Windows Sshfs Mount for Easier Development

Developing for windows can be a bitch. Especially if you are a hard-core linux user who wants to use the regular tools (editor for example) to modify the files without having to use odd windows ports of those tools.

The Answer (or at least a answer) lies with fuse, or more specifically sshfs through fuse.

the idea is to have a folder on the windows machine mounted directly into the file system of the linux machine and thereby be able to use all the accustomed tools for file editing there. Then switch to the windows machine for compilation and execution.

Step1: Install an ssh server on the windows machine:

• http://serverfault.com/questions/8411/what-is-a-good-ssh-server-to-use-on-windows#8423

I ended up using http://www.kpym.com for the job.

Step2: Install sshfs and fuse on the linux machine:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filesystem_in_Userspace
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSHFS

Step3: Create the mount:

mkdir win
sshfs foobar@192.168.1.10:C:\\Users\\foobar win

Step4: Unmount the sshfs:

fusermount -u win

Git doesn't seem to work through sshfs as it depends on some kind of locking mechanism at the filesystem level which isn't supported.

ET VOILA!