EtherMount v0.02

Windows application that mounts a remote VPS (via SFTP) as a native network drive in File Explorer.

Source code & documentation: https://github.com/Mike4947/Ether_Mount

Credential Security

Your VPS credentials are never stored in the source code or committed to Git. They are:

• Encrypted with Windows DPAPI (CryptProtectData)
• Stored in %APPDATA%\EtherMount\credentials.dat (outside the repo)
• Safe to commit your code — no secrets in the repository

Architecture (v0.02)

Pillar	Component	Description
Security	CredentialManager	DPAPI-encrypted storage of Host, Port, Username, Password in %APPDATA%/EtherMount/credentials.dat
GUI	MainWindow + TrayApplication + SettingsDialog	Main window with toolbar (Settings, Mount VPS, Unmount VPS, Exit); system tray; inline settings and documentation
VFS	EtherMountFS	WinFSP skeleton: mounts \\EtherMount\VPS as drive Z:; SFTP mapping in future versions

Requirements

• Windows 10/11
• C++17
• CMake 3.16+
• vcpkg (for libssh2, Qt6)
• WinFSP (install separately)

Dependencies

vcpkg (libssh2, Qt6)

vcpkg install

WinFSP

WinFSP is not in vcpkg. Install via:

winget install WinFsp.WinFsp

Or download from WinFSP releases. Choose the Developer option to install headers and libs.

Default install path: C:\Program Files (x86)\WinFsp. If different, set WINFSP_ROOT before configuring:

$env:WINFSP_ROOT = "C:\Path\To\WinFsp"

Building

cmake -B build -S . -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=$env:VCPKG_ROOT/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake
cmake --build build --config Release

Running

.\build\Release\EtherMount.exe

The app opens a main window with settings and documentation, plus a system tray icon for quick access.

Usage

1. Main window opens on startup with toolbar: Settings | Mount VPS | Unmount VPS | Exit
2. Enter Host/IP, Port (default 22), Username, Password in the settings form
3. Click Save credentials — encrypted with DPAPI and stored locally
4. Click Mount VPS — drive Z: appears (UNC: \\EtherMount\VPS)
5. Click Unmount VPS — drive is unmounted
6. Right-click tray icon for the same menu; double-click to restore the main window

Project Structure

EtherMount/
├── CMakeLists.txt
├── vcpkg.json
├── README.md
├── include/EtherMount/
│   ├── CredentialManager.hpp   # Pillar 1: Secure credential storage
│   ├── SftpClient.hpp          # libssh2 SFTP client (from v0.01)
│   ├── MainWindow.hpp          # Pillar 2: Main window (toolbar, settings, docs)
│   ├── SettingsDialog.hpp     # Pillar 2: Qt Settings dialog
│   ├── TrayApplication.hpp     # Pillar 2: System tray + menu
│   └── EtherMountFS.hpp        # Pillar 3: WinFSP launcher
└── src/
    ├── main.cpp                # Entry point, wires all pillars
    ├── CredentialManager.cpp
    ├── SftpClient.cpp
    ├── SettingsDialog.cpp
    ├── MainWindow.cpp
    ├── TrayApplication.cpp
    └── EtherMountFS.cpp

How the Three Pillars Wire Together

main.cpp
    |
    v
TrayApplication (QApplication)
    |
    +-- CredentialManager
    |       save()  -> CryptProtectData -> %APPDATA%/EtherMount/credentials.dat
    |       load()  -> CryptUnprotectData -> VpsCredentials
    |
    +-- SettingsDialog
    |       loadFromStorage() -> CredentialManager::load()
    |       saveToStorage()   -> CredentialManager::save()
    |
    +-- EtherMountFS
    |       mount(creds)   -> FspLoad, FspFileSystemCreate, SetMountPoint(Z:), StartDispatcher
    |       unmount()      -> FspFileSystemStopDispatcher, FspFileSystemDelete
    |
    +-- Tray menu actions
            Settings   -> show SettingsDialog
            Mount VPS  -> credentialManager_.load() -> fileSystem_->mount(creds)
            Unmount VPS-> fileSystem_->unmount()
            Exit       -> unmount if needed, quit()

v0.02 Limitations

• EtherMountFS is a skeleton: Z: mounts and shows an empty root. SFTP read/write is not yet implemented.
• Credentials are stored per-user (DPAPI user context).
• Single mount point (Z:) — configurable drive letter in future.

Next Steps (Future Versions)

• Map WinFSP operations (Read, Write, ReadDirectory, etc.) to SftpClient
• Configurable drive letter
• Optional key-based authentication