Re: 9p file system for xen

[Linda <lindaj@jma3.com>]

Hi Wei,

On 11/16/2015 10:35 AM, Wei Liu wrote:
> On Mon, Nov 16, 2015 at 10:22:41AM -0700, Linda wrote:
...
>>
>> The bug is a timing issue:  During virtio's probe step, on the front end, it
>> initialized the mount path.  Since at that time, the front end doesn't have
>> access to the back end's entries in xenstore (AFIACT), I either need to put
>> it in xenstore prior to starting, or move the access to this information to
>> later in the initialization.
>>
>> Note, I used the past tense on what virtio did, as of last summer: when I
>> looked at it last week, it appears to have changed since I first used it as
>> a template.    I need to investigate this further.
>>
> OK.
>
>> Finally, I've made no provision for how to mount more than one file system
>> for the same guest.  This is a feature that virtio provides for in the
>> front-end code (as do I), but I am unclear about how this works in the
>> back-end or at the user level.  This is what I suspect will be different in
>> xen, and I'd like some input on what it should look like.
> I think this comes down to how your design the xenstore protocol to
> represent different mount points.
And just reading this gave me the answer I need.
>
>>> The code freeze for next release is going to be end of March next year.
>>> As software engineer often overestimates the progress he or she can
>>> make, I would say we shall aim for getting something working as soon as
>>> possible. Get the design straight and something clean by the end of this
>>> year would be good.
>> Sounds good to me.  I'm happy to keep working on this.  I just didn't want
>> to find myself in a position where I needed to pass this on to someone else,
>> but I didn't give that person enough time to finish what I'd done.
> Depending on the situation, I can take over the code. You've done enough
> for this project and we don't really want you to work on it for free --
> we don't have provision for more funding at the moment.
Understood.
> If we end up taking over the project, we will still attribute the
> initial implementation to you.
     Thanks.  Julien said essentially the same thing.  Right now, I'm 
working on average, less than 10 hours/week, so it's enough to keep my 
mind engaged, but it doesn't interfere with anything else.
     I will be working for pay, in some capacity (TBD), after the first 
of the year.   Right now, I'm working to line things up.
     Unless something changes drastically, I'll continue to work on this 
until the end of the year.  I'll start by cleaning things up, and keep 
it that way, so no matter what happens, you, or Julien, can take it over.

Linda
>
> Wei.
>