Hi Cary,
"Cary O'Brien" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> The reference to userfs reminded me of a big wide open space for
> really slick Linux applications.
>
> There ought to be a way to create things that look like file systems
> but access different 'trees' of information. One example is a file
> system that accesses via ftp files on other machines -- i.e.
> /ftp/metalab.unc.edu/pub/Linux/... is what you would expect.
> Another example would be an SNMP file system. I.E.
> /snmp/hostname/iso/(whatever)/sysDescr.0 returns the system descr
> /string.
>
> One way to implememt this is with a user-space NFS daemon and a
> local NFS mount. This is how CFS (cryptographic file system) works.
>
> A nice API (how? don't know) would make it easier to create such
> things.
This is is exactly what I'm currently developing. We are selling a CIFS/SMB
client for Unix under the name Sharity. The 2.0 version of Sharity will be
modularized: It will consist of a framework with APIs for frontend and
backend modules.
Frontends are machanisms to get things into the Unix filesystem. Sharity
will ship with an NFS2 frontend. Modules for NFS3, userfs or whatever are
possible and will probably follow soon.
Backends are modules that provide the information which is displayed in the
filesystem. Sharity comes with the CIFS/SMB backend. Everything you mentioned
is possible.
The framework contains things like a foundation library with container
datatypes and a generic GUI: Dialogs and configuration panels are described
by tables, you don't actually have to write any GUI specific code.
The first betas of Sharity 2.0 should be out within about one week. If you
are interested, I can send you an e-mail when the beta is out.
--
Dipl.-Ing. Christian Starkjohann
Objective Development
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] | http://www.obdev.at/
