# mutagen-io/mutagen

Fast file synchronization and network forwarding for remote development

Repository: https://github.com/mutagen-io/mutagen
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/mutagen
Homepage: https://mutagen.io
Language: Go
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Last push: 2026-04-22T12:01:52+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 61/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 78, release rhythm 16, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3528, "days_push": 133, "days_rel": 555, "gap_med": 123, "n_releases_24m": 2}
- flags: no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 4375, forks 192 (observed 2026-08-28T04:08:46.868260+00:00)

## What it is
Mutagen is an open-source remote development tool providing high-performance, real-time bidirectional file synchronization and flexible network forwarding (TCP, Unix sockets, named pipes). It works across local, SSH, and Docker container endpoints, letting local editors and tools operate on code running remotely.

## Use cases
- sync code between laptop and remote cloud server in real time
- edit code locally while it runs in a Docker container
- forward local ports to remote applications over SSH
- keep two directories in sync bidirectionally
- develop remotely without installing IDE plugins
- synchronize large binary build artifacts efficiently

## When to choose
- you want fast rsync-like two-way sync with low-latency filesystem watching
- you develop against remote servers or containers but prefer local tools
- you need network forwarding between local and remote/container endpoints
- you want a tool-agnostic solution with no editor plugin or remote install

## When to avoid
- you need a simple one-shot file copy or backup tool
- you require full POSIX ownership/permission propagation
- you need a GUI-only workflow (Mutagen is primarily CLI-based)
- you want unattended background sync of arbitrary user data rather than development code

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: active
- function: file-system, networking, developer-tools, cli, deployment
- domain: developer-tools, cross-platform
- platform: windows, cli, go
- tags: file-synchronization, network-forwarding, remote-development, ssh, docker, rsync-like, filesystem-watching, command-line, devops, containers, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- mutagen-io/mutagen (main) score 61

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:08:46.868260+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T18:21:20.397563+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/mutagen-io/mutagen (fetched 2026-08-28T04:08:46.868260+00:00, sha acd9acc3e43f)
  - homepage: https://mutagen.io (fetched 2026-08-29T09:09:43.693335+00:00, sha 636944dd5055)
  - site_page: https://mutagen.io/documentation/introduction (fetched 2026-08-29T09:09:43.702400+00:00, sha bf64426c6ae3)
  - site_page: https://mutagen.io/documentation/introduction/installation (fetched 2026-08-29T09:09:43.704194+00:00, sha c374b7ac6ce5)
  - site_page: https://mutagen.io/documentation/transports (fetched 2026-08-29T09:09:43.705678+00:00, sha 863b8eb1380b)
  - site_page: https://mutagen.io/documentation/synchronization (fetched 2026-08-29T09:09:43.707082+00:00, sha de579951255e)
  - site_page: https://mutagen.io/documentation/synchronization/watching (fetched 2026-08-29T09:09:43.708636+00:00, sha 17c65aa9ff87)
  - site_page: https://mutagen.io/documentation/synchronization/permissions (fetched 2026-08-29T09:09:43.710322+00:00, sha af5c3f33d165)
  - site_page: https://mutagen.io/documentation/synchronization/ignores (fetched 2026-08-29T09:09:43.711943+00:00, sha a0d2f2d33427)
  - site_page: https://mutagen.io/documentation/synchronization/symbolic-links (fetched 2026-08-29T09:09:43.713623+00:00, sha 2d13c99f8227)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.