feat(fuse,core,cli,gui): make folders available offline from the app

The daemon has kept recursive folder pins for a long time, but the app
offered "Available offline" for files only. The context menu, the
details pane and the selection bar now offer it for folders too, and a
pinned folder carries the offline badge in the browser and the launcher.

A folder pin used to download the whole subtree inside the control
request, so a large folder outlasted the client's 120 s read timeout,
and every pinned file was read into memory before it was cached. The
daemon now records the pin, answers at once and downloads on a
background thread as a job the tray and the app show, stopping when the
folder is unpinned or the daemon stops. Pins of files and folders both
go through fetch_content, which streams to disk and skips fresh blobs.
A folder pin is refused while offline instead of looking kept.

A file kept only because a folder above it is pinned has no pin of its
own, and unpinning it silently did nothing. ListDir now reports
pinned_by_folder; the app shows such an entry as available offline with
the toggle greyed out, and the daemon refuses the unpin with a message
naming the folder. Unpinning a folder no longer evicts files that are
pinned on their own.

Requested on Reddit.

crates/pdfs-cli/src/main.rs

@@ -172,17 +172,19 @@ enum Command {
         /// Mountpoint; defaults to ~/ProtonDrive.
         mountpoint: Option<PathBuf>,
     },
-    /// Keep a file on this device (download + cache it). Needs a running mount.
+    /// Keep a file or folder on this device (download + cache it). A folder's
+    /// files download in the background; `pdfs transfers` shows the progress.
+    /// Needs a running mount.
     Pin {
-        /// File path, inside the mountpoint or relative to it.
+        /// File or folder path, inside the mountpoint or relative to it.
         path: PathBuf,
     },
-    /// Stop keeping a file on this device, evicting its cached content.
+    /// Stop keeping a file or folder on this device, evicting its cached content.
     Unpin {
-        /// File path, inside the mountpoint or relative to it.
+        /// File or folder path, inside the mountpoint or relative to it.
         path: PathBuf,
     },
-    /// List files pinned to this device.
+    /// List files and folders pinned to this device.
     Pins,
     /// List a directory via the running daemon (in-app browser backend).
     Ls {
@@ -3793,6 +3795,7 @@ mod login_wait_tests {
             size: 1,
             modified: 0,
             pinned: false,
+            pinned_by_folder: false,
             cached: false,
             uid: "vol~link".into(),
             path: String::new(),

crates/pdfs-core/src/control.rs

@@ -1260,8 +1260,15 @@ pub struct DirEntry {
     pub size: u64,
     /// Modification time, epoch seconds.
     pub modified: i64,
-    /// Whether the file is pinned to this device.
+    /// Whether the node is pinned to this device, on its own or through a
+    /// pinned folder above it.
     pub pinned: bool,
+    /// Whether the node is kept on this device because a folder above it is
+    /// pinned. Such a node cannot be unpinned on its own. Set in
+    /// [`Request::ListDir`] listings only. Defaulted for wire-compat with
+    /// daemons predating the field.
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub pinned_by_folder: bool,
     /// Whether the file's full content is present in the local cache (a current,
     /// non-stale blob). Always false for folders. Defaulted for wire-compat with
     /// clients/daemons predating the field.

