[openbeosstorage] Re: Partitioning context
- From: "Ingo Weinhold" <bonefish@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: openbeosstorage@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 06 Apr 2003 18:01:27 +0200 CEST
"Axel D=F6rfler" <axeld@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> I've just two more (related) points to consider:
>
> - 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=5FID]/raw.
The rest can work completely transparent for the disk=5Fdevice=5Fmanager.
> - it would be nice if we would recognize if one partitioning system
> is
> used inside of another
As I understand it, that is already built into the DiskDevice 2.x API.
I'm actually afraid, the current version handles this too
transparently, since, unless I missed something, there is no way to
find out, if you have indeed nesting partitioning systems or just a
single partitioning system supporting hierarchies. E.g. in the intel
case:
-----------------------------------------
| device |
|---------------------------------------|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---------|-----------------------------|
| 5 | 6 | | 7 | 8 |
1 being an extended partition, 4 and 5 contained logical and 2-4, 7,
and 8 primary ones, the BDiskSystem for device and partitions 1 and 4
are the same (intel), although 1 and 4 are quite different beasts
(extended vs. true nesting). (That reminds me, that a
BPartition::DiskSystem() or better GetDiskSystem() is missing.)
So, probably an additional BPartition::IsLeaf() (better name=3F) 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.
BTW, DriveSetup users should be warned, when they are going to use
nesting.
> 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=3D3F
Definitely a good idea.
CU, Ingo
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