> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://aspect.inc/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Mount projects

> Mount an Aspect project or folder, open files on demand, save changes, and check background uploads before unmounting.

A mount makes an Aspect project available as a local volume. Editing applications, file managers, and command-line tools can open files through that volume while Aspect retrieves data on demand.

Mounting requires access to the project and your operating system's [mounting prerequisites](/docs/cli/installation#supported-platforms).

## Mount a project or folder

```bash theme={null}
aspect mount "aspect://Acme/Documentary"
```

To mount only one folder and give the volume a clear name:

```bash theme={null}
aspect mount "aspect://Acme/Documentary/Footage" --name Documentary-Footage
```

The result reports the volume name, mount point, and status. `aspect mount --json` includes `name`, `mountPoint`, and `status`; use the actual mount point returned on your operating system rather than assuming a fixed location.

You can mount a project or directory. A workspace or individual file cannot be mounted. `--name` names the volume; it is not a custom filesystem path.

## Open and edit files

Open the returned mount point in Finder, File Explorer, or your Linux file manager, or select it in an application's file picker. File reads use local cached data when available and retrieve missing content from Aspect. A mount therefore uses local disk space as you work, without requiring a complete project download first.

When you have permission to write, save files into the volume as you would on another drive. You can also rename or move files within the mounted volume using your file manager or normal filesystem tools. These changes affect the project in Aspect.

Writes first land locally and are uploaded in the background after the application's writable file handles close. A completed save dialog is not a confirmation that the file is already uploaded. Other people's changes can arrive through the mounted project too; coordinate edits to the same file because simultaneous writes are not automatically merged.

For independent local copies, use [download](/docs/cli/downloads). For a large explicit upload with a transfer ID, use [upload](/docs/cli/uploads).

## Check the mount

```bash theme={null}
aspect status
aspect daemon status
```

`status` provides an overview of the filesystem service, mounts, pin synchronization, and CLI transfers. Use [Troubleshooting](/docs/cli/troubleshooting) if a mount remains in a starting or error state.

## Finish work and unmount

1. Close files or applications that are writing into the volume.
2. Run `aspect daemon status --json`. Check that `writeBackDrained` is `true` **and** `writeSyncSummary.failureCount` is `0`, with no mount errors. A drained queue alone does not rule out failed uploads. If these fields are missing, upload completion is unknown; keep Aspect running and investigate before disconnecting or shutting down.
3. Unmount by volume name or Aspect URL:

```bash theme={null}
aspect unmount Documentary-Footage
```

```bash theme={null}
aspect unmount "aspect://Acme/Documentary/Footage"
```

`aspect transfer wait` waits for a detached CLI transfer, not the writes made by applications through this mount. A shell `sync` command is also not a confirmation that cloud uploads have completed.

## The background service

The filesystem service keeps a mount available after the `mount` command exits. With a signed-in desktop app, the app owns that service. With a standalone CLI installation, commands start it when needed.

The service remembers mounts and restores them when it next starts for the same account. Explicitly unmounting removes that remembered mount. This does not install a Linux service that starts automatically at login; the CLI has no `daemon install` command.

When the desktop app owns the service, manage it through the app. `aspect daemon start`, `stop`, and `restart` return `daemon_owned_by_desktop` in that state.

For offline preparation, [pin files while online](/docs/cli/cache-and-offline) and keep the mount available before disconnecting.