crates/pdfs-fuse/src/lib.rs

@@ -4227,8 +4227,10 @@ impl Core {
     }
 
     /// Pin the node at mountpoint-relative `rel`. A file downloads its full
-    /// plaintext into the content cache; a folder records a recursive pin and
-    /// downloads every descendant file (selective sync). Returns a human message.
+    /// plaintext into the content cache before this returns. A folder records a
+    /// recursive pin and downloads every descendant file on a background thread,
+    /// reported as a job: a big folder far outlasts the socket read timeout.
+    /// Returns a human message.
     fn pin(&self, rel: &Path) -> CoreResult<String> {
         let (ino, uid) = self.resolve(rel)?;
         let (name, is_folder, mtime, size) = {
@@ -4245,34 +4247,69 @@ impl Core {
             )
         };
         if is_folder {
+            // Offline, every download would fail and the folder would only look
+            // kept. Refuse instead, as a file pin does.
+            if !self.is_online() {
+                return Err(CoreError::offline());
+            }
             // Record the recursive pin first so every descendant is eviction-
             // exempt before we start filling the cache with the subtree.
             self.cache
                 .add_pin(&uid, rel, true)
                 .map_err(|e| CoreError::from_api(&e, "pin"))?;
-            let n = self.pin_subtree(ino)?;
-            return Ok(format!("{name} ({n} files)"));
+            let core = self.clone();
+            let folder = name.clone();
+            std::thread::Builder::new()
+                .name("pin-folder".into())
+                .spawn(move || core.pin_subtree(ino, &uid, &folder))
+                .map_err(|e| CoreError::internal(format!("spawn pin: {e}")))?;
+            return Ok(format!("{name}: downloading its files in the background"));
         }
-        let bytes = self
-            .download_file_tracked(&uid, &name, size)
-            .map_err(|e| CoreError::from_api(&e, "download"))?;
-        self.cache
-            .store(&uid, mtime, size, &bytes)
-            .map_err(|e| CoreError::internal(format!("cache store: {e}")))?;
+        self.fetch_content(&uid, &name, mtime, size)?;
         self.cache
             .add_pin(&uid, rel, false)
             .map_err(|e| CoreError::from_api(&e, "pin"))?;
         Ok(name)
     }
 
-    /// Download and cache every file in the subtree rooted at folder `ino`,
-    /// returning the count cached (already-fresh blobs counted, not re-fetched).
-    /// Walks the tree depth-first, enumerating each folder so a cold subtree is
-    /// fully discovered; the lock is dropped before each network download.
-    fn pin_subtree(&self, ino: u64) -> CoreResult<usize> {
+    /// Download and cache every file in the subtree rooted at the pinned folder
+    /// `ino` (`folder`, named `name`), as a job the front ends show. Walks the
+    /// tree depth-first, enumerating each folder so a cold subtree is fully
+    /// discovered; the lock is dropped before each network download. Stops when
+    /// the folder is unpinned or the daemon stops.
+    fn pin_subtree(&self, ino: u64, folder: &NodeUid, name: &str) {
+        let job = self
+            .transfers
+            .begin_job(format!("Making {name} available offline"));
+        match self.pin_subtree_files(ino) {
+            Ok(files) => {
+                job.set_total(files.len() as u64);
+                let mut failed = 0usize;
+                for (uid, file, mtime, size) in files {
+                    if self.shutdown.is_stopping() || !self.cache.is_pinned(folder) {
+                        return;
+                    }
+                    job.detail(file.clone());
+                    if let Err(e) = self.fetch_content(&uid, &file, mtime, size) {
+                        warn!(%uid, error = %e, "pin folder: download failed");
+                        failed += 1;
+                    }
+                    job.step();
+                }
+                info!(folder = %name, failed, "pin folder: done");
+            }
+            Err(e) => warn!(folder = %name, error = %e, "pin folder: enumerate failed"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Every file in the subtree rooted at folder `ino`.
+    fn pin_subtree_files(&self, ino: u64) -> CoreResult<Vec<(NodeUid, String, i64, u64)>> {
         let mut files: Vec<(NodeUid, String, i64, u64)> = Vec::new();
         let mut stack = vec![ino];
         while let Some(dir) = stack.pop() {
+            if self.shutdown.is_stopping() {
+                break;
+            }
             self.ensure_children(dir)
                 .map_err(|e| self.errno_error(e, "enumerate"))?;
             let st = self.state();
@@ -4293,22 +4330,7 @@ impl Core {
                 }
             }
         }
-        let mut count = 0;
-        for (uid, name, mtime, size) in files {
-            if self.cache.is_cached(&uid, mtime, size) {
-                count += 1;
-                continue;
-            }
-            match self.download_file_tracked(&uid, &name, size) {
-                Ok(bytes) => {
-                    if self.cache.store(&uid, mtime, size, &bytes).is_ok() {
-                        count += 1;
-                    }
-                }
-                Err(e) => warn!(%uid, error = %e, "pin subtree: download failed"),
-            }
-        }
-        Ok(count)
+        Ok(files)
     }
 
