Re: The argument for fs assistance in handling archives (was: silent semantic changes with reiser4)

Spam
2004-09-03T13:16:19Z

> On Thu, 2004-09-02 at 19:39, Spam wrote:
>>
>>
>> > On Fri, 3 Sep 2004, Spam wrote:
>>
>> >> Yes, some archive types can't be partially unzipped either. But my
>> >> point is that it wouldn't be transparent to the application/user in
>> >> the same way.
>>
>> > It doesnt matter whether it is transparent to the application. It can
>> > be the application which implements the required level of
>> > transparency.
>>
>> > User doesnt care what provides the transparency or how it's
>> > implemented.
>>
>> Indeed. I hope I didn't say otherwise :). Just that I think it will
>> be very difficult to have this transparency in all apps.

> You're missing the point. We don't need transparency in all apps. You
> can write an application to be as transparent as you want, but you don't
> need every app to to understand every file format.

No, but not every user "can write an application" either, or even
have the skills to apply patches. What I was talking about wasn't
just tar, which itself isn't the best example anyway, but the idea
that users can load plugins that will extend the functionality of
their filesystems. That idea seem to be to be _much_ better than
trying to teach every user how to write applications or patch
existing ones.

>> Just
>> thinking of "nano file.jpg/description.txt" or "ls
>> file.tar/untar/*.doc".

> I don't do much image editting, but I'm sure there are applications that
> let you edit the description in a text file. You can even create a
> script that extracts it, runs nano, and puts it back into the jpeg.

> This works for me:
> tar -tf file.tar | grep '\.doc'

> There are userland tools that deal with hundreds of file formats. Use
> the tool you need, rather than try to have the kernel do everything.

No, but if I wanted to have an encryption plugin active for some of
my files or directories then why should I not be able to? I still
want to edit, view and save my encrypted files.

Again, this was just an example of what could be done with plugins.
It is not said that every conceivable plugin will be written, nor
loaded per default. Even though plugins cannot today be dynamically
used, they will be eventually. Reiser4 is still very young.

Please separate your thoughts for specific plugins from those of the
idea to have plugins at all.

~S

>> Sure in some environments like Gnome it could
>> work, but it still doesn't for the rest of the flora of Linux
>> programs.

> Just choose the right program. tar groks tar files, not ls.