# Spacedrive — Cross-Platform Open Source File Manager

> Spacedrive is a file management application powered by a virtual distributed filesystem (VDFS) written in Rust. It unifies storage across devices, cloud services, and drives into one intuitive interface.

## Install

Save in your project root:

# Spacedrive — Cross-Platform Open Source File Manager

## Quick Use
```bash
# Download the desktop app from https://spacedrive.com
# Or build from source:
git clone https://github.com/spacedriveapp/spacedrive
cd spacedrive && pnpm i && pnpm desktop dev
```

## Introduction
Spacedrive combines files from multiple devices, external drives, and cloud accounts into a single unified library. Its virtual distributed filesystem indexes and organizes content without moving data, so you always know where your files live.

## What Spacedrive Does
- Indexes files across local drives, external storage, NAS, and cloud providers
- Creates a unified virtual library without copying or migrating data
- Generates thumbnails, extracts metadata, and deduplicates files automatically
- Supports tags, albums, and smart search for organizing media
- Syncs the library index across multiple devices via peer-to-peer networking

## Architecture Overview
Spacedrive is built with a Rust core library (sdcore) that handles the VDFS, database, and sync engine. The frontend uses React with Tauri for the desktop shell. Data is stored in a local SQLite database per node, and nodes communicate via a custom CRDT-based sync protocol to keep library metadata consistent across devices without a central server.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Install on Windows, macOS, or Linux via the official installer or build from source
- No server needed — each device runs a local node that syncs peer-to-peer
- Add locations (folders or drives) to your library through the settings panel
- Cloud integration is planned for Google Drive, Dropbox, and S3-compatible storage
- Data never leaves your devices unless you explicitly configure cloud locations

## Key Features
- Virtual distributed filesystem written in Rust for speed and safety
- Content-addressable storage with automatic deduplication
- AI-powered search and tagging for photos and documents
- Encrypted peer-to-peer sync between your own machines
- Open-source with AGPL-3.0 license and active community development

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **Syncthing** — syncs files between devices but lacks unified browsing and metadata indexing
- **Nextcloud** — server-centric approach requiring hosting; Spacedrive is decentralized
- **Google Drive / Dropbox** — proprietary cloud storage with vendor lock-in
- **TagSpaces** — file tagging tool but no cross-device sync or VDFS
- **Seafile** — self-hosted file sync focused on team collaboration rather than personal file management

## FAQ
**Q: Does Spacedrive move or copy my files?**
A: No. It indexes files in place and builds a virtual view across all your storage locations.

**Q: Is Spacedrive production-ready?**
A: It is in active development (alpha stage). Core features work but expect breaking changes between releases.

**Q: Does it support mobile platforms?**
A: iOS and Android apps are on the roadmap and under active development.

**Q: How does sync work without a central server?**
A: Nodes discover each other on the local network or via relay, then exchange CRDT-based metadata updates peer-to-peer.

## Sources
- https://github.com/spacedriveapp/spacedrive
- https://spacedrive.com/docs

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/cb1f6fa5-3d17-11f1-9bc6-00163e2b0d79
Author: AI Open Source