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ipfs/kubo

★ 17,018GoAudience · developerComplexity · 3/5Setup · moderate

TLDR

Kubo is the original and most-used way to run an IPFS node, software that lets your machine store and share files on a peer-to-peer network where files are found by content rather than location.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((Kubo IPFS))
    What it does
      Run an IPFS node
      Content-addressed storage
      Peer-to-peer sharing
    Key features
      CLI tool
      HTTP gateway
      RPC API
      Web UI
    How to use
      ipfs add a file
      ipfs cat by CID
      Mount as filesystem
    Tech stack
      Go
      Docker
      DHT network
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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Run your own IPFS node to publish files and retrieve them anywhere on the network by their content identifier (CID).

USE CASE 2

Host a public HTTP gateway so web browsers can access IPFS content without installing software.

USE CASE 3

Build a decentralized app that stores user uploads on IPFS instead of a central server using the HTTP RPC API.

USE CASE 4

Mount IPFS as a local filesystem folder and read content-addressed files like regular directories.

Tech stack

GoDockerIPFSlibp2p

Getting it running

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Requires at least 6 GB RAM and 2 CPU cores, initial peer discovery and DHT sync can take several minutes after startup.

License information is not mentioned in the repository description.

In plain English

Kubo is an implementation of IPFS, written in the Go programming language. IPFS, short for InterPlanetary File System, is a network for storing and sharing files between many computers in a peer-to-peer way, similar in spirit to how torrents move data between users rather than from one central server. Instead of asking for a file by where it lives, you ask for it by what it is, using a content identifier called a CID. The README notes Kubo was the first IPFS implementation and is the most widely used one today. When you run Kubo, it starts an IPFS node as a network service on your machine. The node finds other nodes on your local network through mDNS and across the internet through a distributed lookup system called the Amino DHT. The README highlights features including a command-line tool called ipfs, a web UI for managing the node, an HTTP gateway that lets browsers fetch IPFS content, an HTTP RPC API for controlling the daemon, an HTTP Routing V1 client and server for delegated routing, experimental FUSE mounts that expose /ipfs, /ipns and /mfs as local filesystems, and content blocking for public operators. A Quick Taste section shows the workflow: ipfs init creates an identity, ipfs daemon starts the node, ipfs add stores a file and returns its CID, and ipfs cat fetches data back by that CID. You would use Kubo when you want to run your own IPFS node to publish or retrieve content-addressed data, host a public gateway, or build software on top. It runs on most Linux, macOS, and Windows systems and is installable as prebuilt binaries, Docker images, community packages, or built from source, at least 6 GB of RAM and 2 CPU cores are recommended.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
I have Kubo installed. Walk me through adding a file with ipfs add, getting its CID, and fetching it on a second machine with ipfs cat.
Prompt 2
How do I set up a Kubo IPFS HTTP gateway on my VPS so browsers can access IPFS content via my domain?
Prompt 3
I want to build a web app that stores user uploads on IPFS using Kubo's HTTP RPC API. Show me the API calls for adding and retrieving files.
Prompt 4
What Kubo configuration settings should I tune for a public-facing IPFS node with 6 GB RAM on a Linux VPS?
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