Re: GNU Hurd SoC projects

[Ludovic Courtès]

Hi,

<olafBuddenhagen@gmx.net> writes:

> On the other hand, that's actually one of the things I like about the
> proxy FS approach: It could be used in a very flexible manner, covering
> both cases: Replacing a single server for changed functionality, as well
> as creating totally isolated environments for security purposes.

Agreed.  Really, I think two valuable sources of inspiration for the
design of a proper, flexible "FS proxying" framework are:

  * Plan 9's `rfork(2)', along with `bind(2)' and `mount(2)' and
    friends (http://plan9.bell-labs.com/magic/man2html/2/fork).

  * Plash's file system virtualization mechanisms
    (http://plash.beasts.org/environment.html).

Both are similar in spirit and should be easily implementable on the
Hurd: one just has to pass a port to a proxy root FS server to
`exec_exec ()' et al. at process-creation time.  Facilities to
conveniently manipulate name spaces and to create a process running
under an arbitrary user-specified name space could be encapsulated into
a library.

My two cents...

Thanks,
Ludovic.