modbender SurrealFS -- Virtual Filesystem for AI Agents
SurrealFS provides a persistent, queryable virtual filesystem backed by SurrealDB. Designed for AI agents that need durable file operations, hierarchical storage, and content search across sessions.
Components
| Component | Crate/Package | Language | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Library | surrealfs |
Rust | Filesystem operations, CLI REPL, SurrealDB storage layer |
| AI Agent | surrealfs-ai |
Python (Pydantic AI) | Agent interface with tool integration, HTTP hosting |
Rust Core -- Commands
The surrealfs crate provides a REPL with POSIX-like commands:
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
ls |
List directory contents |
cat |
Display file contents |
tail |
Show last lines of a file |
nl |
Number lines of a file |
grep |
Search file contents |
touch |
Create empty file |
mkdir |
Create directory |
write_file |
Write content to file |
edit |
Edit file contents |
cp |
Copy file |
cd |
Change directory |
pwd |
Print working directory |
Supports piping from external commands: curl https://example.com > /pages/example.html
Storage backends:
- Embedded RocksDB (local)
- Remote SurrealDB via WebSocket
Python AI Agent
Built on Pydantic AI with tools that mirror the filesystem commands.
from surrealfs_ai import build_chat_agent
# Create the agent (default LLM: Claude Haiku)
agent = build_chat_agent()
# Expose over HTTP
import uvicorn
app = agent.to_web()
uvicorn.run(app, host="127.0.0.1", port=7932)
Features:
- Default LLM: Claude Haiku
- Telemetry via Pydantic Logfire (OpenTelemetry) -- see Security section for opt-out
- All filesystem operations available as agent tools
- HTTP hosting (default port 7932, bound to 127.0.0.1)
- Path normalization: virtual FS root
/is isolated; paths cannot escape to host filesystem
Quick Start
# Install the Rust core
cargo install surrealfs
# Start the REPL with embedded storage
surrealfs
# Or connect to a remote SurrealDB instance
surrealfs --endpoint ws://localhost:8000 --user root --pass root --ns agent --db workspace
# Install the Python agent
pip install surrealfs-ai
# Run the agent HTTP server
python -m surrealfs_ai --host 127.0.0.1 --port 7932
Use Cases
- Persistent workspace for AI agent sessions
- Hierarchical document storage with metadata queries
- Multi-agent shared file access with SurrealDB permissions
- Content strategy and knowledge management
- Project scaffolding and template management
Security Considerations
Credentials: Remote SurrealDB connections require --user/--pass. Use
dedicated, least-privilege credentials scoped to a specific namespace/database.
Never use root credentials in shared or production environments.
Telemetry: The Python agent uses Pydantic Logfire (OpenTelemetry). To
disable telemetry, set: export LOGFIRE_SEND_TO_LOGFIRE=false or configure
Logfire with send_to_logfire=False in code. Audit telemetry endpoints before
enabling in environments with sensitive data.
HTTP binding: The agent binds to 127.0.0.1 by default. Do not expose to
0.0.0.0 or public networks without authentication and TLS. If running in a
container, use network isolation.
Pipe commands: The Rust core supports curl URL > /path syntax for content
ingress. This executes the pipe source command on the host. Use only with
trusted URLs in controlled environments. Do not allow untrusted input to
construct pipe commands.
Sandboxing: The virtual FS root (/) is a SurrealDB-backed abstraction,
not the host filesystem. Path traversal (e.g., ../../etc/passwd) is
normalized and rejected. However, pipe commands execute on the host -- run
in a container or sandbox if accepting untrusted agent input.
Full Documentation
See the main skill's rule file for complete guidance:
- rules/surrealfs.md -- architecture, Rust core API, Python agent setup, SurrealDB schema, multi-agent patterns, and deployment
- surrealdb/surrealfs -- upstream repository