Re: [BK PATCH] CIFS filesystem for Linux 2.5

[jra@dp.samba.org]

On Thu, Oct 10, 2002 at 03:08:53PM -0500, Steven French wrote:
> The CIFS filesystem has been updated to handle yesterday's changes to the
> superblock structure and has been added to a new bitkeeper repository as a
> single bitkeeper changset in order to be easier to apply.  It is changeset
> number 1.747 at bk://cifs.bkbits.net/linux-2.5-with-cifs  and is low risk,
> not changing core kernel files.
>
> ...... stuff cut......
> 
> The CIFS file system is ready to be included in the 2.5 Linux kernel and
> only affects the usual small set of files outside its own directory
> (fs/cifs) that a filesystem must change (e.g. fs/Config.in, fs/Makefile,
> fs/Config.help) but does not require changes to any core kernel code.
> 
> The filesystem is designed for remote access to Samba, newer Windows
> servers and also the many common CIFS based NAS appliances, but unlike
> smbfs is optimized for the current version of the SMB/CIFS protocol.   The
> CIFS file system can coexist with smbfs.   The CIFS file system is
> reasonably stable, passing most but not all of the standard filesystem test
> suites going to either Windows servers or Samba (NB a few Samba bug which I
> am working is blocking fsx at the moment and memory mapping support is not
> finished) running with the current 2.5 kernel.  It has been tested at both
> Connectathon and the CIFS Plugfest this year and has been under development
> for over a year with the assistance from some others on the Samba team as
> well as feedback from the standards group (SNIA CIFS Technical Workgroup)
> and others at IBM.    The project web site has more information on the
> project http://us1.samba.org/samba/Linux_CIFS_client.html

I don't know if it will help, but here's my 2 cents (US :-). I'd love
this to be included into 2.5.x Linux, as it is a very nicely written,
modern CIFS client that we can use to start adding UNIX specific extensions
into Samba, and hopefully end up with a filesystem that uses UNIX semantics
when talking to a Samba server, and will fall back to Windows semantics
when talking to lagacy Windows server (I really love saying that :-) :-).

Should be a big help in making Linux the "universal client glue" we know
and love .... :-).

Cheers,

	Jeremy Allison,
	Samba Team.