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diff --git a/hurd/translator.mdwn b/hurd/translator.mdwn new file mode 100644 index 00000000..d535ef26 --- /dev/null +++ b/hurd/translator.mdwn @@ -0,0 +1,22 @@ +A translator is simply a normal program acting as +an object server and participating in the Hurd's +distributed [[VirtualFileSystem]]. It is so-called +because it typically exports a file system +(although need not: cf. [[auth]], [[proc]] +and [[pfinet]]) and thus translates object invocations +into calls appropriate for the backing store +(e.g., ext2 file system, nfs server, etc.). + +Translators do not require any special privilege +to run. The privilege they require is simply +that to access the indiviudal resources they use. +This is primarily the backing store and the node +they attach to. Typically, a translator can +only be attached to a node by the node's owner. +On Unix this is not possible because file systems +and the virtual file system are implemented in the +kernel and thus have absolute access to the machine. +As the protocols do not require any special privilege +to implement, this is not an issue on the Hurd. + +See [[Translators]] for a list of Hurd translators.
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