Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S269790AbUICVNi (ORCPT ); Fri, 3 Sep 2004 17:13:38 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S269277AbUICVNg (ORCPT ); Fri, 3 Sep 2004 17:13:36 -0400 Received: from zeniv.linux.org.uk ([195.92.253.2]:29348 "EHLO ZenIV.linux.org.uk") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S269202AbUICVLy (ORCPT ); Fri, 3 Sep 2004 17:11:54 -0400 Date: Fri, 3 Sep 2004 22:07:57 +0100 From: Chris Dukes To: Spam Cc: Horst von Brand , Helge Hafting , Oliver Hunt , Hans Reiser , Linus Torvalds , David Masover , Jamie Lokier , Adrian Bunk , viro@parcelfarce.linux.theplanet.co.uk, Christoph Hellwig , linux-fsdevel@vger.kernel.org, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, Alexander Lyamin aka FLX , ReiserFS List Subject: Re: The argument for fs assistance in handling archives Message-ID: <20040903210757.GK32697@ZenIV.linux.org.uk> Mail-Followup-To: Spam , Horst von Brand , Helge Hafting , Oliver Hunt , Hans Reiser , Linus Torvalds , David Masover , Jamie Lokier , Adrian Bunk , viro@parcelfarce.linux.theplanet.co.uk, Christoph Hellwig , linux-fsdevel@vger.kernel.org, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, Alexander Lyamin aka FLX , ReiserFS List References: <413829DF.8010305@hist.no> <200409031741.i83HfASY017164@laptop11.inf.utfsm.cl> <518050016.20040903213038@tnonline.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <518050016.20040903213038@tnonline.net> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.1i Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 2333 Lines: 60 On Fri, Sep 03, 2004 at 09:30:38PM +0200, Spam wrote: > > > > > Helge Hafting said: > > > [...] > > >> The only new thing needed is the ability for something to be both > >> file and directory at the same time. > > > Then why have files and directories in the first place? > > Good point, we don't need them :) Directories are just a visible > grouping of files to make it easier for the user to manage. But some > things aren't really that intuitive with todays layout - especially > for non-unix users. > > Just an example where the user needs to edit config file for some > program. Where should he look? > /etc/app.conf ? > /etc/app/app.conf ? > /etc/conf.d/app.conf ? > /var/lib/app/app.conf ? > and so on.... > > Using file-as-dir isn't really that much of a change. It isn't those > that will confuse people anyway. > If the non-computer literate user is expected to edit the config file, a pretty interface that hides the internals from the user should be provided. For the sake of power users, users that believe themselves to be power users, and configuration changes on multiple systems. 1) Track the location of the config file with the native package management system. 2) Keep a human readable/editable format. 3) Provide APIs or schema so that the files may be parsed for correctness, or edited or created programatically. 4) Provide a tool that not only checks for a parseable file, but does sanity checks such as (Does file exist). I'm at a loss as to how any of this has anything to do with filesystems. The closest I see is one implementation of the above (gconf2) happens to use the filesystem for it's default hierarchical database backend. As for developers that are too stupid/lazy to provide the GUI and meet the other criteria... I suggest extensive use of cattle prods on them as they attend an automata class. -- Chris Dukes Warning: Do not use the reflow toaster oven to prepare foods after it has been used for solder paste reflow. http://www.stencilsunlimited.com/stencil_article_page5.htm - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/