Dear EROFS Developers, I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out to propose a feature addition to the `erofs-utils` that I believe could benefit many users, including myself.
As you know, `mksquashfs` offers an `-offset` option which allows users to specify an offset in the file where the filesystem will begin. This feature is particularly useful for embedding the SquashFS image into firmware images or other specific scenarios where filesystems must coexist with different data structures in a single image. Currently, `mkfs.erofs` does not seem to support an equivalent option, which limits its utility in scenarios similar to those where `mksquashfs` is used. The addition of an `--offset` option to `mkfs.erofs` could provide users with the flexibility to specify the starting offset of the filesystem within an image file. The syntax for this could be as straightforward as: ```sh Copy code mkfs.erofs --offset=<offset-in-bytes> <destination-img> <source-directory> ``` This feature would align EROFS's functionality more closely with SquashFS, potentially broadening its use cases and adoption. Currently, I can achieve a similar result by first creating an image file with the desired offset using `truncate`, and then concatenating the filesystem image to the offset image using `cat`, like so: ```sh truncate -s <offset-in-bytes> image_with_offset.img cat erofs.img >> image_with_offset.img ``` However, this method is more cumbersome and less efficient than having an integrated option in `mkfs.erofs`. Implementing an `--offset` option would streamline the process and offer a more elegant and direct approach. I understand that such features require time and resources to implement, and I appreciate the effort that goes into maintaining and improving open-source software. I believe this feature could enhance EROFS's utility for many users and look forward to any possibility of its inclusion in future releases. Thank you for your consideration and for the work you do to develop and maintain EROFS. Please let me know if I can provide further information or assist in any way. Best regards, Pavel Otchertsov <[email protected]>
