re: gnome

[bratsche dfw net]

This is incorrect. As has already been pointed out in this thread, libvfs
has absolutely no dependencies on GNOME and can be used in console mode by
any applications that link to it (e.g., mc).

> circumstances.  If I'm not running X, I'm not running gnome, which means
> if I want the services you are proposing on the console, I have to have
> duplicate functionality in two libraries.

Your idea of a kernel-level vfs may be a good idea, but it's beyond the
scope of GNOME. libvfs could very easily wrap around future additions to
Linux, FreeBSD, etc, in order to have any improved performance that is
available but to still maintain the libvfs API.

>     There are problems even in X.  What do you do (for instance) if the
> FreeBSD folks go and impliment tarfs as part of the kernel, and it behaves
> differently from the gnome version of tarfs?  Do you ignore the underlying
> OS fs?  Do you throw out your own if you find one in the system?  Either
> way, it becomes inconsistant.  If you toss the gnome version it is
> inconsistant across gnome (which has to be coded for).  If you toss out
> the local version, behavior is inconsistant on the same machine inside and
> outside of gnome.
> 
>     Part of the function of the core OS is to support filesystems.  By
> hijacking that responsibility, you create the possibility for conflict in
> the future.  You are also taking responsibility for things like security,
> locking, and other general filesystem issues that may require suid
> binaries and will be a hassle to maintain.
> 
>     We already have a standard way of accessing files and network sockets,
> for the most part.  In some operating systems there is talk of overlaying
> a filesystem on the network protocol to offer the kind of service being
> discussed (at least with respect to ftp).  Special-casing gnome to handle
> a new set of filesystems extends gnome in ways that it should probably not
> be extended.
> 
> > If you want to be able to telnet into a machine running VFS and have
> > access to it, perhaps you should write a new shell program that will make
> > use of it.
> 
>     I don't think this would be the way to go.  System services like
> filesystems should be available to everything from the kernel interface.
> 
> 							Todd.
> 
> --
> Todd Showalter       |  "The time has come," the Walrus said,
>                      |    "to talk of many things:"
> gandalf@interlog.com |
> todd@altsoftware.com |                            Lewis Carroll
> 
> 
> 
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