Re: [RFC PATCH v2 0/8] staging: apfs: init APFS filesystem support

Gao Xiang
2025-03-20T00:48:58Z

On 2025/3/20 08:13, Ethan Carter Edwards wrote:
> Hello everyone,
>
> In series 2, I have fixed the formatting with clang-format of the lzfse
> library and fixed the comments to use linux kernel styles. I also
> removed my Copyright from files where it was not appropriate.
> Additionally, I removed the encode.c files as they were unused and
> not compiled into the final module They should be easy enough to add
> back if needed. I also rebased on Linus's tree, just in case.
> Nothing broke! ;)
>
> I am holding off on adding Ernesto's Co-developed-by and Signed-off-by
> tags until I get a better grasp of where this module is headed. I hope
> to here back from Christian and the LSFMMBPF folks sometime in the next
> few weeks.
>
> I understand the jury is still out on supporting both reading and
> writing. As it stands, I have configured the code to support
> reading/writing on mount, but upstream auto-rw is configurable via a
> CONFIG option. Some people have expressed that they want the module
> upstreamed even if only read is supported. I will stay tuned and make
> changes as needed.
>
> Additionally, I realize that staging/ may not be the correct location
> for the driver. However, I am basing my upstream process off of the
> erofs process. They started in staging. I understand that the correct
> tree and dir will be discussed as next weeks LSFMMBPF summit,
> so I will wait on their feedback before making any moves.

I don't know why erofs is related to your case here:

- erofs is not a project based on reserve engineering from the
beginning; it was a real productizied project initially designed
for Android and got wider adoption for various use cases now;

- It was a story 6 years ago (I've been actively working on this
project more than 7 years and it sacrificed my extra free time and
some other possibility), more recent fses instead directly land
into "fs/" and it seems the preferred way. But, nevertheless,
there is also some fs like ntfs3 directly into "fs/" and got some
dispute;

- I have no idea if you have enough professional experience to
resolve apfs-specific issues properly and in time. I think it's
a basic requirement for a kernel subsystem upstream maintainer now
that you introduced this;

- And you'd better to keep relatively active during the entire Linux
kernel lifetime even that is not related to your ongoing work
rather than dump and leave.

Thanks,
Gao Xiang