Re: network://

[Alexander Larsson <alexl redhat com>]

On Fri, 2003-09-12 at 13:00, Rodrigo Moya wrote:
> On Fri, 2003-09-12 at 08:48 +0200, Alexander Larsson wrote:
> > On Fri, 2003-09-12 at 00:14, Rodrigo Moya wrote:
> > > Hi
> > > 
> > > We are planning, in gnome-network, to do some Zeroconf (aka RendezVous)
> > > support. One of the things we are thinking is to have some special
> > > folders in network:// that allow the user to view the autodetected
> > > services for different protocols.
> > > 
> > > This means, we need to have things like:
> > > 
> > > 	network://WWW
> > > 	network://FTP
> > > 	...
> > > 
> > > which would display a list of links to the discovered servers for every
> > > service. This is similar to XD2's 'Network neighborhood' icon in
> > > network://.
> > > 
> > > So, how can we do that?
> > > 
> > > Also, the network:// stuff seems to be incomplete (with even disabled
> > > code in Nautilus about it). So, what are the plans on that?
> > 
> > The whole network:// thing is a vfolder, with all the brokenness of the
> > vfolder backend. I really don't like the way its currently done, so I
> > try to minimize exposeage of it. We have to sit down and figure out a
> > comprehensive strategy to mountpoints, removable media, things like
> > non-usb-storage digital cameras and network filesystem resources. 
> > 
> do you have any thoughts on that? I was thinking, at least for the
> network:// stuff, if it could be a gnome-vfs module?
> 
> Of course, I don't know if that will fit for mountpoints, removable
> media, etc

I haven't had time to ponder this much (mostly doing 2.4 stuff
recently). But really, adding another gnome-vfs module is not the
solution to anything. In a sense its part of the problem. People just
randomly add vfs modules and consider the problem solved, when these
modules are not in any cohesive way tied into the desktop.

We can't design a UI based on the user typing in strange URIs in the
location bar, we must start with the user model and interface deciding r
how the desktop works with these kinds of media, then we integrate the
gnome-vfs modules into that model. 

I will try to make some time next week thinking about this and write
down a description of the problems and the possibilities.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 Alexander Larsson                                            Red Hat, Inc 
                   alexl redhat com    alla lysator liu se 
He's a lounge-singing gay ex-con with a robot buddy named Sparky. She's a 
mentally unstable wisecracking stripper trying to make a difference in a man's 
world. They fight crime!