How do I mass bulk pin files? (Windows)

[justinthewong]

I’m using IPFS Desktop on Windows.
Whenever I add files and folders, I use the GUI. They appear on my IPFS Desktop files, but they are unpinned.
How do I pin each file? I have hundreds of files per folder.
Is there a way to mass pin them? Do I need a looping batch file?

[Jorropo]

You can add a folder and pin the folder, by default pin pins recursively.

[justinthewong]

When I do that, the blue pin icon under ‘pin status’ doesn’t appear on IPFS Desktop, for the files inside the folder. As if they aren’t pinned. Or does it not need to appear? I can already safely assume they are all pinned?

[Jorropo]

Idk IPFS desktop, this is not what the cli does. I really think the default is recursive tho (as non recursive makes no sens most of the time).

[hector]

Afaik, IPFS Desktop leverages MFS. When you add something there, it is put on MFS. Things that are on MFS can be considered “pinned”, as they are not affected by Garbage collection operations, even if they do not appear in the “pinset” (pin ls).

From ipfs files --help:

MFS acts as a
single, dynamic filesystem mount. MFS has a root CID that is transparently
updated when a change happens (and can be checked with “ipfs files stat /”).

All files and folders within MFS are respected and will not be cleaned up
during garbage collections. MFS is independent from the list of pinned items
(“ipfs pin ls”). Calls to “ipfs pin add” and “ipfs pin rm” will add and remove
pins independently of MFS. If MFS content that was
additionally pinned is removed by calling “ipfs files rm”, it will still
remain pinned.

Content added with “ipfs add” (which by default also becomes pinned), is not
added to MFS. Any content can be put into MFS with the command “ipfs files cp
/ipfs/ /some/path/”.

[justinthewong]

Thank you hector for the explanation. I understand now. Good to know that my files on IPFS Desktop will remain pinned.