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Date:      Thu, 7 Mar 2002 12:55:07 -0500 (EST)
From:      Andrew Atrens <andrew_atrens@yahoo.ca>
To:        hiten@uk.FreeBSD.org
Cc:        fs@FreeBSD.org, atrens@nortelnetworks.com
Subject:   Re: is ext2fs a good template for porting a linux filesystem?
Message-ID:  <20020307175507.37816.qmail@web11305.mail.yahoo.com>
In-Reply-To: <20020307165144.A3173@hpdi.ath.cx>

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--- Hiten Pandya <hiten@uk.FreeBSD.org> wrote:
> --- Andrew Atrens <andrew_atrens@yahoo.ca> wrote:
> > Clearcase provides a thin (compilable) shim which fits between the
> > linux kernel and their mvfs module. All accesses to data structures
> and
> > functions (except panic() and printk()) are indirected through the
> > shim.
> 
> > This simplifies their porting effort for new versions of the linux
> > kernel. It also _might_ make it possible to develop a FreeBSD shim,
> 
> > although I really don't know enough yet to know for sure :)
> 
> According to me, I don't think a "shim" would be needed for the
FreeBSD
> port, as it has a very simplistic way of dealing with Filesystems,
while
> Linux uses different files and calls for not so different things;
though
> I may be wrong. :)

Hmm. I don't have the filesystem source code just the shim source code.
So I can't fundamentally change how the fs interfaces to the OS.

> 
> > I've been looking at their shim, and at mfs code for clues as to
how
> > the linux and Freebsd vfs layers might compare. Next I'd like to
> look 
> > at a linux fs that's been ported to FreeBSD. Should I be looking at
> 
> > ext2fs, or is there a better example out there ?
> > Sorry for being so longwinded :)
> 
> Hmm, looking at ext2fs is not a bad idea, but not for everything, as
> some parts of the FreeBSD ext2fs code have been rewritten, so it
> would
> not be that useful.

Yep, I noticed that, too.


> 
> Also, to know more about the 4.4BSD VFS layer, you should also read
> the
> PSD (Programmer Supplementary Documents, I think..) available at:
> 
>     http://docs.FreeBSD.org/doc/
> 
> I found the following papers useful, for studying the VFS layer of
> FreeBSD (available at the above URL):
> 
>  - Memory Base Filesystem
>  - Filesystem Interface (Towards a compatible Filesystem Interface)
>  - Berkeley Software Architecture Manual (4.4 Edition)
>  - 4.4BSD VFS (http://www.pittgoth.com/~hiten/vfs.pdf)
> 
> For the Linux VFS, I would recommend you to read the Linux Kernel
> Internals guide found at http://www.linuxdoc.org
> 
> Also have a look at the fs(5) man page, which is excellent at
> describing
> the fs structure.

Thanks for all the references I just I'll get started reading :) ..


> Other than that, you should carefully study the nullfs code,

Aha! I will check this out too !


Thanks again!

Cheers,

Andrew
--
| Opinions are my own, not those of any employer.

 

=====
+--
| Andrew Atrens                                                  |
| All opinions expressed are my own,  not those of any employer. |
+--                                                            --+

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