mount-my-bucket

gistfile1.txt

Below is a concise, step-by-step recap of the process we followed to set up a Google Cloud Storage (GCS) bucket to be mounted in Finder on a Mac using gcsfuse, make it persist across reboots with a Launch Agent, pin it to the Finder sidebar, and add mountgcp and unmountgcp aliases as fallbacks. These instructions are designed to be shared with a friend who wants to replicate the setup. They assume a macOS environment with Homebrew installed and a Google Cloud Platform (GCP) project. The instructions include troubleshooting tips and notes for reliability.

Step-by-Step Guide to Mount a Google Cloud Storage Bucket in Finder on macOS
This guide shows you how to mount a Google Cloud Storage (GCS) bucket in Finder on a Mac, make it auto-mount at login, pin it to the Finder sidebar, and add terminal aliases for manual mounting/unmounting. It uses gcsfuse with macFUSE and assumes you’re starting from scratch.
Prerequisites
	•	macOS with Homebrew installed (brew command available).
	•	A Google Cloud Platform (GCP) project with billing enabled.
	•	Basic terminal knowledge.
	•	Admin access to allow kernel extensions.
Step 1: Set Up Google Cloud Platform
	1	Create a GCP Project:
	◦	Go to Google Cloud Console.
	◦	Create a new project (e.g., “Automations”).
	◦	Note the project ID.
	2	Create a GCS Bucket:
	◦	In the GCP Console, navigate to Cloud Storage > Buckets.
	◦	Click Create Bucket.
	◦	Configure:
	▪	Name: Choose a globally unique name (e.g., my-youtube-videos-2025).
	▪	Location: Select a region (e.g., us-central1) or multi-region.
	▪	Storage Class: Use Standard.
	▪	Access Control: Select Uniform.
	◦	Click Create.
	◦	Note the bucket name exactly (case-sensitive).
	3	Create a Service Account:
	◦	Go to IAM & Admin > Service Accounts.
	◦	Click Create Service Account.
	◦	Name: gcsfuse-automation, Description: “For mounting GCS bucket”.
	◦	Grant the role Storage Admin (or Storage Object Admin for minimal access).
	◦	Click Done.
	◦	In the Service Accounts list, click the new account, go to Keys tab, and create a JSON key.
	◦	Download the key file (e.g., project-id-123456.json).
	◦	Move it to a secure location:
mkdir -p ~/.gcp
	◦	mv ~/Downloads/project-id-123456.json ~/.gcp/gcsfuse-key.json
	◦	chmod 600 ~/.gcp/gcsfuse-key.json
	◦	
	4	Install Google Cloud CLI (for testing):
	◦	Run:
brew install google-cloud-sdk
	◦	gcloud init
	◦	
	◦	Follow prompts to authenticate with your GCP project.
Step 2: Install Dependencies
	1	Install macFUSE:
	◦	Install macFUSE to enable file system mounting:
brew install --cask macfuse
	◦	
	◦	If prompted, go to System Settings > Security & Privacy and Allow the kernel extension.
	◦	Restart if required.
	2	Install Go:
	◦	gcsfuse requires Go to build from source:
brew install go
	◦	go version
	◦	
	3	Install gcsfuse:
	◦	Install gcsfuse to ~/code/go/bin (or adjust based on your GOPATH):
go install github.com/googlecloudplatform/gcsfuse@latest
	◦	
	◦	Verify:
ls -l ~/code/go/bin/gcsfuse
	◦	
Should show an executable (e.g., -rwxr-xr-x ... gcsfuse).
	◦	If your GOPATH is different, check go env GOPATH and look in /bin.
Step 3: Create Mount Script
	1	Create the Mount Script:
	◦	Create ~/mount-gcs.sh to mount the bucket:
nano ~/mount-gcs.sh
	◦	
	◦	Add:
#!/bin/bash
	◦	# Set PATH to include Go binaries
	◦	export PATH="/Users//code/go/bin:/opt/homebrew/bin:/usr/local/bin:$PATH"
	◦	export GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS="$HOME/.gcp/gcsfuse-key.json"
	◦	# Log PATH and gcsfuse location for debugging
	◦	echo "PATH is: $PATH" >> ~/gcsfuse.log
	◦	which gcsfuse >> ~/gcsfuse.log 2>&1
	◦	# Wait for network connectivity
	◦	sleep 10
	◦	# Ensure mount point exists
	◦	mkdir -p ~/gcs-bucket
	◦	# Unmount any stale mounts
	◦	umount ~/gcs-bucket 2>/dev/null || diskutil unmount ~/gcs-bucket 2>/dev/null || true
