gvfsd

gvfsd [--spawner] [--replace[=PID]] [--stay-alive] [--version] [--help]

--spawner
    Run as spawner; listens for FUSE mount requests from gvfsd-fuse.

--replace[=PID]
    Replace running daemon; PID optional (defaults to current daemon's PID).

--stay-alive
    Do not exit when gvfs processes end; useful for debugging.

--version
    Print version information and exit.

--help
    Show full help options and exit.

gvfsd is the core daemon for GVFS (GNOME Virtual File System), a userspace virtual filesystem providing access to remote and special filesystems like ftp://, smb://, webdav://, trash://, and Google Drive. It uses D-Bus for communication and integrates with FUSE for mounting in the user namespace.

Typically activated automatically via D-Bus when apps like Nautilus or gio need it, gvfsd manages backends for authentication, caching, thumbnails, and operations. It ensures secure, sandboxed access without root privileges. Multiple instances run per user: a main daemon, spawner for FUSE, and per-mount daemons.

Users rarely run it directly; it's spawned by gvfsd-fuse or D-Bus. Supports extensibility via plugins.

Not intended for direct user invocation; relies on D-Bus activation. Running manually may conflict with sessions. Requires GVFS packages installed.

Activated via org.gtk.vfs.Daemon; main interface at /org/gtk/vfs/mounts.

Includes smb, ftp, davs, archive, burn; extendable via plugins in /usr/lib/gvfs/.

Introduced in GVFS with GNOME 2.15 (2007). Evolved for modern desktops; now supports flatpak portals and cloud storage in GNOME 40+.

gvfs(1), gio(1), gvfs-fuse(1), fusermount(1), dbus-daemon(1)