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Subject: Re: NTFS-like streams?
To:	torvalds@transmeta.com (Linus Torvalds)
Date:	Sun, 13 Aug 2000 20:01:10 +0100 (BST)
From:	Alan Cox <alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk>

> The point is to be able to access resource forks in a way that is
> compatible with UNIX filesystem semantics.

We already do that for Apple HFS. We create a fake directory for each dir
which is called .AppleDouble and contains the resource fork. It works pretty
well on the whole. rename() has some suprises and a generic unix cp command
will lose the resource fork but it works ok.

> filesystems. Sane and usable. Things like "fd_open()" make sense even
> without resource forks - it's kind of a private extension of the notion of
> "current working directory", after all. 

fd_open is interestingly dangerous for security unless carefully considered.
But yes it should be sat down and thought through

> Maybe in the future, if we support resource forks on other filesystems

We already do. Have done since 1.3.something. 

> This is a practical matter of "how do we sanely export non-UNIX semantics
> of other systems filesystems to UNIX programs". 

hfs works fine. This is a debate about an existing solved non problem. Providing
you don't want to keep the illusion intact at all levels (eg cp copying all
the forks) then its not a problem. 

The appletalk file server even knows about this so that it can put the forks
back together for a macos client.

Alan


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