     /// Fetch a thumbnail of `ttype` for the file at `ino`, served from the cache
@@ -4354,6 +4376,8 @@ impl Core {
 
     /// Unpin the node at `rel`, evicting its cached content. For a folder, also
     /// evicts every descendant's cached blob (the subtree is no longer kept).
+    /// A node kept only because a folder above it is pinned is refused: there
+    /// is no pin of its own to remove, and it would stay kept all the same.
     fn unpin(&self, rel: &Path) -> CoreResult<String> {
         let (ino, uid) = self.resolve(rel)?;
         let (name, is_folder) = {
@@ -4363,14 +4387,24 @@ impl Core {
                 .map(|e| (e.node.name.clone(), e.node.is_folder()))
                 .unwrap_or_default()
         };
+        if self.pinned_by_folder(ino) {
+            return Err(CoreError::conflict(format!(
+                "{name} is kept offline because a folder above it is; unpin that folder instead"
+            )));
+        }
         self.cache
             .remove_pin(&uid)
             .map_err(|e| CoreError::from_api(&e, "unpin"))?;
         // A recursively-pinned folder's descendants were eviction-exempt; now
         // that the pin is gone, reclaim their blobs eagerly instead of waiting
-        // for budget pressure. Descendants come from the DB node tree.
+        // for budget pressure. Descendants come from the DB node tree. One
+        // pinned on its own, or under a pinned subfolder, is still kept.
         if is_folder && let Ok(uids) = self.db.descendants(&uid.to_string()) {
+            let still_pinned = self.pinned_set();
             for s in uids {
+                if still_pinned.contains(&s) {
+                    continue;
+                }
                 if let Some(u) = parse_uid(&s) {
                     self.cache.evict(&u);
                     self.evict_reader(&u);
@@ -4380,6 +4414,20 @@ impl Core {
         Ok(name)
     }
 
+    /// Whether the node at `ino` is kept offline because a folder above it is
+    /// pinned, whether or not it is also pinned on its own.
+    fn pinned_by_folder(&self, ino: u64) -> bool {
+        let parent = {
+            let st = self.state();
+            st.entries
+                .get(&ino)
+                .filter(|e| e.parent != ino)
+                .and_then(|e| st.entries.get(&e.parent))
+                .map(|p| p.uid.clone())
+        };
+        parent.is_some_and(|uid| self.cache.is_pinned(&uid))
+    }
+
     /// A Photos API handle sharing this Core's Drive client and session, so it
     /// reuses the daemon's single authenticated session rather than logging in
     /// again (Proton refresh tokens are single-use). Cheap — the Drive client
@@ -4392,10 +4440,13 @@ impl Core {
     /// the same lazy remote enumeration `readdir` uses, projected into
     /// serializable [`DirEntry`]s (with per-file pin state).
     fn list_dir(&self, rel: &Path) -> CoreResult<Vec<DirEntry>> {
-        let (ino, _uid) = self.resolve(rel)?;
+        let (ino, uid) = self.resolve(rel)?;
         self.ensure_children(ino)
             .map_err(|e| self.errno_error(e, "enumerate"))?;
         self.settle_listing_sizes(ino);
+        // Every entry shares this folder as its parent, so one lookup says
+        // whether they are all kept through it.
+        let pinned_by_folder = self.cache.is_pinned(&uid);
         // Snapshot the listing, then drop the lock before touching the on-disk
         // pin registry so a slow disk read doesn't block FUSE metadata ops.
         let rows: Vec<(String, bool, u64, i64, NodeUid, u64)> = {
@@ -4427,7 +4478,8 @@ impl Core {
                 is_dir,
                 size,
                 modified,
-                pinned: self.cache.is_pinned(&uid),
+                pinned: pinned_by_folder || self.cache.is_pinned(&uid),
+                pinned_by_folder,
                 cached: !is_dir && self.cache.is_cached(&uid, modified, size),
                 uid: uid.to_string(),
                 // Listing entries live in the requested dir; the caller derives
@@ -5319,6 +5371,7 @@ impl Core {
                 // A trashed node can't be pinned or served from the mount, so its
                 // content is never current cache: report neither.
                 pinned: false,
+                pinned_by_folder: false,
                 cached: false,
                 uid: item.uid,
                 path: String::new(),

