https://github.com/roobie/casq
casq is a content-addressed file store (CAS) - a minimal, single-binary system for storing and retrieving files and directories by their cryptographic hash. Think "minimal git object store / restic backend" but generic and simple.
https://github.com/roobie/casq
backup blake3 cli content-addressable-storage devops file-system hashing library rust simple snapshot
Last synced: 5 months ago
JSON representation
casq is a content-addressed file store (CAS) - a minimal, single-binary system for storing and retrieving files and directories by their cryptographic hash. Think "minimal git object store / restic backend" but generic and simple.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/roobie/casq
- Owner: roobie
- License: apache-2.0
- Created: 2026-01-22T00:04:53.000Z (5 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-01-23T14:18:07.000Z (5 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-01-23T14:22:49.545Z (5 months ago)
- Topics: backup, blake3, cli, content-addressable-storage, devops, file-system, hashing, library, rust, simple, snapshot
- Language: Rust
- Homepage:
- Size: 525 KB
- Stars: 0
- Watchers: 1
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# `casq`
**A local content-addressed file store with compression and chunking.**
This is **Alpha** level software.
`casq` is a single-binary tool for storing files and directories by their cryptographic hash. Think of it as a lightweight git object store or restic backend—but simpler, local-only, and purpose-built for content-addressed storage with modern efficiency features.
**Why `casq`?**
- **Automatic deduplication** - Identical content stored only once, even across different directories
- **Content-defined chunking** - Incremental backups with FastCDC v2020 (files ≥ 1MB split into variable chunks, 60-80% reuse after edits)
- **Transparent compression** - 3-5x storage reduction with zstd (files ≥ 4KB automatically compressed)
- **Content addressing** - Files identified by cryptographic hash, not by path (however, custom references are supported)
- **Garbage collection** - Reclaim space from unreferenced objects with mark & sweep
- **Simple & fast** - No databases, no network, just files on disk with BLAKE3 hashing
- **Embeddable** - Rust library (`casq_core`) + CLI binary, easily integrated into your tools
## Representative CLI example
```bash
# Use an environment variable to set the root. It is also possible to use --root/-R per invocation. Defaults to current working directory.
export CASQ_ROOT="/var/my-casq"
# Initialize the casq root - echoes the full path to the root directory.
casq initialize #>/var/my-casq
# Put a file system tree into the casq with a custom reference - echoes the hash
casq put /some/tree --reference tree@1 #>d856ec8e03cce04358fbd6a5135823574dea4de9ae6a6f511e3c060f33d144d4
# Put a blob into the casq with a custom reference via piping - echoes the hash
casq put --reference "big-blob@$(date -I)" - < curl https://big-blob.wherever #>d856ec8e03cce04358fbd6a5135823574dea4de9ae6a6f511e3c060f33d144d4
# Put a blob into the casq with a custom reference via piping - echoes the hash
curl https://example.org | casq put --reference "example.org@$(date +%s)" - #>454499efc25b742a1eaa37e1b2ec934638b05cef87b036235c087d54ee5dde59
# Get metadata about an object:
casq metadata tree@1 --json #>
#{
# "success": true,
# "result_code": 0,
# "type": "Tree",
# "hash": "d856ec8e03cce04358fbd6a5135823574dea4de9ae6a6f511e3c060f33d144d4",
# "entry_count": 1,
# "path": "./casq-store/objects/blake3-256/d8/56ec8e03cce04358fbd6a5135823574dea4de9ae6a6f511e3c060f33d144d4"
#}
# List the children of tree
casq list tree@1 #>file1\nfile2 etc
casq list --long tree@1 #>(listing of tree's children with most metadata)
# Read a blob and pipe it through less
casq get be616640346d71f639f55014a17229a8e6ab7d164b44a702d1c04da0d4bd48e3 | less
# List all references
casq references list
# Add a reference; key => value: casq references add REFERENCE HASH
casq references add my-custom-ref be616640346d71f639f55014a17229a8e6ab7d164b44a702d1c04da0d4bd48e3
# So now we can `get` it by ref
casq get my-custom-ref | less
# Remove the reference: casq references remove REFERENCE
casq references remove my-custom-ref
# Shows all objects that are unreferenced
casq find-orphans #>...
# Show all unreferenced data that would be deleted
casq collect-garbage --dry-run
# Deletes all unreferenced data
casq collect-garbage
```
So, general usage pattern:
1. `initialize`
2. `put` (with --reference)
3. read: `metadata`, `get`, `list`
4. manage references: `references add/list/remove` and `find-orphans`
5. `collect-garbage`
## License
Free, and open-source
> Apache-2.0