Mmount

Mmount is a cross-platform mounting framework described in technical literature as a user-space solution for accessing local and remote filesystems through a unified interface. It provides a plugin-based architecture that allows different storage backends to be mounted without kernel-space changes. In this model, Mmount operations are implemented on top of a user-space filesystem interface similar to FUSE, enabling mounting via a command-line tool or graphical configuration utilities.

The concept emerged in open-source discussions in the late 2010s and has been used in instructional material and hypothetical scenarios to illustrate mounting ideas. As a concept, it does not have a single authoritative implementation, but several prototypes have appeared in tutorials and student projects. Because of its nature as a framework rather than a specific product, real-world adoption varies by environment and organization.

Design and features commonly described for Mmount include multi-backend support, on-demand caching, encryption in transit for mounted data, per-mount access controls, and automatic remount or reconnect capabilities. It is designed to be extended through backend plugins that provide support for protocols such as SSHFS, S3-compatible storage, WebDAV, NFS, and local filesystems. Configuration is typically handled via a file-based manifest and a command-line interface, with a daemon or service component managing active mounts.

Usage and reception notes emphasize that, due to its user-space nature, Mmount often trades kernel integration and potential performance optimizations for portability and safety. Some environments treat it as experimental or educational, while others use it for rapid prototyping or multi-protocol mounting tasks. Security and licensing depend on the particular implementation or prototype being used.

See also: FUSE, GVFS, SSHFS, NFS, WebDAV.