU General Public License, version 2.0.
- The initial version, 0.1, was released on August 28, 2004.
- A later version, 0.7.3, was released on March 11, 2007.
- GmailFS operates on the Linux operating system.
- It is copyrighted software.

## FAQs
### Q: What is GmailFS?
A: GmailFS is a file system that uses Gmail as its storage backend. It allows users to store and retrieve files by leveraging Gmail's email service, effectively turning email storage into a mountable file system.

### Q: What operating system does GmailFS run on?
A: GmailFS operates on the Linux operating system. It is specifically classified as a Linux file system, integrating with the kernel to provide file storage functionality.

### Q: What programming language is GmailFS written in?
A: GmailFS is written in Python, a general-purpose programming language. Python's inception date is February 20, 1991.

### Q: What is the license for GmailFS?
A: GmailFS is licensed under the GNU General Public License, version 2.0. It is also categorized as free software, promoting its open use and modification.

### Q: When was the first version of GmailFS released?
A: The first publicly documented version of GmailFS, version 0.1, was released on August 28, 2004. A later version, 0.7.3, followed on March 11, 2007.

## Why It Matters
GmailFS is significant for its innovative approach to data storage, demonstrating how readily available web services like Gmail could be repurposed as unconventional storage backends. At a time when cloud storage was not as ubiquitous, GmailFS offered a novel way to access remote storage by leveraging the large storage quotas offered by email providers. It highlighted the flexibility of file system design and the potential for creative solutions in distributed data management, inspiring further exploration into using web APIs for data persistence. Its existence as a free software Linux file system also contributed to the open-source ecosystem, providing a practical example of integrating web services with local file system paradigms and pushing the boundaries of what could be considered a "file system."

## Notable For
- Utilizing Gmail as its primary storage backend, an unconventional use of an email service.
- Being an early example of a file system built on a popular web service.
- Operating as a free software Linux file system.
- Being implemented in the Python programming language.

## Body
### Overview
GmailFS is a file system that uses GMail as its storage backend. It is also described as a file system using GMail as storage backend.

### Technical Specifications
*   **Programming Language:** GmailFS is written in Python. Python is a general-purpose programming language with an inception date of February 20, 1991.
*   **Operating System:** It operates specifically on the Linux operating system.
*   **License:** GmailFS is licensed under the GNU General Public License, version 2.0. It is classified as free software.
*   **Copyright Status:** The software is copyrighted.

### Versions
*   Version 0.1 was released on August 28, 2004.
*   Version 0.7.3 was released on March 11, 2007.

### Classification and Relationships
*   GmailFS is an instance of free software and a Linux file system.
*   It is related to the class of Linux file systems.

### Online Presence and Identifiers
*   **Official Website:** http://richard.jones.name/google-hacks/gmail-filesystem/gmail-filesystem.html
*   **Freebase ID:** /m/05vzyx (referenced October 28, 2013)
*   **Sitelink Count:** GmailFS has 7 sitelinks.
*   **Wikipedia Languages:** Wikipedia entries for GmailFS exist in Catalan (ca), German (de), Spanish (es), French (fr), Italian (it), Norwegian (no), and Chinese (zh).

## References

1. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/richard.jones.name/google-hacks/gmail-filesystem/gmail-filesystem.html)
2. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/richard.jones.name/google-hacks/gmail-filesystem/gmail-filesystem-news.html)
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013