Messages in this thread | | | Date | Wed, 24 Nov 2004 16:37:16 +0530 | From | Amit Gud <> | Subject | Re: file as a directory |
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On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 11:32:13 +0100, Helge Hafting <helge.hafting@hist.no> wrote: > Amit Gud wrote: > > > > >On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 16:04:28 +0100, Helge Hafting <helge.hafting@hist.no> wrote: > > > > > > > >>You won't get .tar or .tar.gz support in the VFS, for a few simple reasons: > >>1. .tar and .tar.gz are complicated formats, and are therefore better > >> left to userland. > >> > >> > > > >Agreed that .tar.gz is a complicated format, but zlib is already in > >the kernel. It _should_ simplify inflate and deflate of files. And as > >compared to .gz format, .tar is much simpler, I guess. > > > > > > > >> It is hard to make a guaranteed bug-free decompressor that > >> is efficient and works with a finite amount of memory. The kernel > >> needs all that - userland doesn't. > >> > >> > > > >I think, finite amount of memory is the concern of worry, not the rest > >... if we could rely on zlib. > > > > > > > >>2. Both .tar and .gz file formats may improve with time. Getting a new > >> version of tar og gunzip is easy enough - getting another compression > >> algorithm into the kernel won't be that easy. > >> > >> > > > >Doesn't zlib in the kernel gets updated as the formats change? If not, > >.tar formats would be worth trying first as proof of concept. > > > This is not so easy, as you have to audit the new version for > correctness. It is not the end of the world if tar or gzip > occationally crashes on some corner case. The kernel > must not do that though. >
Yes, thats what I said in my last post...if the archive looks improper forget it.
> And then there is the much more complicated issues when > writing into such an archive. You skipped that part, or > are you looking for a read-only solution only? >
I'm coming up with something soon, along with the proof of concept....to wrap up all scenarios....need some time ;)
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