crates/pdfs-fuse/src/sharing.rs

@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ fn shared_entry_of(core: &Core, n: Node) -> DirEntry {
         size,
         modified: n.modification_time,
         pinned: false,
+        pinned_by_folder: false,
         cached: false,
         path: core.rel_path_for_uid(&n.uid).unwrap_or_default(),
         uid: n.uid.to_string(),

crates/pdfs-fuse/src/sim/daemon.rs

@@ -2099,4 +2099,62 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(matches!(daemon.stop(), Ok(MountOutcome::Shutdown)));
         let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[ignore = "mounts FUSE: run with `cargo test -p pdfs-fuse sim:: -- --ignored`"]
+    fn a_pinned_folder_keeps_every_file_under_it_until_it_is_unpinned() {
+        let drive = FakeDrive::new();
+        let dir = scratch("pin-folder");
+        let daemon = Daemon::start(&dir, drive.client(1, Faults::lan())).unwrap();
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(daemon.mountpoint.join("Docs/sub")).unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(daemon.mountpoint.join("Docs/a.txt"), b"alpha").unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(daemon.mountpoint.join("Docs/sub/b.txt"), b"beta").unwrap();
+        assert!(wait_until(Duration::from_secs(30), || {
+            daemon.pending().is_ok_and(|items| items.is_empty())
+                && drive.lookup("Docs/sub/b.txt").is_some()
+        }));
+        daemon.request(&Request::PurgeCache).unwrap();
+        let entry = |folder: &str, name: &str| match daemon.request(&Request::ListDir {
+            path: folder.into(),
+        }) {
+            Ok(Response::Entries { entries }) => entries.into_iter().find(|e| e.name == name),
+            _ => None,
+        };
+        assert!(entry("Docs", "a.txt").is_some_and(|e| !e.cached && !e.pinned));
+
+        daemon
+            .request(&Request::Pin {
+                path: "Docs".into(),
+            })
+            .unwrap();
+        assert!(
+            wait_until(Duration::from_secs(30), || {
+                entry("Docs", "a.txt").is_some_and(|e| e.cached)
+                    && entry("Docs/sub", "b.txt").is_some_and(|e| e.cached)
+            }),
+            "the folder's files were downloaded in the background"
+        );
+        let a = entry("Docs", "a.txt").unwrap();
+        assert!(a.pinned && a.pinned_by_folder);
+        assert!(entry("", "Docs").is_some_and(|e| e.pinned && !e.pinned_by_folder));
+        assert!(
+            daemon
+                .request(&Request::Unpin {
+                    path: "Docs/a.txt".into(),
+                })
+                .is_err(),
+            "a file kept through its folder cannot be unpinned on its own"
+        );
+
+        daemon
+            .request(&Request::Unpin {
+                path: "Docs".into(),
+            })
+            .unwrap();
+        let a = entry("Docs", "a.txt").unwrap();
+        assert!(!a.pinned && !a.pinned_by_folder && !a.cached);
+
+        assert!(matches!(daemon.stop(), Ok(MountOutcome::Shutdown)));
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+    }
 }

