mountpoint-s3

Mountpoint for Amazon S3 is a straightforward, high-throughput file client designed to mount an Amazon S3 bucket as a local file system. This enables applications to access objects stored in Amazon S3 through standard file operations like opening and reading files. The tool translates these operations into S3 object API calls, thereby leveraging the elastic storage and throughput capabilities of Amazon S3 through a familiar file interface.

Optimized for applications requiring high read throughput to large objects, Mountpoint is ideal for scenarios where multiple clients need to read large objects concurrently without downloading them first. It is also suited for applications that need to upload new objects sequentially from a single client. However, it is not suitable for applications requiring file operations that S3 does not natively support, such as directory renaming or symlinks, or for making edits to existing files.

Mountpoint for Amazon S3 does not implement all POSIX file system features, which may affect compatibility with some applications. Users can refer to the documentation for detailed descriptions of its behavior and POSIX support, as well as troubleshooting guidance for unsupported file operations.

The tool is generally available and actively developed, with future features tracked on a public roadmap. Users are encouraged to provide feedback via GitHub issues. The latest version, v1.8.0, addresses previous issues like intermittent read failures found in v1.4.0.

Installation is straightforward, with specific commands provided for Amazon Linux and Ubuntu. Users will need valid AWS credentials to access their S3 buckets, which can be configured through various methods including IAM roles and environment variables. Once installed, users can mount their S3 buckets and interact with them as if they were local file systems.

While primarily designed for Amazon S3, Mountpoint may work with other storage services that use S3-like APIs, though official support and guarantees are not provided for these use cases. Contributions to improve compatibility and performance are welcome, provided they can be tested against Amazon S3.

Mountpoint for Amazon S3 is licensed under the Apache-2.0 License and builds upon several open-source projects. Contributions and bug reports are welcomed, with specific guidelines provided for logging and performance testing. The project adheres to the Amazon Open Source Code of Conduct.