Re: [RFC] File flags handling - proposal for API.

Rogier Wolff (R.E.Wolff@BitWizard.nl)
Mon, 5 Jul 1999 21:26:12 +0200 (MEST)


Alan Cox wrote:
> > The problem is one of transparency. If a "compound document" is
> > implement as a directory it isn't possible to simply FTP it around &
> > attach it to emails without either
>
> I can't believe Im hearing this. If a tar file turns up I have an industry
> standard POSIX specified proceedure for handling it across arbitary platforms.
> If some random linux compound file turns up on a VMS box Im screwed.
>
> > pretty inconvenient. I can pass a Word file around easily -- passing
> > around our free-software documents ought to be just as convenient.
>
> So use flat files like normal people.

Or if you want to ftp it as a flat file, just type "get directory.tar"
Many ftp deamons can be configured to dynamically tar the file for you
in that case... .

One thing I still think is neat, but many people seem to oppose is
variable symlinks. "suddenly changing semantics". Well, just don't use
those symlinks then. And disable them from the kernel if you're not
confident that they work as expected....

We had something like:

/usr/bin -> /usr/$UNIVERSE/bin

on the apollos. You could choose between the SysV and the BSD tools
that way. But Apollos (now HP) only have a few, fixed, strings.
Generalize, and you can have arbitrary "variables".

Another thing that I'd like is that I can have only the "instructions"
on how to get the files "online". And that the kernel starts a program
to generate the files on the fly when needed. Or notifies a deamon
that the file needs regenerating. Something should also indicate
wether or not it is worth caching the file. For example when I have a
tgz file, it probably pays to keep the uncompressed, untarred files
cached for a while, while if it is a ".tar" file, the untar runs
quickly enough that it doesn't really pay all that much to keep the
untarred files...

Roger.

-- 
** R.E.Wolff@BitWizard.nl ** http://www.BitWizard.nl/ ** +31-15-2137555 **
*-- BitWizard writes Linux device drivers for any device you may have! --*
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