Re: The argument for fs assistance in handling archives

David Masover
2004-09-03T04:37:31Z

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Chris Dukes wrote:
| On Thu, Sep 02, 2004 at 08:28:20PM -0500, David Masover wrote:
|
|>So implement a plugin which knows how to talk to a userland program
|>which knows about metadata. The plugin controls access to file-type.
|>
|>Maybe there ought to be a general-purpose userland plugin interface? So
|>that the only things left in the kernel are things that have to be there
|>for speed and/or sanity reasons? (Things like cryptocompress and
|>standard file/directory plugins.)
|
|
| Ahem,
| Wasn't this the goal of GNU HURD?

The goal of GNU HURD was to take everything out of the kernel and make
it entirely daemons. That's a far cry from keeping a file-type database
(historically the realm of file managers) out of the kernel.

Most people hate putting things in the kernel that don't belong there.
Most of what's in the kernel is for speed and/or sanity -- filesystems
are there for speed, device drivers (and scheduling, and vm, and so on)
are there for sanity.

Correct me if I'm wrong on this.

| I really think you should ask them why they haven't delivered
| something useful, then come back to this thread.

Honestly? I think it's mostly got nothing to do with architecture. I
think it's mostly got to do with politics. Most people would rather
hack on Linux, which is already done, than try to develop HURD, which is
something new. Most people also enjoy working with Linus (or prefer
Linus to the FSF).

I do not like how Linux is monolithic. I do not like having to reboot
to upgrade the kernel, and I do not like having to run closed software
(the nvidia drivers) in the kernel (as in, full privelages, can crash
entire system, yadda yadda). But Linux is the best we have.

The HURD people have delivered at least something. I think there's even
a Debian/HURD distro. Whether it's useful probably has to do with
whether it's stable/fast, which isn't likely. You hear of Linux news
every day, you hear of HURD maybe once in a lifetime -- "Hey, HURD exists!"

But you are right -- I need to take a break from this thread. It's
becoming addictive, and it's hard keeping up with so many people who are
so much smarter than I am.
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