Crossmeta FUSE for Windows
Crossmeta FUSE (Filesystem in Userspace) is the easiest way to port your favorite FUSE programs to Windows. It is a set of kernel-mode and user mode software that works with Crossmeta Kernel. The project home page is https://crossmeta.io
POSIX File system semantics are provided by 
This means symbolic links, hardlinks, mount, etc are available readily for easy integration with your FUSE program.
Multi-threaded FUSE DLL in userspace
Hides all the complexity of interfacing with kernel-mode driver interface and provides both the popular APIs
- Fuse high-level, synchronous API
- Fuse low-level, asynchronous API.
Fuse mounts are managed in NT kernel namespace and is available to all Windows applications.
Examples
FUSE comes with following examples. hello.c The "Hello World" sample FUSE program shows uses the high-level API by including fuse.h. It shows how easy it is to get started. Only changes required was manual initialization, since MSVC is compiler being used here. If using MinGW cross compile environment with gcc the following is not applicable.
static struct fuse_operations hello_oper = {
.getattr = hello_getattr,
.readdir = hello_readdir,
.open = hello_open,
.read = hello_read,
};
Changed to
hello_oper.getattr = hello_getattr;
hello_oper.readdir = hello_readdir;
hello_oper.open = hello_open;
hello_oper.read = hello_read;
hello_ll.c
The same "Hello World" program using the FUSE Low level API by including fuse_lowlevel.h. Once again only changes required was the manual initialzation of fuse_operations structure.
Updated Build information from Blog
Build Environments
Uses standard Microsoft DDK Build environment that comes with compiler and necessary header files. No need to install Visual Studio Compiler. The most convenient way is to use the Microsoft DDK build environment.
Install Microsoft DDK 7.1 and start command shell with DDK build environment set to i386.
git clone https://github.com/crossmeta/cxfuse.git
set BUILD_ALLOW_COMPILER_WARNINGS=1
set VFS_LIB_PATH=c:\users\<user-name>\cxfuse\lib\w2f\free\*
set VFS_LIB_TARGET=c:\users\<user-name>\cxfuse\lib\w2f\free
cd cxfuse\hello
build -cz
Installation
- Download [Crossmeta 2.0] (https://github.com/crossmeta/cxfuse/releases/latest)
- Extract crossmeta-fuse_2_0_1.zip to %TEMP\temp\crossmeta
- Launch elevated cmd prompt (Administrator) console
- cd %TEMP%\crossmeta
- Run setup.exe Follow instructions to install Crossmeta Release 2.0 software.
No reboot required
Check Crossmeta kernel is up and running
cd c:\program files\crossmeta
service_crossmeta status
cxvfs is RUNNING
cxfuse is STOPPED
cxnfs is STOPPED
cxhfs is STOPPED
cxvfsmgr is RUNNING
Start cxfuse service
C:\Program Files\crossmeta>net start cxfuse
The CROSSMETA FUSE kernel mode driver service was started successfully.
Run hello.exe with mount point in the Crossmeta namespace, which is any directory in V:\ drive
C:\Program Files\crossmeta>busybox.exe ls /
bin cachefs etc lib lost+found proc sbin tmp var dev home
lib64 mnt root testdir usr
copy C:\user\user\cxfuse\lib\w2k\free\i386\hello.exe
C:\Program Files\crossmeta>hello.exe /mnt
Sorry run in background not supported.
From another command window
V:\>cd \mnt
V:\mnt>dir
Volume in drive V is vfsroot
Volume Serial Number is 0122-B5C1
Directory of V:\mnt
12/31/1969 05:00 PM <DIR> .
12/31/1969 05:00 PM <DIR> ..
12/31/1969 05:00 PM 13 hello
1 File(s) 13 bytes
2 Dir(s) 5,242,880 bytes free
V:\mnt>type hello
Hello World!
V:\mnt>
To stop the FUSE program, just issue umount /mnt
Crossmeta BusyBox v0.60.5 (2017.03.23-21:18+0000) Built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands.
sh: can't access tty; job control turned off
# umount /mnt
#
Summary
With Crossmeta FUSE for Windows, it is not only easy to port FUSE programs but also the fastest with no or minimal changes required to your existing FUSE program. Also the Crossmeta kernel provides the necessary POSIX APIs without dependency on yet another software package.