[Feature Request] Virtual File System with on-demand file loading

[YanzheL]

Background

MEGAsync is a sync client, which means the local and cloud storage should match. If I want to sync 2T files in cloud, then I need 2T storage in local, which is not convenient.

Compared to Google Drive, they have two types of client app: Backup & Sync, and Google File Stream. Currently, MEGAsync is an alternative to Google Backup & Sync, but not Google File Stream.

Expected to see

I think we should have a new app similar to Google File Stream, which mounts a virtual disk via FUSE driver. All files on the cloud are available in that virtual drive, and files are downloaded only if user opens it or chooses available offline. Incremental uploading is triggered only if the file is modified. Microsoft OneDrive have similar feature too.

The advantage of this feature is obvious, I just don't understand why there is no such app for MEGA. This is a main blocker for me to migrate from Google Drive. The new app can completely replace MEGAsync.

[themagiulio]

Hey! I found a way to stream the whole MEGA Cloud Drive using MEGAcmd. I managed to do that using webdav.

So you need to: 1) Download and execute MEGAcmd. 2) Login with you account. 3) Type webdab ./ to stream the whole drive (alternatively you can stream every path you want). 4) The app will prompt an url which you can add to Explorer as a network resource. 5) And you're done, you can stream, edit, add files.

NOTE: As it is said in the User Guide, webdav is an experimental feature, so it may have some problems.

I hope I helped you.

[NicoHambauer]

Thanks for opening this issue! I im also looking forward to the implementation of your feature request! With iCloud Drive on windows for example one can decide to safe storage and check or uncheck files, folders or even everythin so the sync app doesnt use any storage on your computer, but you see all items! (I could post a screenshot here, but it would only show like: size of your uploads: 40GB, size on disk: 10MB) This would be very useful for mega.nz/MegaSync as well! If this feature would be implemented i would also go for the 2-8TB Version!!

[pwnorbitals]

+1 and issue bump

[paulverbeke]

Yes this feature is also a real blocker for people migrating from Dropbox, as Smart Sync (the Dropbox Virtual Drive feature) is enabled by default there on new install and allows to access all files while saving a ton of space. This feature used conjointly with "Automatic space saving" that automatically set unused files as "Cloud-Only" (virtual only) after a while allows even more and continuous storage saving. All of this is even more useful and expected when you look at MEGA.nz's plans and notice that the smallest is offering 400GB, allowing people to store a lot, maybe even more than the average users' free computer storage. With the precedents put in place by the giants Dropbox, OneDrive, GDrive, MEGA should align itself in order to not confuse new users. Would love to see this feature planned. At the moment I cannot switch to MEGA as I have more than 1 TB. Anyway thanks for your work in promoting E2EE everone !

[paulverbeke]

I would love to see an update from the dev team here. Just FYI Google Drive File Stream (virtual drive client) was renamed Google Drive for Desktop and is now the default client recommended for consumer use. Previously Backup & Sync was recommended for consumer and Drive File Stream was only available for GSuite organizations.

Nextcloud also shipped its Virtual Drive.

Now all the main competition is using Virtual Drive as default. Usages are changing, you need to adapt you solution to new expectations ❤️🙏

[timh-86]

We definitely need this feature. I want to move away from Google Drive because it's buggy and well... it's Google.

But I need virtual drive for at least part of my cloud storage. If Mega does not deliver I'll reluctantly move to pCloud. ;(

[paulverbeke]

With the recent research paper regarding cryptography implementation problems on the MEGA platform (https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/06/mega-says-it-cant-decrypt-your-files-new-poc-exploit-shows-otherwise) I'd say they are currently working on something else 😅. And this feature is definitely not for 2022 🥲. I'll wager that Proton Drive will ship it's desktop app before this MEGA feature

[ZPNRG]

Yes, MEGA needs something like the OneDrive Files On-Demand or Dropbox Smart Sync feature where the user can see all the files that are in the MEGA cloud, but choose whether or not they are synced down to the PC (i.e. actually available locally / offline).

I haven't used Dropbox Smart Sync, but overall OneDrive Files On-Demand works quite well. I like the three (3) statuses Microsoft has implemented where files/folders are...

1) "Online-only files" (only stored in the cloud),

2) files are temporarily downloaded and available locally (offline), but then possibly deleted locally and made again "Online-only files", all depending on the user's Storage Sense settings, or

3) "Always available files" that are synced locally and in the cloud and remain locally available unless the user executes the "Free up space" option to make that file/folder "Online-only files".

MEGA could keep it simple and have only OneDrive's 1 and 3 statuses (see above) for files. They are either "Online-only files" or "Always available files", but either way, you can see all of the files/folders you have stored in the MEGA cloud whether or not they are synced locally and already downloaded.

I primarily use Windows, but this type of feature would be just as important for Mac users and I do sometimes use a Mac and I have family and friends that do too. In my experience of using MEGA, this missing capability is the biggest negative compared to OneDrive and Dropbox.

As a side note: MEGA also needs to join OneDrive and Dropbox in using "Block-Level Sync" so that files are split up into smaller pieces and if/when a change is made to a file, only the part that changed gets synced, removing the need to sync the whole file again. This is especially important with large files.

See https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/save-disk-space-with-onedrive-files-on-demand-for-windows-0e6860d3-d9f3-4971-b321-7092438fb38e for more details.

[boretom]

I'm a long time user of MEGA (free version though) and that requirement has now come up.

Wanting to avoid the other mentioned services it would be great to get that feature. Maybe we could get some words from @mattw-mega or someone else from MEGA if there's a chance that get's on the roadmap?

[paulverbeke]

Guess what ? I was right: Proton Drive shipped its Windows app in stable and macOS app in beta, both with on-demand sync, cached files, and auto free space after a set time. I don't see the Mega app with on-demand sync anywhere 🕵️‍♂️

[dentropy]

Thanks guys for this thread it answered my questions nicely, I expect it would be pretty simple to write a fuse file system using the mega CLI tools for someone with the right skills and background, might not be real time sync though. Also I wonder if rclone is relevant to this. Like if SSHFS can be a tho no why not MegaFS

[VictorQueiroz]

With the recent research paper regarding cryptography implementation problems on the MEGA platform (https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/06/mega-says-it-cant-decrypt-your-files-new-poc-exploit-shows-otherwise) I'd say they are currently working on something else 😅. And this feature is definitely not for 2022 🥲. I'll wager that Proton Drive will ship it's desktop app before this MEGA feature

It is also not for 2024. I was thinking of getting a subscription, but it seems so troublesome to achieve this. I'll wait for it to be available.

[ZPNRG]

I think I am going to go ahead and seriously try Sync.com. They have CloudFiles which is perhaps the best alternative to OneDrive Files On-Demand or Dropbox Smart Sync. Proton also offers something similar on Windows, though they are using Microsoft's OneDrive APIs, etc. to provide that.

[rautamiekka]

Sync.com.

Not an option cuz no Linux with a quick check of the download page.