← Dashboard · Docs

Grove Documentation

The internet was supposed to be a forest. Grove is taking it back.

What is Grove?

Grove is a distributed, encrypted file storage and sharing system for small trusted networks. Your files live on hardware you trust — your own devices and those of people you choose — not in someone else's cloud.

Key principles:

Your data, your hardware — files are stored on devices you own or trust
Encrypted by default — ChaCha20-Poly1305 encryption; even cell operators can't read your files
Peer-to-peer — no central server; cells sync directly or through relays
Self-healing — if a device goes offline, files automatically re-replicate to maintain safety
Metadata-private — manifest filenames and sensitive metadata are encrypted at rest (§7)

Key features:

Files & Feed — Files tab is your drive (upload, browse, download); Feed tab is incoming shares from friends
Portal — browser-only access for people who don't run a cell; also the owner's no-Tailscale WAN window via Settings → Remote Access
GroveAI — local LLM inference (llama.cpp) with Low/Mid/High/Auto tiers; routes to peer cells with better hardware; image generation on capable nodes
Drive modes — fill, mirror, backup, ingest; plaintext in ~/GroveHome is the primary replica, chunks regenerate on demand
Recycle Bin — 24-hour soft-delete window before files are permanently removed
Observer tier — friends can grant browser-only portal access to people who don't run cells

Documentation Index

Doc	Audience	Description
QUICKSTART.md	New users	Get running in 5 minutes
PORTAL-GUIDE.md	Portal users	Browser-only access — no install needed
CONCEPTS.md	Everyone	Core concepts and terminology
USER-GUIDE.md	Cell users	Dashboard features and daily usage
API-REFERENCE.md	Developers/AI	Complete API endpoint reference
ARCHITECTURE.md	Developers/AI	How Grove works internally
ADMIN-GUIDE.md	Self-hosters	Deployment, systemd, relay, nginx
SHARING.md	Users	How sharing, grants, and feeds work
SECURITY.md	Everyone	Encryption, auth, trust model
TROUBLESHOOTING.md	Everyone	Common issues and fixes

> Build: e6c937427256 — SHA-256 of 5 core Python files + 9 frontend assets, first 12 hex chars.

For GroveAI

These docs are structured so the Grove AI assistant can answer user questions accurately. Each doc uses clear headings, consistent terminology, and includes examples. When answering questions:

1. Check CONCEPTS.md for terminology

2. Check USER-GUIDE.md for "how do I..." questions

3. Check API-REFERENCE.md for technical/API questions

4. Check TROUBLESHOOTING.md for "it's not working" questions