From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Fri, 21 Sep 2001 12:09:54 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Fri, 21 Sep 2001 12:09:44 -0400 Received: from natpost.webmailer.de ([192.67.198.65]:41446 "EHLO post.webmailer.de") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id convert rfc822-to-8bit; Fri, 21 Sep 2001 12:09:28 -0400 Message-Id: <200109211609.SAA08383@post.webmailer.de> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII From: Norbert Sendetzky Organization: Linuxnetworks To: Subject: Implementing a new network based file system Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2001 18:07:05 +0200 X-Mailer: KMail [version 1.3.1] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Hi all I'm currently doing some research on implementiation of a new file system for my diplomathesis. It's about designing and implementing a network file system with security in mind. For those interested, there is a short introduction about why and how on my website (look at the Secure Internet File System section): http://www.linuxnetworks.de/security/index.html I have already studied ramfs sources for the basics and the sources of coda, nfs and smbfs to find out, what I have to do. Also I read all documentation I found about the VFS. But there are a few questions, where I couldn't find an answer: My first question is related to the superblock: There are six functions about inode handling. Each of the above network file systems (coda, nfs, smbfs) implements different functions: coda: read_inode and clear_inode nfs: read_inode, put_inode and delete_inode smbfs: put_inode and delete_inode When do I need which function? Why are they necessary at all when implementing a network file system? Can anyone explain the bigger scheme behind this to me? My second question is around inode_operations: Why does none of the network file systems implement the readlink, follow_link, truncate and getattr funtions? Does the server follow the symlink automatically if it is written to the storage medium and show only the resulting file? I have even more questions, but I will do some more research and maybe I will find the answer by myself before I get kicked off this list because of submitting too much obvious questions... (at least obvious to you) ;-) Thanks in advance Norbert