Don, To expand on what Kyle wrote, here is the specific use case we think is most important for USB client support on the MID platform:
Use case: * MID is already turned on; plug the MID directly into my PC via USB cable * MID's data (videos, music, photos, etc) are visible in the file manager on my PC. They appear on the PC as either as separate volumes or as directories in a single volume * Using the file manager on the PC, add/remove files on the MID * Unplug the MID from the PC, enjoy the movie I just copied to it It's our understanding that Intel is supporting this case through the file-backed storage gadget. Some questions: 1) Is Intel patching the file-backed storage gadget to expose the client's ext3-formatted filesystem to the host as a FAT filesystem (requiring ext3<-->FAT translation[1])? If not, what is the plan to expose files contained by that FAT image to applications on the MID? 2) Consider the case where I have a MID with 4GB total storage, and I want to copy a 2GB movie to it. How will the file-backed storage gadget handle this situation? The MID doesn't have enough storage for 2 copies of the movie (one in the FAT image and one in the MID's native ext3 filesystem). 3) The blueprint and your status report both mention host-side utilities. Are those utilities required for file sharing, or are they used exclusively for sharing the MID's network connection? 4) The blueprint and your status report both mention Samba for file sharing/transfer. How is Samba relevant to USB Client? When plugged into a PC via USB, will the MID appear as a network share? If so, will it also appear as a FAT device? Why present the user that choice? [1] I think it's possible to implement FAT<-->ext3 translation, so that parts of the MID's filesystem are exposed to the host as one or more FAT volumes even though they're ext3 underneath. The qemu emulator project already has some code that does this - it exposes the host's filesystem to the guest OS as a FAT device. See http:// fabrice.bellard.free.fr/qemu/qemu-doc.html#SEC24 Steve On Oct 24, 2007, at 12:03 PM, Kyle Nitzsche wrote: > Hi, > > Yes, Linux on the MID uses ext3 file system. > > I've chatted with some folks here and my question boils down to use > cases. > > One use case is the MID plugs into the USB Host, say a PC, in order > to copy files to the PC. This is arguably an important use case for a > MID. > > Does your group's work support this? The issue seems to be exposing > the ext3 file system to a device that doesn't understand it. (It > might be possible to do an on-the-fly FAT emulation.) > > An other use case, which may not be quite as important, is letting > the MID see the the PC's file system and copy files onto the MID, > although it is not clear to me if this is USB client functionality. > > cc:ing the list. > > Thanks, > Kyle > > > On Oct 24, 2007, at 11:25 AM, Johnson, Donald K wrote: > >> >> Honestly, I don't know. >> >> Could you give me a description of the failure case? >> Then I can track down somebody who might know and ask them. >> >> My guess is that: >> - Linux on the MID is using ext3 file system >> - An external USB device with a FAT file system is mounted >> - Since I believe Linux can handle FAT file systems just mounting >> the >> FAT >> file system should not be a problem. >> - So I'm guessing the problem is that the device with the FAT file >> system >> is shared, and the problem is with sharing FAT? >> >> Or is it something else entirely? >> >> Don J. >> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: Kyle Nitzsche [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 6:51 AM >>> To: Johnson, Donald K >>> Subject: Re: USB Client Status for October 24, 2007 >>> >>> Hi Don, >>> >>> Am I correct in thinking that Samba solves the problem of >>> inconsitency between the MID's ext3 file system with respect to FAT >>> file system device? >>> >>> Many thanks, >>> Kyle Nitzsche >>> >>> On Oct 23, 2007, at 9:08 PM, Johnson, Donald K wrote: >>> >>>> >>>> USB Client external availability still November 5, 2007 >>>> >>>> USB Client Features, from internal release note: >>>> >>>> Drivers: >>>> 1) Support USB2.0 spec to enable Poulsbo USB client hardware. >>>> 2) Support USB Mass Storage class to expose mass storage device. >>>> 3) Support USB CDC-EEM class and RNDIS spec to expose >>> Ethernet device. >>>> 4) Support interoperation with both Linux an Windows host PC of >>>> VFAT/FAT32 file systems in mass storage device condition. >>>> 5) Support interoperation with both Linux and Windows PC with >>>> CDC-EEM/RNDIS compatibility. >>>> >>>> Utilities: >>>> 6) Utility automatically start DHCP server to allocate IP >>> addresses in >>>> host and client if static IP is not chosen. >>>> 7) User can specify directories to share with host through GUI >>>> utility. >>>> 8) Samba server is automatically started in client utility to share >>>> selected folders. >>>> 9) Shared directories will be shown in a GUI Window. >>>> 10) User can set different access permissions to each samba user. >>>> >>>> Known issues: >>>> 1) Drivers are not tested in High-Speed environment due to some >>>> known >>>> HW sightings and bugs in Poulsbo B0 board. >>>> 2) Drivers don't pass USB-IF Compliance test. There are some >>> potential >>>> bugs about: >>>> a) USB reset, Power Management >>>> b) GET_STATUS, CLEAR_FEATURE, SET_FEATURE USB standard control >>>> requests >>>> 3) File-backed storage (MSD) gadget doesn't support endpoints STALL >>>> feature now, >>>> set module parameter "stall=0" can work. >>>> 4) USB VID and PID for MSD and RNDIS gadgets are temporary ones. >>>> 5) The solution of static IP option is under discussion and not >>>> finalized now. >>>> 6) The interaction of Linux client utility and Windows host utility >>>> are >>>> not >>>> verified. >>>> 7) Client utility sometimes is aborted when new share folder >>> is added. >>>> >>>> Don Johnson >>>> Ultra-Mobility Group >>>> Intel Corporation >>>> Office: 503-712-9898 >>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Ubuntu-mobile mailing list >>>> [email protected] >>>> Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/ >>>> mailman/ >>>> listinfo/ubuntu-mobile >>> > > > -- > Ubuntu-mobile mailing list > [email protected] > Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/ > listinfo/ubuntu-mobile -- Ubuntu-mobile mailing list [email protected] Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-mobile
