Storage and sharing

Your files live on your computer, in your Home. They are not uploaded to a cloud you rent.

Where your files are

• Each account has its own private area, written as localhost://Users/.... localhost:// means “on this Home”.
• Library shows your files and folders. Documents opens and edits documents.
• On disk, everything is in the ElastOS data folder: ~/Library/Application Support/elastos on a Mac, ~/.local/share/elastos on Linux.

Named by content

When a file is shared or published, ElastOS names it by a CID, a content identifier made from the file’s bytes. A CID proves the bytes are the same. It does not say who may read the file. The Runtime checks that separately.

Sharing with contacts

• In Library, choose Share with contacts. Your contacts can get a file of up to 8 MiB while your Home is running.
• In Chat, Attach posts a link to a file in Community.
• Others must add you as a contact first. Homes take files only from their contacts.
• Your Home sends a file only to a computer that belongs to one of your accepted contacts.
• Files you receive are not passed on to others.
• When you stop sharing, new transfers stop at once. Bytes already sent cannot be recalled.

What changed in v2

• Files no longer use the public IPFS network. They travel only between Homes over Carrier.
• Copies of your files to your own other devices are not available yet.