crates/pdfs-gui/src/app/pages/browser.rs

@@ -520,9 +520,9 @@ pub(crate) fn clear_selection(ui: &Rc<Ui>) {
 }
 
 /// Reflect the current selection in the bulk bar: how many are selected, and
-/// which bulk actions apply to that mix. Offline state is a file-only notion, so
-/// a folder anywhere in the selection disables the two pin buttons rather than
-/// half-failing once pressed.
+/// which bulk actions apply to that mix. An entry kept offline through a pinned
+/// folder above it cannot be made online only on its own, so it does not count
+/// towards Make online only.
 pub(crate) fn sync_bulk_bar(ui: &Rc<Ui>) {
     let entries = selected_entries(ui);
     // One selected entry is the details pane's job; the bar is for a batch.
@@ -530,8 +530,7 @@ pub(crate) fn sync_bulk_bar(ui: &Rc<Ui>) {
         ui.browser.bulk.set_reveal_child(false);
         return;
     }
-    let files_only = entries.iter().all(|e| !e.is_dir);
-    let any_pinned = entries.iter().any(|e| e.pinned);
+    let any_pinned = entries.iter().any(|e| e.pinned && !e.pinned_by_folder);
     let any_unpinned = entries.iter().any(|e| !e.pinned);
     let mounted = *ui.mounted.borrow();
     ui.browser.bulk_label.set_label(&ngettext_f(
@@ -541,12 +540,8 @@ pub(crate) fn sync_bulk_bar(ui: &Rc<Ui>) {
         &[],
     ));
     ui.browser.bulk_trash.set_sensitive(mounted);
-    ui.browser
-        .bulk_pin
-        .set_sensitive(mounted && files_only && any_unpinned);
-    ui.browser
-        .bulk_unpin
-        .set_sensitive(mounted && files_only && any_pinned);
+    ui.browser.bulk_pin.set_sensitive(mounted && any_unpinned);
+    ui.browser.bulk_unpin.set_sensitive(mounted && any_pinned);
     ui.browser.bulk.set_reveal_child(true);
 }
 
@@ -652,16 +647,19 @@ pub(crate) fn restore_uids(ui: &Rc<Ui>, uids: Vec<String>, count: usize) {
     );
 }
 
-/// Pin or unpin every selected file, one request at a time.
+/// Pin or unpin every selected entry, one request at a time. A folder's files
+/// download in the background, so its request returns before they are there.
 pub(crate) fn run_bulk_pin(ui: &Rc<Ui>, entries: Vec<DirEntry>, pin: bool) {
     let socket = ui.dirs.control_socket();
     // Only the entries that need changing: re-pinning an already-pinned file is
-    // a wasted round-trip, and it would inflate the count the toast reports.
-    let paths: Vec<String> = entries
+    // a wasted round-trip, and it would inflate the count the toast reports. One
+    // kept through a pinned folder above it has no pin of its own to remove.
+    let changing: Vec<&DirEntry> = entries
         .iter()
-        .filter(|e| !e.is_dir && e.pinned != pin)
-        .map(|e| entry_rel(ui, e))
+        .filter(|e| !e.pinned_by_folder && e.pinned != pin)
         .collect();
+    let any_folder = changing.iter().any(|e| e.is_dir);
+    let paths: Vec<String> = changing.iter().map(|e| entry_rel(ui, e)).collect();
     if paths.is_empty() {
         return;
     }
@@ -698,13 +696,27 @@ pub(crate) fn run_bulk_pin(ui: &Rc<Ui>, entries: Vec<DirEntry>, pin: bool) {
             (0, None) => {}
             (n, _) => toast(
                 &ui,
-                &if pin {
+                &if pin && any_folder {
+                    ngettext_f(
+                        "Making {n} item available offline…",
+                        "Making {n} items available offline…",
+                        n as u64,
+                        &[],
+                    )
+                } else if pin {
                     ngettext_f(
                         "{n} file is now available offline",
                         "{n} files are now available offline",
                         n as u64,
                         &[],
                     )
+                } else if any_folder {
+                    ngettext_f(
+                        "{n} item is now online only",
+                        "{n} items are now online only",
+                        n as u64,
+                        &[],
+                    )
                 } else {
                     ngettext_f(
                         "{n} file is now online only",
@@ -860,13 +872,17 @@ pub(crate) fn entry_context_menu(ui: &Rc<Ui>, entry: &DirEntry) -> ActionMenu {
     }
     menu.section();
 
