Potential feature list

• File tracker interface (GUI, TUI, and CLI?), ability to mark and unmark files for syncing (much like VCS, but without the history)
  • Nautilus plugin
    • Automatic folder organization?
    • Camera imports
  • Music tags, folder heirarchy
  • Tracked file metadata VCS? (using git object-store or sqlite)
• Control and consistency of UNIX permissions
• Transparent encryption/decryption
  • Encfs/Fuse?
  • Password-protected folders, integrated with PAM, integrated with password managers like pass?
• Rsync-able files, block encryption on said files compatible with rsync protocol
• P2P, a la btsync ?
• Incremented, compressed backups on server or external drive; automatic when plugged in or connected
• Automatic handling of command aliases and shell idiosynrasies on incompatible systems
• Track private-key/password -> service mappings, panic button to archive all private-keys/passwords, create new ones, and update services

Existing technologies

• csync
  • Client-only sync using sftp/smb
  • "Floating home directory"
  • PAM integration
  • Development has stalled, may have moved to ownCloud?
• ownCloud
  • Client/server architecture
• btsync
  • Proprietary
  • Torrent-based file transfer, unique key is stored in the DHT meaning all synced clients are publicly linked
• duplicity
• Dropbox
  • Proprietary
  • No control over hosting or server-side encryption
• git-annex
• Seahorse

Research and Links

• Keeping private GPG keys safe
• Linux-PAM application dev's guide
• PAM bindings for Go
• libev
• Git object store
• User-mode NFS for Linux