Re: New task list items on savannah

[Barry deFreese]

Marco,

For the most part this looks great.  I have added a few comments inline.


Marco Gerards wrote:

> Hi,
>
> The items in the task/todo list are really confusing to people new to
> the Hurd. I'd like to change that by putting a more detailed
> description of these items on savannah.
>
> I've included some descriptions I wrote with this mail, I've also
> written a new task for fatfs. I just called this item "Fix writing
> support", which includes many small tasks. Is it better to divide this
> task in many small tasks? (I'll wait with adding this task/tasks
> before I add this task on savannah).
>
> Can someone read the tasks I described to check for spelling/grammar
> errors and to check if it is true and sane what I say?
>
> I will send in some more descriptions of todo items soon, or is it
> better to add items to savannah first and wait for reactions if
> something is not right? :)
>
> Thanks,
> Marco
>
> Fix writing support

Probably should specify for fatfs here.  We know what your talking about 
but n00b's like me may not.. :-)

> priority: 7
> difficulty: 8
>
> Writing support in fatfs does work a bit, but it is far from
> perfect. Before it correctly works these things should be fixed:

Just a grammar thing here.  Last sentence should probably be: Before it 
works correctly, these things should be fixed:

> - Unsupported calls (like file_chown, file_chmod should be ignored (or
>  correctly handled, if that is possible).
>
> - Reimplement dir_rename_dir, the libdiskfs version relies on
>  hardlinks.
>
> - Fix the locking problem in write_node (actually there are two).
Can you give more details here at all?

> - When removing files gaps are created in the directory. Remove a
>  block when it is only filled with deleted files, perhaps move
>  directory entries to prevent a directory from eating diskspace.
>
> - Check if a FAT32 partition was cleanly unmounted. fatfs should also
>  set this information.
>
> - The filenames are presented as they are on disk when reading. It is
>  better to convert them to uppercase/lowercase names. Always write
>  files in uppercase.
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Write a utmp translator
>
> priority: 4
> difficulty: 5
>
> Design the utmp interfaces and write a translator. Change all programs
> that use utmp to use this translator.
>
> (libnetfs)
> Support --readonly, --writable, and --update
>
> priority: 5
> difficulty: 5
>
> Libnetfs should handle these options just like libdiskfs does. It
> should be possible to get and change these options after the server
> started using fsysopts.
>
> (libdiskfs)
> Handle dead name notifications on execserver ports.
>
> priority: 6
> difficulty: 3
>
> When the exec server dies it is impossibly to start a
> program. libdiskfs should handle dead name notifications to find out
> if the exec server died and alert the user.
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Support multiple users per uid
>
> priority: 5
> difficulty: 5
>
> It is only possible for one user per uid to log in. The uid is passed
> to the password server instead of the username. The password
> (password.defs) interfaces should be changed so it is possible to pass
> the username to the password server.
>
> The password server and libshouldbeinlibc should be changed to use the
> interfaces and usernames instead of uids internally.
>
> Also the utilities using the password interfaces should be updated so
> they pass the username to the password server instead of the uid.
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> (ext2fs)
> Maybe file_pager_write_page should be able to accurately reproduce holes
>
> priority: 3
> difficulty: 5
>
> When a block that is a part of a file is filled with zeros it doesn't
> have to be stored on disk. This is called a sparse file.
>
> Just before a block of a file is written to disk file_pager_write_page
> should check if that block is filled with zeros. It should allocate a
> block on disk but just mark it as sparse instead. If a block was
> already allocated on disk it should be freed.
>
>
>
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> http://mail.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/bug-hurd
>
>  
Great work as always!!

--
Barry deFreese
Debian 3.0r1 "Woody"
Registered Linux "Newbie" #302256 - Debian Developer Wannabe

"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving
to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe
trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is
winning." Rich Cook.