Re: [Qemu-devel] [PATCH] Modify qemu-img to mount locally disk image using NBD (v2)

[Laurent Vivier <Laurent.Vivier@bull.net>]

Le mardi 11 mars 2008 à 23:55 -0500, Anthony Liguori a écrit :
> Fabrice Bellard wrote:
> > Laurent Vivier wrote:
> >   
> >> This patch is a new version of qemu-img using NBD device to mount Qemu
> >> disk image.
> >>
> >> To not hang on UP system, it needs following patch:
> >> http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.drivers.nbd.general/42
> >> If you want to use loop to see partitions, you need this patch:
> >> http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.kernel/651269
> >> otherwise use kpartx (see kpartx package of your distro).
> >>
> >> This patch implements in qemu-img the client and the server of the nbd protocol.
> >> Moreover, to avoid to specify a port to use, it creates a UNIX socket instead of
> >> a INET socket.
> >>
> >> It adds two actions to qemu-img:
> >> - bind, to bind a disk image to a NBD device,
> >>
> >>   qemu-img bind [-d] [-f fmt] device filename
> >>
> >>      ('-d' to daemonize)
> >>
> >> - unbind, to unbind it.
> >>
> >>   qemu-img unbind device
> >> [...]
> >>     

Hi Fabrice and Anthony,

sorry for this late comment but I missed these emails...

> > Perhaps adding a new specialized tool would be better as there is no
> > direct relation with qemu-img.
> >   

I prefer to patch an existing tool because it is easier to see the
modification applied in CVS tree, but if you agree to add a new tool in
qemu CVS (I think we can take Anthony's work) I've nothing against this
idea.

> I've been maintaining a separate tool for a while now (qemu-nbd) that 
> uses the QEMU block driver code.  If there's interest in merging it, 
> I'll happily submit patches.

If it is included, perhaps I can add functionalities like embedding the
client and the server and using an unix socket.

Regards,
Laurent
-- 
------------- Laurent.Vivier@bull.net ---------------
"The best way to predict the future is to invent it."
- Alan Kay