-    if !entry.is_dir {
+    // Kept through a pinned folder above it, the entry has no pin of its own
+    // to remove: the check shows that state without offering to change it.
+    if entry.pinned_by_folder {
+        menu.locked_toggle(&gettext("Available offline"), true);
+    } else {
         let (ui_c, entry_c) = (ui.clone(), entry.clone());
         menu.toggle(&gettext("Available offline"), entry.pinned, move |_| {
             toggle_pin(&ui_c, &entry_c)
         });
-        menu.section();
     }
+    menu.section();
 
     let (ui_c, entry_c) = (ui.clone(), entry.clone());
     menu.item(&gettext("Share…"), move || {
@@ -908,9 +924,8 @@ pub(crate) fn entry_context_menu(ui: &Rc<Ui>, entry: &DirEntry) -> ActionMenu {
 /// simply absent here rather than offered and then refused.
 pub(crate) fn bulk_context_menu(ui: &Rc<Ui>, entries: Vec<DirEntry>) -> ActionMenu {
     let mut menu = ActionMenu::new();
-    // Offline state is a file-only notion; the check shows whether the whole
-    // batch already is.
-    if entries.iter().all(|e| !e.is_dir) {
+    // The check shows whether the whole batch already is offline.
+    {
         let (ui_c, batch) = (ui.clone(), entries.clone());
         let all_pinned = entries.iter().all(|e| e.pinned);
         menu.toggle(&gettext("Available offline"), all_pinned, move |pin| {
@@ -1147,6 +1162,7 @@ pub(crate) fn toggle_pin(ui: &Rc<Ui>, entry: &DirEntry) {
     let rx = spawn_request(ui.dirs.control_socket(), req);
     let name = entry.name.clone();
     let pinned = entry.pinned;
+    let is_dir = entry.is_dir;
     let ui = ui.clone();
     glib::spawn_future_local(async move {
         match rx.recv().await {
@@ -1166,6 +1182,9 @@ pub(crate) fn toggle_pin(ui: &Rc<Ui>, entry: &DirEntry) {
                     &ui,
                     &if pinned {
                         gettext_f("“{name}” is now online only", &[("name", &name)])
+                    } else if is_dir {
+                        // The daemon downloads a folder's files in the background.
+                        gettext_f("Making “{name}” available offline…", &[("name", &name)])
                     } else {
                         gettext_f("“{name}” is now available offline", &[("name", &name)])
                     },
@@ -2487,16 +2506,19 @@ pub(crate) fn start_upload(ui: &Rc<Ui>, sources: Vec<String>) {
     });
 }
 
-/// The sync-state badge for an entry: `(icon, css-class)`, or `None` for folders
-/// (which carry no per-file cache state). A sync issue ranks first, on folders
-/// too: the change waits for the user. Pinned (kept offline) ranks above merely
-/// cached (downloaded, evictable); everything else is online-only.
+/// The sync-state badge for an entry: `(icon, css-class)`. A folder carries no
+/// cache state of its own, so it has one only when kept offline. A sync issue
+/// ranks first, on folders too: the change waits for the user. Pinned (kept
+/// offline) ranks above merely cached (downloaded, evictable); everything else
+/// is online-only.
 pub(crate) fn badge_for(entry: &DirEntry) -> Option<(&'static str, &'static str)> {
     if entry.issue.is_some() {
         return Some(("dialog-warning-symbolic", "badge-issue"));
     }
     if entry.is_dir {
-        return None;
+        return entry
+            .pinned
+            .then_some(("pdfs-offline-symbolic", "badge-pinned"));
     }
     Some(if entry.pinned {
         ("pdfs-offline-symbolic", "badge-pinned")
@@ -2905,6 +2927,7 @@ pub(crate) fn repaint_search(ui: &Rc<Ui>, hits: &[SearchHit]) {
             size: h.size,
             modified: h.modified,
             pinned: h.pinned,
+            pinned_by_folder: false,
             cached: h.cached,
             uid: h.uid.clone(),
             path: h.path.clone(),
@@ -2965,6 +2988,7 @@ mod tests {
             size,
             modified,
             pinned: false,
+            pinned_by_folder: false,
             cached: false,
             uid: String::new(),
             path: String::new(),
@@ -2992,6 +3016,8 @@ mod tests {
 
