On Thursday 28 of April 2011 16:00:53 Digby Tarvin wrote: > But What I think is really needed for this sort of application is a > filesystem with: > Minimal restrictions of file size (64 bit addresses) > Maximum versatility in FS topology (hard link support etc) > Minimal restriction on file names (character set, length) > Maximum support for all conceiveable meta-data. > > My off the top of the head solution would be a filesystem were each file > has two open ended data forks. One for conventional file content, and the > other used for tagged meta-data. Each OS supporting the filesystem would > be able to define meta-data fields such that all meta data meaningful to > the original filesystem could be retained in files copied to the > removeable system, and mapped to ANSI equivalent standards meta data > fields where appropriate. File accesses would interpret native metadata > with fallback to the ANSI as required. I suppose it should even be able to > suport slashes and nulls in file names, although that would make such > fules hard to deal with from Unix. > > At least it would be usable as a universal backup and file transfer medium. > > Failing that, a simple and universally adopted filesystem - like FAT, but > without the stupid limitations, would be a step forward.
long time ago, iso9660 was supplanted/extended in-line by jolliet and/or ufs. the new filesystem was interleaved with the iso9660. control structures were mostly separate, partly shared; bulk data was just shared. perhaps something along those lines could be doable with `smart' pendrives (like my nokia n900 phone), that would keep all two/three fses in sync. or, just have two or three filesystems residing at separate addresses (partitions?) of block device, but having shared de-duplicating backend like venti. so the bulk data doesn't occupy more blocks than needed. meta: terribly sorry for spamming with those very hairy ideas. -- dexen deVries [[[↓][→]]] ``In other news, STFU and hack.'' mahmud, in response to Erann Gat's ``How I lost my faith in Lisp'' http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2308816
