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-rw-r--r--community/weblogs/ArneBab/niches_for_the_hurd.mdwn74
1 files changed, 29 insertions, 45 deletions
diff --git a/community/weblogs/ArneBab/niches_for_the_hurd.mdwn b/community/weblogs/ArneBab/niches_for_the_hurd.mdwn
index e8dec5a2..2b3ecc32 100644
--- a/community/weblogs/ArneBab/niches_for_the_hurd.mdwn
+++ b/community/weblogs/ArneBab/niches_for_the_hurd.mdwn
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ the Hurd offers advantages:
- The possibility to create more efficient and powerful desktop environments
- Having a _complete_ GNU System
- All-in-one out-of-the-box distro running a webserver for crash-proof operation.
-- Debian: Allowing users to install stuff which affects only them.
+
#### Target groups and strong environments
@@ -107,19 +107,6 @@ http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/message.php?msg_name=20080909073154.GB821%40a
monologue at the end... I really should put these ideas into my blog.)"*
-#### Debian: Allowing users to install stuff which affects only them.
-
-This can be done in two ways:
-
-- changeroot + unionfs (which is also possible in Linux)
-- a translator on / or /bin set by root which selects a different filesystem view based on which user accesses it.
-
-Both solutions might need a special translator on the package database which makes
-sure that dpkg of each user is aware of the changes root does.
-
-> [15:20] <antrik> as I said, I'm not sure what is the better solution. both have advantages
-> [15:22] <ArneBab> antrik: But regardless of what is teh better solution: This is a damn nice niche!
-
#### Nice features
@@ -152,11 +139,12 @@ aren't possible.
* hello world.
* transparently bind FTP into the filesystem
* hostmux + ftpfs -> connect to FTP automatically via asking for a dir named after the hostname -> fully transparent FTP filesystem: "touch ftp: ; settrans ftp: /hurd/hostmux /hurd/ftpfs / "
- * bind any filesystem at any place in the filesystem (you have access to) without needing to be root.
+ * bind any filesystem at any place in the directory tree (you have access to) without needing to be root.
* elegantly mount iso images and similar as unprivileged user.
- Other useful stuff:
- * Install deb-packages from an ftp server via 'dpkg -iO ftp://foo/bar/*.deb' (needs transparent ftp bound to 'ftp:').
+ * Install deb-packages from an ftp server via 'dpkg -iO ftp://foo/bar/*.deb'
+ * remount a filesystem readonly as regular user: fsysopts /foo -r
- Having a complete GNU System (but not yet on every hardware, and only about half the software Debian offers has been ported).
@@ -168,28 +156,22 @@ aren't possible.
- Tinkering for fun - need documentation about the fun things which can be done.
-- A more powerful alternative to FUSE filesystems: While FUSE is limited to standard
-filesystem semantics, while Hurd translators can implement whatever they
-want.
-It is possible to change the behaviour in any aspect, including the way
-file name lookup works. Admittedly the only specific use case I know is
-the possibility to implement namespace-based translator selection with a
-set of normal translators, without any changes to the Hurd itself.
-It is also possible to extend the filesystem interfaces, adding new RPCs
-and options as needed. This allows using the filesystem for
-communication, yet implementing domain-specific interfaces where
-standard filesystems are too unefficient or cumbersome. A sound server
-would be one possible use case.
-
### Need a few months of coding
- A filesystem-based package manager.
-- A framework for confining individual applications is really just one
-possible use case of the hurdish subenvironments. Writing the tools
-necessary for that should be quite doable in a few months. It's probably
-not really much coding -- most of the work would be figuring out how it
-should be set up exactly.
+- subhurds for regular users
+ * A framework for confining individual applications is
+ really just one possible use case of the hurdish
+ subenvironments. Writing the tools necessary for that
+ should be quite doable in a few months. It's probably
+ not really much coding -- most of the work would be
+ figuring out how it should be set up exactly.
+ * subusers
+ * "subdo":
+ # Example: Let a virus run free, but any effect vanishes
+ # once the subhurd closes.
+ $ subdo --no-lasting-changes ./virus
- Running parts of the Hurd on different computers, maybe even with shared servers on
dedicated hardware (Cloud Computing when the servers can be made to migrate from
@@ -201,20 +183,22 @@ between computers). Maybe this should be placed in "need a lot of coding".
you (translators written in scripting laguages can make this easier - they could
also for example be taken to each computer on USB stick).
+- A more powerful alternative to FUSE filesystems: While FUSE is limited to standard
+filesystem semantics, while Hurd translators can implement whatever they
+want.
+It is possible to change the behaviour in any aspect, including the way
+file name lookup works. Admittedly the only specific use case I know is
+the possibility to implement namespace-based translator selection with a
+set of normal translators, without any changes to the Hurd itself.
+It is also possible to extend the filesystem interfaces, adding new RPCs
+and options as needed. This allows using the filesystem for
+communication, yet implementing domain-specific interfaces where
+standard filesystems are too unefficient or cumbersome. A sound server
+would be one possible use case.
+
- Namespace based translator selection (if you for example want to quickly check the
contents of an iso image, just look at them via 'ls image.iso,,iso9660fs').
-- Debian: Allowing users to install stuff which affects only them.
-
-- smbfs: we'd need a servermux and sharemux there as well, in order to be able to cd
-/smb://host/share/dir
-
-- provide devices to userspace with some restrictions, i.e. provide a specialized
-device so user translators can access it. The providing translator can set
-restrictions on values which can be passed so safe but almost arbitrary device access
-would be possible.
-
-
### Need a lot of coding or fundamental changes
- Effective resource management (For example via Viengoos on which Neal Walfield is