Re: [Nautilus-list] Nautilus + smbclient

[Jamin "P." Gray <jgray writeme com>]

On 05 Jun 2001 17:45:50 -0400, Alex Larsson wrote:

> On Tue, 5 Jun 2001, Jamin Philip Gray wrote:
> 
> > > That *is* the Unix filesystem model - a single-rooted unified filesystem.
> > > When I run "make xconfig" in /usr/src/linux I typically see between five and
> > > ten filesystem types to choose from.  Is Nautilus going to need
> > > filesystem-specific code for all the different types of filesystems people
> > > might want to browse?  What's so special about smb?
> >
> > I'm wondering the exact same thing.  Maybe I don't understand the
> > issues fully, but it seems that this should be handled at the kernel
> > level.  If you have a floppy or cdrom mounted or nfs shares or smb
> > shares, whatever, they have mount points and you browse at that mount
> > point and it all just works no matter what you are using to browse
> > (command line, nautilus, a file selection dialog).  Where exactly does
> > gnome-vfs fit in?  Why can't nautilus deal with floppy/cdrom drives
> > and other mounted volumes in exactly the same manner?
> 
> So, where do you want to mount the "Network neighbourhood" filesystem? Or
> the "List servers in workgroup" filesystem, or the "List shares in server"
> filesystem? And who's gonna write these filesystems?

I didn't suggest everything had to be mounted.  Something like a
"Network Neighbourhood" concept shouldn't be a specific mountpoint,
necessarily, but rather a logical grouping..gnome-vfs could be used for
that.  However, just as with the cd-rom or floppy disk, the logical
grouping could point to an actual mountpoint on the unix filesystem.
This gives you the benefit of being able to browse in every way
imaginable with easy links from Nautilus to your disks, mounted shares,
etc.  You wouldn't have to know where the mount points are just as you
don't have to do "cd /mnt/floppy" in order to go to the floppy disk.
You just click on the happy icon.

> The thing is, for normal users to actually be able to use smb, it has to
> be simpler than: "Open a terminal, su to root, execute strange smbmount
> command with a magic name to select the server and share".

I agree with you absolutely.  I wasn't even refering to the command
line.  No one has to su to root or execute a mount command in order to
mount and browse their cd-rom and floppy disk.  smb shares are no
exception.  They can be set up the exact same way.

> Are you also advocating kernel support for ftp, http, tar-files, digital
> cameras and all other kinds of things gnome-vfs can support? If you are,
> maybe you should spend some time talking to Al Viro.

Absolutely not.  gnome-vfs is ideal for those types.

> And what is this talk about floppy/cdrom? They are typically automounted
> by magicdev or equivalent and pop up as icons on the desktop.

Precisely.  You can set up smb to do the same sort of thing.  You never
have to know the mount commands.  Just click on an icon.

-Jamin