         let mut folder = entry("d", true, 0, 0);
         assert_eq!(badge_for(&folder), None);
+        folder.pinned = true;
+        assert_eq!(badge_for(&folder).unwrap().1, "badge-pinned");
         folder.issue = Some(SyncIssue::Missing);
         assert_eq!(badge_for(&folder).unwrap().1, "badge-issue");
     }

crates/pdfs-gui/src/app/pages/shared_by_me.rs

@@ -622,6 +622,7 @@ pub(crate) fn shared_item_as_entry(item: &SharedItem) -> DirEntry {
         size: 0,
         modified: item.modified,
         pinned: false,
+        pinned_by_folder: false,
         cached: false,
         uid: item.uid.clone(),
         path: item.path.clone(),

crates/pdfs-gui/src/app/pages/status.rs

@@ -1538,7 +1538,7 @@ pub(crate) fn repaint_pins(ui: &Rc<Ui>, pins: &[pdfs_core::cache::Pin], mounted:
         let row = adw::ActionRow::builder()
             .title(gettext("No files kept offline"))
             .subtitle(gettext(
-                "Right-click a file and choose “Make available offline”.",
+                "Right-click a file or folder and choose “Available offline”.",
             ))
             .build();
         ui.status.pins_group.add(&row);

crates/pdfs-gui/src/app/pages/trash.rs

@@ -524,6 +524,7 @@ mod tests {
             size: 0,
             modified,
             pinned: false,
+            pinned_by_folder: false,
             cached: false,
             uid: name.into(),
             path: String::new(),

crates/pdfs-gui/src/app/widgets/details.rs

@@ -384,11 +384,20 @@ pub(crate) fn show_details(ui: &Rc<Ui>, entry: &DirEntry) {
     } else {
         parent.to_string()
     });
-    // Pinning is per file: the context menu and the selection bar offer it for
-    // files only, so the pane must not offer it for folders either.
+    // Kept through a pinned folder above it, the entry has no pin of its own
+    // to remove, so the switch shows that state without offering to change it.
     d.pin_row.set_active(entry.pinned);
-    d.pin_row.set_visible(!entry.is_dir);
-    d.pin_row.set_sensitive(*ui.mounted.borrow());
+    d.pin_row.set_subtitle(&if entry.pinned_by_folder {
+        gettext("Kept on this computer because a folder it is in is available offline.")
+    } else if entry.is_dir {
+        gettext(
+            "Keep a copy of everything in this folder on this computer, even without a connection.",
+        )
+    } else {
+        gettext("Keep a copy on this computer, even without a connection.")
+    });
+    d.pin_row
+        .set_sensitive(*ui.mounted.borrow() && !entry.pinned_by_folder);
     d.open_button.set_label(&if entry.is_dir {
         gettext("Open folder")
     } else {

crates/pdfs-gui/src/app/widgets/menu.rs

@@ -61,6 +61,18 @@ impl ActionMenu {
         self
     }
 
+    /// A greyed-out check item showing `active`, for a state the user cannot
+    /// change from here.
+    pub(crate) fn locked_toggle(&mut self, label: &str, active: bool) -> &mut Self {
+        let name = self.next_action();
+        let action = gio::SimpleAction::new_stateful(&name, None, &active.to_variant());
+        action.set_enabled(false);
+        self.group.add_action(&action);
+        self.section
+            .append(Some(label), Some(&format!("menu.{name}")));
+        self
+    }
+
     /// Close the current section; the next item starts a new one below a
     /// separator. An empty section is skipped, so callers can end a group of
     /// conditional items unconditionally.

