Google launches Upspin open source project for simple file sharing

Google engineers have started the open source project Upspin. Their goal is to create a mechanism that makes it easy for consumers to make files available to each other. File names start with an email address.

Upspin resembles a file system, but consists of a set of interfaces, protocols and components with which an information management system can be built, the makers describe. “It’s not an app or web service, but a layer or infrastructure that other software or services can use to facilitate secure access and file sharing,” they said.

Users can name files starting with their email address, followed by a Unix-like slash-delimited location, such as ann@example.com/dir/file. Then, authorized users can access the files with Upspin services, through a fuse file system.

Access to dynamic files is also possible, as well as sharing entire folders, by placing an Access file with the granted rights. Connections are encrypted end-to-end. According to the engineers, the open source project is still in its early stages and is not intended to become a Google product.