Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!rpi!joefritz
From: joefritz@aix01.aix.rpi.edu (Jochen M. Fritz)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: How about a virtual file system ? (was: Re: file attributes)
Message-ID: <7fhlg4h@rpi.edu>
Date: 28 Jun 91 15:15:01 GMT
References: <1818@sranha.sra.co.jp>
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY
Lines: 26
Nntp-Posting-Host: aix01srv.aix.rpi.edu

All this business of file attributes and ACL could be handled in a slightly
different manner--a Virtual File System (VFS).  Each file in this FS would
contain two links--one for the data, and another a driver program that can 
the file.  The driver program is the only way that the data can be gotten 
at (except a possible failsafe).  An open operation would cause the kernal
to run the driver task (as the file owner).  The driver would then set 
any number of pipes (or sockets) and inform the kernal.  If no pipe at
all is set up, this is a denied permission,  the read(2) or write(2) system
calls read or write the first pipe, and either another call or a varient
of read and write would read the other pipes (which could contain other
data including attributes if that was provided by the driver.

Aside from allowing the user to maintain his own ACL, this would anyone
(not just root) to add any data that is available in any manner (ie floppy,
FTP, etc) into the file system, thus making mounts obsolete, and special
device drivers unnecessary.

This does require some major changes to the system, but the result would
be an object-oriented OS with files as objects.  This archetcture may
well be the next generation of operating systems.

-- 
Jochen Fritz          | There's no way i can say the words more clearly
joefritz@rpi.edu      | There's no one left to point at anymore   
noah (peace monger)   | Just you and i and we must make the Choice now.
   <><                | And not destroy the life we're living for. (P. Yarrow)