Re: Partitioning context

"Ingo Weinhold" <bonefish-CFLBMwTPW48UNGrzBIF7/[email protected]> wrote:
> "Axel D=3DF6rfler"  <[email protected]> wrote:
> > - we should probably add an option to recognize files as a hard 
> > disk 
> > and be able to scan the partitions contained therein
> I already thought about that some months ago, when we were designing 
> the previous API. The issue I see is, where the devices are 
> published. 
> I would imagine it to work like this: There are syscalls to 
> (un)register a file as virtual disk. On registration a device is 
> published under /dev/disk/virtual/file/<filename>[uniqueness=3D5FID]/
> raw. 
> The rest can work completely transparent for the disk=3D5Fdevice=3D
> 5Fmanager.

Hm, that might be the way to go, and a similar way could probably also 
be used for TTYs. So what's needed would be the ability to trigger the 
creation (and deletion) of /dev entries and the ability of attaching 
data to those entries (which file it refers to, for example). AFAICT 
that matches Thomas' proposed changes to the device management pretty 
well :-)

> ...
> So, probably an additional BPartition::IsLeaf() (better name=3D3F) 
> would be 
> a good idea. It would indicate whether the partition is of a type 
> that 
> doesn't allow to create child partitions using the parent's system in 
> a 
> non-nesting manner.

So that intel partitions in non-extended intel partitions would be 
invalid=3F Do you think that this is a necessary restriction=3F As long as 
we don't give the user the possibility to create those partitions (too 
easily), I don't see much of a problem.
The reader should support anything you throw at it, while the writer 
should only output conformant layouts.

> BTW, DriveSetup users should be warned, when they are going to use 
> nesting.

Might be a good idea, although a visual clue might be enough (i.e. 
partition type: primary/logical (for intel style partioning), along 
with a graphical representation (generic)).
The only problem with nesting partitions is, AFAICT missing support in 
other operating systems.

> > both would be very convenient mostly for users of emulators (such 
> > as 
> > Bochs or Amithlon, the former accesses files as hard drivers, the 
> > latter has the standard amiga partitioning system inside an Intel 
> > partition), but I could imagine other useful applications as well.
> > What do you think=3D3D3F
> Definitely a good idea.

Yep, it always annyoing not to be able to access those things currently 
:-)

Adios...
   Axel.