Re: Btree directories (Re: Status of HFS+ support)

[Steve Lord <lord@sgi.com>]

> In my mind, this really screams the need for a pure vnode API in addition
> to keeping the current API for more traditional filesystems.  You could
> then keep track of these complex keys with either a table or hashing
> method into slots/buckets with 32 bit identifiers, then provide these to
> the vnode layer.  Sounds much easier than trying to make this look like a
> more traditional fs.
>
> Maybe someone could create a filesystem of type vnodefs that simply
> provides, through the current VFS, a pure vnode API that could be used by
> sub-filesystems (which would then absolutely be required to definitively
> probe for fs type automatically...).  Thoughts?
>

It is not that clean at the moment, but we already have a vnode based system
hiding inside XFS, the linux inode has a vnode in the fs specific portion,
the linux inode ops call the VOPs. We still have as a work item to go back and
clean up this layer - it knows too much about XFS right now.

Not really sure if it maps onto what you are suggesting, but it is out there.

Steve


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