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@@ -1,14 +1,63 @@
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-# Galactic File System
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+# GFS - the Galactic File System
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-Modules
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+The Galactic File System (GFS) is a distributed file system that seeks to
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+connect all computing devices with the same system of files. In some ways,
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+this is similar to the original aims of the Web, but GFS is actually more
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+similar to a single bittorrent swarm exchanging files.
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-- go-kademlia
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-- go-coral
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-- go-trader
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+A note on the name: the original GFS acronym stood for the Global File System.
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+But that exact name is already [taken](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GFS2).
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+So I switched Global for Galactic, in an homage to Licklider's
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+[Intergalactic Computer Network](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intergalactic_Computer_Network),
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+and because peer-to-peer systems look like galaxies to me.
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-BitFlow to implement:
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+## Features
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+
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+GFS is modular:
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+- uses a DHT (kademlia)
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+- uses a path-based naming service
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+- uses file chunking
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+- uses bittorrent-inspired peer-to-peer block exchanges
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+
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+GFS is a filesystem:
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+- has directories and files
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+- mountable filesystem (via FUSE)
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+
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+GFS uses crypto:
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+- cryptographic-hash content addressing
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+- file deduplication
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+- file versioning
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+- filesystem-level encryption + signing support
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+
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+GFS is p2p:
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+- worldwide peer-to-peer file transfers
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+- completely decentralized architecture
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+- **no** central point of failure
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+
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+GFS is a cdn:
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+- add a file to the filesystem locally, and it's now available to the world
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+- caching-friendly (content-hash naming)
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+- bittorrent-based bandwidth distribution
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+
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+GFS is a web:
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+- can be used to view documents like the web
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+- files accessible via HTTP at `http://gfs.io/<path>`
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+- browsers or extensions can learn to use `gfs://` directly
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+- hash-addressed content guarantees authenticity
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+
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+## Design
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+
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+See the [paper](https://github.com/jbenet/gfs/raw/master/paper/gfs.pdf).
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+
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+Submodules
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+
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+- kademlia
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+- coral
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+- bitswap
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+
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+BitSwap to implement:
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- PropShare
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-- BEP0026-
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+- BEP0026
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- BEP0040
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- BEP0042
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Juan Batiz-Benet