[openbeosnetteam] Re: general or PPP ideas

>> > I would like to use userland user-DB-add-ons because it puts less
>> > code into
>> > the kernel.
>>
>> You could have a kernel-level protocol module talk to some generalized
>> password database.
>
>This is what I wanted to do, but this module would have to be developed and
>it would reside inside the kernel.
>
>The DB module asks the userland DB process through a port. The userland DB
>process loads DB add-ons. I will define some add-on API so everyone who
>wants to implement his own DB add-on does not have to write a kernel module,
>but only a new userland DB add-on. The DB process loads the add-ons and
>creates a thread for each authentication request.
>How does the authenticator get the result? Can it just read the thread's
>message queue? The userland add-on would get a thread_id and write the
>result to it.
>All requests would be distributed through threads and all authentications
>would work simultaneously.
>
>I hope this was understandable. :)
>
I think it's too complicated. I like the idea the SeOS is using - create a 
kernel module that would overload open() call. By replacing open() call you 
don't create API dependancy and it's easier to port other applications. SeOS 
module would also grab information about current user from process tables and 
pass it to userland DB process that will do authentication and whatever you 
need to do. 

>> > But this removes the possibility to make a PPP connection inside
>> > the kernel. And it adds dependency on a userland application or
>> > complicated
>> > userland API. I would prefer to make it very easy. If the
>> > authenticator asks
>> > the userland DB it must block until each user is authenticated.
>>
>> Why? It could be asynchronous.
>
>Is my idea similiar to what you thought of when you wrote "asynchronous"?

I thought that PPP portion in the kernel would only create /dev/net/ppp device 
(or something like that) and userland app would just open() it - this would be 
similar to using other devices. And what's wrong with blocking /locking ? It's 
authentication thread - it runs only once before connection is established. The 
rest of communications is not affected. Are you expecting to have high volume 
of PPP connection requests ?

Vlad


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