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Every access path flows through the same storage layer: atomic write → git commit → search index → SSE broadcast.

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Quick comparison

ProtocolPortBest for
REST3333Web UI, curl, CI scripts
MCPstdio or 8181Claude, Cursor, custom agents
NFS2049Docker / Kubernetes mounts
S33334Backup tools, ETL, S3-compatible clients
WebDAV3335Desktop sync, mapped drives
FUSE—Developer workstation remote mount

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Enable on serve

kiwifs serve --root ./knowledge \
  --nfs --nfs-allow 10.0.0.0/8 \
  --s3 \
  --webdav
Mount from Linux or Kubernetes:
sudo mount -t nfs -o vers=3 localhost:/ /mnt/kiwi
Agents use normal shell tools:
cat /mnt/kiwi/pages/auth.md
grep -r "timeout" /mnt/kiwi/
echo "# Note" >> /mnt/kiwi/episodes/session.md
NFS supports symlinks, open-then-delete semantics, and advisory locks. Internal dirs (.git, .kiwi) are hidden from listings.
Restrict access with --nfs-allow <CIDR> in production.
Point any S3 client at http://localhost:3334:
aws s3 sync s3://knowledge/ /backup/ --endpoint-url http://localhost:3334
Useful for aws s3 sync backups or S3-compatible ETL pipelines.
Connect from macOS Finder → Connect to Server or Windows mapped drive:
http://localhost:3335/
WebDAV uses buffered writes with spill-to-disk for large uploads.
Mount a remote KiwiFS as a local folder:
kiwifs mount --remote http://host:3333 --mountpoint ~/kiwi-mount
Optional auth:
export KIWIFS_API_KEY=my-secret
kiwifs mount --remote http://host:3333 --mountpoint ~/kiwi-mount
FUSE reports sub-second mtime and supports symlinks. mmap is not available (HTTP-backed I/O).

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POSIX semantics

Access pathPOSIX level
Local knowledge rootFull
NFS mountNear-full
FUSE mountNear-full (no mmap)
WebDAVPartial
REST / S3 / MCPHTTP or tool semantics
See POSIX guide for the full matrix.
Run alternate protocol ports behind a firewall in production. NFS, S3, and WebDAV endpoints are sensitive network surfaces.

Agent interface

Protocol overview.

CLI serve flags

Full kiwifs serve reference.

POSIX

Compliance details.

Real-time events

SSE broadcast.
Last modified on May 23, 2026