crates/pdfs-gui/src/hud/row.rs

@@ -77,13 +77,16 @@ pub(crate) fn icon_for(name: &str, is_dir: bool) -> gio::Icon {
 }
 
 /// The sync badge of a Drive file, as in the app's browser: pinned, cached,
-/// or online only. Folders and local files have none.
+/// or online only. A folder has one only when kept offline; local files have
+/// none.
 pub(crate) fn badge_for(hit: &Hit) -> Option<(&'static str, &'static str)> {
     let Hit::Drive(drive) = hit else {
         return None;
     };
     if drive.is_dir {
-        return None;
+        return drive
+            .pinned
+            .then_some(("pdfs-offline-symbolic", "badge-pinned"));
     }
     Some(if drive.pinned {
         ("pdfs-offline-symbolic", "badge-pinned")

docs/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -16,6 +16,12 @@ scratch (user data in `staging/` and `recovery/` is never touched by this).
   `proton-drive-linux.cachix.org`, so NixOS installs download the client instead of compiling
   it. See [Install → Binary cache](INSTALL.md#binary-cache).
   ([#37](https://github.com/narrrl/proton-drive-linux/issues/37))
+- **Folders can be made available offline in the app.** The context menu, the details pane and
+  the selection bar now offer it for folders too. Every file in the folder and its subfolders
+  downloads in the background with its progress in the tray and the app, and pinned folders carry
+  the offline badge. A file kept through its folder shows as available offline but cannot be
+  made online only on its own. `pdfs pin` on a folder now returns at once instead of timing out
+  on a large folder, and pinned files download to disk instead of into memory.
 
 ### Fixed
 - **Removing the package left the drive mounted, and deletes there still reached Proton Drive.**

docs/CLI.md

@@ -65,9 +65,9 @@ commands are for scripts and for cases where the mount is not available.
 
 | Command | Description |
 |---|---|
-| `pdfs pin PATH` | Download a file completely and keep it on this computer. |
-| `pdfs unpin PATH` | Release it back to online only. |
-| `pdfs pins` | List files kept available offline. |
+| `pdfs pin PATH` | Download a file completely and keep it on this computer. For a folder, its files download in the background (`pdfs transfers` shows the progress). |
+| `pdfs unpin PATH` | Release it back to online only. A file inside a folder kept offline cannot be released on its own. |
+| `pdfs pins` | List files and folders kept available offline. |
 
 ## Synced folders
 

docs/USER_GUIDE.md

@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ The app uses these words consistently, and so does this guide:
 | **My files** | The root of your Drive |
 | **Proton Drive folder** | Where My files appears on disk, `~/ProtonDrive` by default |
 | **Online only** | A file or folder whose content downloads when opened |
-| **Available offline** | A single file kept on this computer |
+| **Available offline** | A file, or a folder with everything in it, kept on this computer |
 | **Synced folder** | A local folder with a full copy on this computer, backed up to Proton Drive |
 | **Proton Drive service** | The background service (`proton-drive.service`) |
 
@@ -75,11 +75,14 @@ try to create them get a clean error, not a hang or `EIO`.
 
 ## Keeping files on this computer
 
-Turn on **Make available offline** for a file in My files, or run `pdfs pin <path>`. The file is
-downloaded completely and never evicted from the cache. `pdfs pins` lists these files, and
-**Preferences → Storage → Available offline** shows them in the app.
+Turn on **Available offline** for a file or folder in My files, or run `pdfs pin <path>`. A file
+is downloaded completely and never evicted from the cache. For a folder, every file in it and in
+its subfolders downloads in the background, and the tray and the app show the progress.
+`pdfs pins` lists what is kept, and **Preferences → Storage → Available offline** shows it in the
+app.
 
-Turning it off (`pdfs unpin <path>`) frees the space. The file stays on Proton Drive.
+Turning it off (`pdfs unpin <path>`) frees the space. The files stay on Proton Drive. A file inside
+a folder kept offline stays with its folder: turn the folder off instead.
 
 ## Syncing local folders