Multiplexes arbitrary host names, making access to many different host fast and easy. For each host accessed via a directory an new translator is started with the hostname as option. Say, /hostmuxdemo should let you access your favourite host with your translator mytranslatorfs. **ls /hostmuxdemo/mybox/** would give the result of mytranslatorfs applied to host mybox. ## Usage Hostmux takes translator options as argument and (in the easiest case ) starts the translator with the given arguments and the hostname as the last argument. ### ftpfs ftpfs is a good example, that is even very usefull. With hostmux and ftpfs you can access anonymous ftp via the filesystem, sparing out complicate use of a ftp client. We assume you want to access the ftp root at all servers. The example host is ftp.yourbox.com. Usermux is called via **settrans -fgap /ftp /hurd/hostmux /hurd/ftpfs /** . * **-fg** makes settrans try hard to remove an existing old translator from **/ftp** * **ap** sets an active translator (starts the translator) and a passive translator (stores translator information in the filesystem with which an active translator can be started on access of this node) * **/ftp** is where we want to set the translator * **/hurd/hostmux** is obviously our hostmux translator that will be started at **/ftp** and handle filesystem operations on **/ftp** and everything below (like **/ftp/ftp.yourbox.com/pub/**) * **/hurd/ftpfs /** is the argument to hostmux. When **/ftp** is accessed, the first directory is interpreted as hostname and a new translator is set up with the **hostmux** arguments: **ls /ftp/ftp.yourhost.com/pub/** lets hostmux start a new traslator **/hurd/ftpfs / ftp.yourhost.com** and serve it via **/ftp/ftp.yourhos t.com/** as directory. Subsequent the directory **pub/** on **/ftp.yourhost.com/** can be accessed via the new created translator. You can see the new created translator in the process list: **ps ax | grep ftpsfs** . You shoud see **/hurd/ftpfs / ftp.yourhost.com** . -- [[Main/PatrickStrasser]] - 13 Jul 2004 # Open Issues ## IRC, freenode, #hurd, 2013-09-21 [[!tag open_issue_hurd]] ls /http://:/ the image came with a global translator though I see it doesn't grokk the alternate port notation. oh right I shall return to the fine documentation it's a hostmux, it doesn't understand ports damn, one thus can't url plain urls with that scheme