	◦	# Mount the bucket
	◦	gcsfuse --implicit-dirs my-youtube-videos-2025 ~/gcs-bucket >> ~/gcsfuse.log 2>&1
	◦	
	◦	Replace with your macOS username (whoami).
	◦	Replace my-youtube-videos-2025 with your bucket name.
	◦	Save and exit.
	◦	Make executable:
chmod +x ~/mount-gcs.sh
	◦	
	2	Test the Script:
	◦	Run:
bash ~/mount-gcs.sh
	◦	
	◦	Check if mounted:
ls ~/gcs-bucket
	◦	
	◦	Open in Finder:
open ~/gcs-bucket
	◦	
	◦	Check log for errors:
cat ~/gcsfuse.log
	◦	
Step 4: Set Up Auto-Mounting with Launch Agent
	1	Create Launch Agent:
	◦	Create ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.user.mountgcs.plist:
nano ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.user.mountgcs.plist
	◦	
	◦	Add:
	◦	
	◦	
	◦	
	◦	    Label
	◦	    com.user.mountgcs
	◦	    ProgramArguments
	◦	    
	◦	        /bin/bash
	◦	        /Users//mount-gcs.sh
	◦	    
	◦	    RunAtLoad
	◦	    
	◦	    KeepAlive
	◦	    
	◦	    StandardOutPath
	◦	    /Users//gcsfuse.log
	◦	    StandardErrorPath
	◦	    /Users//gcsfuse.log
	◦	
	◦	
	◦	
	◦	Replace with your username.
	◦	Save and exit.
	2	Load Launch Agent:
	◦	Load the Launch Agent:
launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.user.mountgcs.plist
	◦	
	◦	Verify it’s running:
launchctl list | grep com.user.mountgcs
	◦	
	◦	Check if mounted:
ls ~/gcs-bucket
	◦	
Step 5: Add Finder Sidebar
	1	Pin to Sidebar:
	◦	Run the mount script if not mounted:
bash ~/mount-gcs.sh
	◦	
	◦	In Finder, navigate to ~/gcs-bucket.
	◦	Right-click and select Add to Sidebar (or drag to Favorites).
	◦	Test clicking the sidebar link.
Step 6: Add `mountgcp` and `unmountgcp` Aliases
	1	Edit .zshrc:
	◦	Open:
nano ~/.zshrc
	◦	
	◦	Find the Aliases - Common section (or add at the end):
# GCP Bucket Mounting
	◦	alias mountgcp='bash ~/mount-gcs.sh'
	◦	alias unmountgcp='umount ~/gcs-bucket 2>/dev/null || diskutil unmount ~/gcs-bucket 2>/dev/null || true'
	◦	
	◦	Save and exit.
	◦	Apply:
source ~/.zshrc
	◦	
	2	Test Aliases:
	◦	Mount:
mountgcp
	◦	ls ~/gcs-bucket
	◦	
	◦	Unmount:
unmountgcp
	◦	ls ~/gcs-bucket
	◦	
Step 7: Test with Restart
	1	Restart Mac:
sudo shutdown -r now
	2	
	3	Verify:
	◦	Check if mounted:
ls ~/gcs-bucket
	◦	
	◦	Click the Finder sidebar link.
	◦	Check log:
cat ~/gcsfuse.log
	◦	
	4	Fallback:
	◦	If not mounted, use:
mountgcp
	◦	
Troubleshooting
	•	gcsfuse: command not found:
	◦	Check log: cat ~/gcsfuse.log.
	◦	If gcsfuse isn’t found, modify ~/mount-gcs.sh to use the full path:
/Users//code/go/bin/gcsfuse --implicit-dirs my-youtube-videos-2025 ~/gcs-bucket >> ~/gcsfuse.log 2>&1
	◦	
Reload Launch Agent:
launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.user.mountgcs.plist
	◦	launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.user.mountgcs.plist
	◦	
	•	macFUSE Issues:
	◦	Verify:
kextstat | grep macfuse
	◦	
Reinstall:
brew reinstall --cask macfuse
	◦	
	•	Bucket Access:
	◦	Test:
gsutil ls gs://my-youtube-videos-2025
	◦	
Check service account permissions.
	•	Network Delay:
	◦	Increase sleep 10 to sleep 20 in ~/mount-gcs.sh.
Notes
	•	Performance: gcsfuse on macOS isn’t officially supported and may have latency. Test with your files (e.g., YouTube videos).
	•	Alternatives: For better Finder integration, consider CloudMounter or ExpanDrive (paid).
	•	Automation: To trigger actions when files are added, use:
fswatch -o ~/gcs-bucket | while read f; do /path/to/your/script.sh; done
	•	
Or use GCP Cloud Functions for bucket events.

Sharing Tips
	•	Replace and my-youtube-videos-2025 with your friend’s username and bucket name.
	•	Ensure they have Homebrew and a GCP account.
	•	If they don’t use zsh, adjust .zshrc references to .bashrc or equivalent.
	•	Encourage them to check ~/gcsfuse.log for errors and share if they need help.
Let me know if you need a specific part clarified or additional details for your friend!