Modern, fast, cross-platform file search utility built on Flutter and natively integrated C backends.
ModFS is a macOS front-end for the incredibly fast FSearch file-search engine, built with the Flutter framework over the original FSearch C indexer via Dart FFI. It brings FSearch's instant, index-backed file search to macOS while reusing the proven C backend.
ModFS is a fork of FSearch, whose C core is licensed GNU GPL, version 2 or (at your option) any later version. Because ModFS links the Flutter UI to that GPL C core and distributes the result, the entire combined work — Flutter/Dart UI and C core together — is covered by the GPLv2-or-later. It is not "the C core under GPL and the UI under something else"; the whole binary is GPL.
You are guaranteed the GPL freedoms, including the right to use, study, modify, fork, and redistribute ModFS under the same license.
Corresponding source. Any binary we distribute (.dmg) is accompanied by its complete corresponding source — the modified FSearch C code, the Dart FFI shim, and the build scripts — in this repository at https://github.com/TaliskerMan/ModFS. If you received a binary without source, you may request the corresponding source for that version by email to chuck@nordheim.online; this is a written offer valid as required by the GPL.
Distribution channel. ModFS is distributed only as a direct .dmg download. It is not distributed via the Mac App Store, whose terms (DRM and usage restrictions) are generally incompatible with the GPL.
The FSearch C indexer was written by Christian Boxdörfer (christian.boxdoerfer@posteo.de) and remains under his copyright. The modernization layer (Flutter UI, background Dart isolate workers, macOS FFI bridge, and packaging) is copyright Chuck Talk (chuck@nordheim.online). Both are distributed together under the GPLv2-or-later described above.
ModFS bridges the FSearch C database over Dart FFI, so index building keeps the native C engine's speed (parsing millions of files quickly) while the macOS UI is rendered in Flutter with background isolate workers handling indexing and search.
ModFS is distributed as a pre-compiled .dmg (direct download only — not the Mac App Store).
- Download the latest
.dmgfrom GitHub Releases. - Open the image and drag the
ModFSapp into/Applications. - Launch ModFS from Launchpad or Spotlight.
ModFS stores diagnostic logs and local SQLite persistence databases inherently in user-protected space:
- macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/io.github.taliskerman.modfs/
Inside these directories, you will find modfs.log which captures diagnostic background scan faults and active metrics.
- Rebuild the DB: Upon opening ModFS for the first time, click "Rebuild DB" to initialize your system index. The top-level Dart isolate efficiently walks your filesystem and feeds it into the hyper-fast C indexer.
- Search: Merely type into the main search field. Results load as you type seamlessly filtering wildcards and path locations matching the original FSearch standards.
- Advanced Filters: Utilize PCRE2 RegEx, explicit folder inclusion/exclusion rules, and native instant Sort properties direct from the UI.
- Search engine and core C infrastructure: Copyright © Christian Boxdörfer (
christian.boxdoerfer@posteo.de) - Flutter UI, macOS FFI bridge, and app logic: Copyright © Chuck Talk (
chuck@nordheim.online) - License: GNU General Public License, version 2 or (at your option) any later version (GPLv2-or-later). The whole combined work is GPL; see LICENSE and the "License" section above for the corresponding-source offer.