Re: [Gnu-arch-users] Re: [OT] GNU Hurd

[Alfred M\. Szmidt]

   It would be good if a common library/set of APIs to such OS level
   services (user-level file systems) can come into common use, which
   would use the OS-level facilities if available and if not, provide
   emulation at the application level for such services (to the extent
   possible).  Similar to, say, fam/inofity.

This is entierly possible, the FUSE API is trivial, so making FUSE
file-systems work on the GNU system isn't that much work.  Getting
block file-systems working on GNU/Linux on the other hand won't be as
trivial.

For FAM/inotify, the Hurd already supports such things directly,
dir_notify_changes and file_notify_changes (or something similar).
FAM requires a daemon right?  So on GNU, that daemon wouldn't be used,
and the library that programs use would simply link to another library
that provides the same API.  Also one of those things that shouldn't
take to much time.

Now, getting GNOME to ditch its whole VFS mess... Now that is a fun
story. :-)