Multiplexes arbitrary host names, making access to many differnt 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 transplator in the process list: **ps ax | grep ftpsfs**
. You shoud see **/hurd/ftpfs / ftp.yourhost.com**
.
-- [[Main/PatrickStrasser]] - 13 Jul 2004