I don't think it would be too hard to make a virtual file system that sits
above the kernel and reads in a file as the file system. The hard part is
integrating it into current file system utilities; you would have to rewrite
any application that interfaces with the disk to use your VFS instead. This
might mean screwing with some libraries to change certain functions from
using the kernel level functions to your VFS functions. If you're going to
that much troubble, you might just be better off trying to get the file
system dev kit from Microsoft.
OTOH, if your file system is for a specific application (such as FreenetFS),
then you don't have to bother.
Timm Murray
--------------------
Life is like a perl script: Really short and messy.
----- Original Message -----
From: "David McNab" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2001 6:11 PM
Subject: Re: [freenet-chat] Re: I've designed a global file system, it will
obsolete NFS, Gnutella, etc. I want to be assimilated by freenet!
> Personally, I feel it's highly viable and desirable to implement a Windows
> virtual disk that interfaces with Freenet. I think Aaron was flamed most
> unfairly.
>
> There's already a million and one Windows vdrives - for instance, PGPdisk,
> 1disk, Virtual CD, X-drive (as you mentioned) etc etc. I expect that all
the
> tech literature for implementing virtual drives is readily available on
the
> M$ developer site http://msdn.microsoft.com You certainly don't need any
> 'windows source code'.
>
> For the idea to fly, there would need to be a coherent scheme for mapping
> Freenet keys into the hierarchy of folders and files which Windows expects
> from a disk driver. Also, Windows expects the driver to already know what
> files are already there.
>
> This collides with Freenet in that with Freenet, there's no automatic way
of
> knowing what 'files' are there already. One would need an easy way of
adding
> 'files' to this 'virtual drive'. The virtual drive would need some nice
> mechanisms, like spiders for in-freenet and web-based key indexes, or at
the
> very least, a cute drag-n-drop which converts FProxy URLs into formal
> freenet key URIs.
>
> One thing on the side of Aaron's proposal is that all the base-64
characters
> used in keys, plus the '@', are legal characters in Windows filenames. '/'
> is illegal, but it can be used as a directory delimiter.
>
> For instance, if the vdrive is notified of a key SSK@we~1iE/fred, then the
> vdrive would represent this as a 'folder' called 'SSK@we~1iE', containing
a
> 'file' called 'fred'. A 'properties' dialog could allow the user to
annotate
> the key with a human-readable keyword.
>
> Similarly, if adding an MSK, then the vdrive could read the manifest, and
> create a tree of folders and files based on the files in the MSK manifest.
>
> I do like the idea, because a vdrive could be a very sensible way of
> maintaining a collection of keys. Each key that's retrieved could be
> 'cached' in the vdrive, so it only needs to be retrieved once (unless it's
a
> date redirect, in which case it would need to be retrieved each time).
>
> My Windows programming skills are still pretty basic, and I've got my
hands
> full upgrading FreeWeb into an easier and better version but, if or when I
> get time, I'll look into Windows vdrive implementation.
>
> Cheers
> David
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Aaron P Ingebrigtsen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Sent: Friday, May 18, 2001 11:40 AM
> Subject: Re: [freenet-chat] Re: I've designed a global file system, it
will
> obsolete NFS, Gnutella, etc. I want to be assimilated by freenet!
>
>
> >
> > On Thu, 17 May 2001 19:19:47 -0400 Greg Wooledge <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > writes:
> > > Aaron P Ingebrigtsen ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) wrote:
> > >
> > > > I personaly would really like some kind of Windows Explorer
> > > extension for
> > > > freenet that makes windows think that freenet is some kind of CD-R
> > > drive
> > > > or something, you know, write once, read only media.
> > >
> > > That would be useful. Now, get the Windows kernel source code and
> > > write
> > > up a nice little FreenetFS driver. Why don't you ask Billy Gates
> > > for the
> > > source? I've heard he's a really nice guy, and he's sure to lend
> > > you a
> > > hand.
> >
> > Hey, I keep telling everyone I'm not much of a programmer. Why does
> > everyone always throw my program suggestions in my face and tell ME to
> > write it myself?! What do we have progammers for in the first place if
> > not to create the tools that users want?! I'm a user aren't I? So why
> > should any of my suggestions for tools be totaly rediculous just because
> > I can't write them myself?
> >
> > Ok, so it would be difficult to do since Microsoft is such a crapper,
but
> > so what?! Freenet obviosly has a windows interface programmed for it,
so
> > how did that come to exist dispite all the crap built into windows and
> > spewed by Microsoft?!
> >
> > All I'm saying is do something similar to X-drive, which puts a special
> > kind of device driver into the system that fools stupid windows into
> > thinking it is actualy looking at a drive. My freaking digital camera
> > does the same thing!!! My Kodak camera has this little "System Folder"
> > in "My Computer" which makes it look like I'm looking at a drive, when I
> > am really looking at the memory card inside my camera. How can they DO
> > that when Microsoft is such a crapper and windows is full of so much
crap
> > that writing anything at all for windows is nearly impossible?!!!
> >
> > I guess we will never know how such miracles can occur since they are
> > beyond the capacity for mere mortals to understand.
> > ________________________________________________________________
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> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Chat mailing list
> > [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > http://lists.freenetproject.org/mailman/listinfo/chat
> >
>
>
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