[CONTENT REQUEST] Migration of the IPFS repository to a different computer

[hsanjuan]

What's the subject of the item you're requesting?

How to migrate the IPFS repository to a different computer

What's the content of the item you're requesting?

Instructions on how to move the ipfs repository to a different computer.

What will the user know how to do after going through this item?

How to migrate. I don't know if we should have a canonical way (copy the folder), or actually list several ways of migrating.

Would you be interested in helping create this item?

No.

Is there any other feedback you'd like to share about IPFS docs?

This question is asked and answered again and again and again in the forums.

[jessicaschilling]

@hsanjuan Do you have an example of this being answered in the forums that would make good source material for someone to produce this material?

[johnnymatthews]

Judging from the issue it's coming from, it looks like this is something new that's cropped up. I had a quick look and couldn't see anything in the forums. We'll likely need @hsanjuan or someone from ipfs/go-ipfs to walk us through the process.

I'll jump on this one since it's been marked as high-priority.

[jessicaschilling]

@johnnymatthews -- I was the one who marked it as high-priority, because of @hsanjuan's statement about appearing in the forums again and again, but if that's not entirely the case, you may want to deprioritize.

[johnnymatthews]

Ah right you are! Not had tea this morning...

[jessicaschilling]

These may help: https://github.com/ipfs/fs-repo-migrations https://github.com/ipfs/js-ipfs-repo-migrations

[hsanjuan]

the most recent https://discuss.ipfs.io/t/ipfs-node-data-migration/7208

Will have to make a list of possible options:

• full migration with identity and config: copy the folder
• full migration of content only: copy the folder, reinitialize the config (there might be pitfalls here)
• full migration of content only over ipfs: ipfs refs local method + ipfs block get
• migration of pinned items only over ipfs: ipfs pin ls --type=recursive + ipfs pin add (repeat with direct pins)
• migration of mfs items only: ?
• Rsync?

---

These may help: https://github.com/ipfs/fs-repo-migrations https://github.com/ipfs/js-ipfs-repo-migrations

these are not related, these refer to repository-format migrations between versions.

[johnnymatthews]

Seems fairly simple, for the first two at least. I'm assuming it's cross-platform as well, right? An .ipfs folder from a Windows machine will work fine when copied over to a Unix machine?

[johnnymatthews]

Working branch here: ipfs/copy-ipfs-to-computer.

[hsanjuan]

Seems fairly simple, for the first two at least. I'm assuming it's cross-platform as well, right? An .ipfs folder from a Windows machine will work fine when copied over to a Unix machine?

Probably, but there might be some edge cases. @Stebalien can you say?

[Stebalien]

Yes. An IPFS folder should port across platforms fine (untested).

[johnnymatthews]

I've tested:

1. MacOS Catalina -> Windows 10
2. Windows 10 -> Windows Subsystem for Linux
3. Windows Subsystem for Linux -> Windows 10
4. Ubuntu -> MacOS

They all work fine. Figured that was enough.

[ribasushi]

An IPFS folder should port across platforms fine (untested).

@Stebalien what about case-insensitive FSes ? Do we store anything in non-base32 in a version of an /.ipfs format?

[hsanjuan]

the keystore files I think, but I'm not sure those go on flatfs. There's a migration almost ready to fix this.

[hsanjuan]

Actually yes, the keystore files go on disk and may be named in ways that would make windows unhappy.

[johnnymatthews]

Is it worth mentioning that there might be issues with moving things to Windows then? I didn't encounter any, but if it's something that could potentially trip people up, then we might want to point that out. Not sure what the fix would be if Windows does start complaining.

[hsanjuan]

Not worth, because that potential issue will be fixed by 0.5.0

[johnnymatthews]

Sounds good. I'll close this issue for now then.