Re: Recent commit changes extattr backing file format, users beware
On Wed, 19 Apr 2000, Robert Watson wrote: I hope not to change the format any further. I've been considering introducing a backing file header version number of some sort, but this is only necessary if we think the backing file format will change much more. I'm vote for the version number at the begining of file header. You may wish to change a header, change file layout etc., because extattr support is just born and should reserve a way to grow. In addition, it allows to write a simple 'extattrupgrade' utility which will make above tasks more transparent to the end users. (extattrdowngrade also may have some use :) -- Boris Popov http://www.butya.kz/~bp/ To Unsubscribe: send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with "unsubscribe freebsd-current" in the body of the message
Re: Recent commit changes extattr backing file format, users beware
On Wed, 19 Apr 2000, Garance A Drosihn wrote: At 3:41 AM -0400 4/19/00, Robert Watson wrote: I hope not to change the format any further. I've been considering introducing a backing file header version number of some sort, but this is only necessary if we think the backing file format will change much more. Comments welcome. If you're going to change the header right now, then I would think it is best to add a field for version number. What you're saying is that "we will never ever have to change this format again", and that seems overly optimistic to me. I don't even know what this *IS*, other than you report that this change will cause "weird and unfortunate things to happen" for backing files created with the previous format. Any format where a change can cause "weird and unfortunate things to happen" should have a version number in it, in my opinion... What downside is there to adding a field for version number? I came to the same conclusion and am about to commit the addition of a magic number for sanity checking, and a version field in the file header. I've spent the last twenty minutes trying to get the man page updates right for some other parallel changes, but am still working on that. :-) Should be committed shortly, as the changes have been working fine for me for the past hour or two. Robert N M Watson [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.watson.org/~robert/ PGP key fingerprint: AF B5 5F FF A6 4A 79 37 ED 5F 55 E9 58 04 6A B1 TIS Labs at Network Associates, Safeport Network Services To Unsubscribe: send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with "unsubscribe freebsd-current" in the body of the message
Re: Recent commit changes extattr backing file format, users beware
FYI: I committed the addition of the magic number and version information an hour or two ago. It seems to work fine for me, but please let me know if you have any problems. A migration tool doesn't seem useful yet, but is now feasible :-). In a day or two, I'll send a post to freebsd-fs describing possible upsides and downsides to moving to a more integrated attribute mechanism instead of (and/or in addition to) backing files. Robert N M Watson [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.watson.org/~robert/ PGP key fingerprint: AF B5 5F FF A6 4A 79 37 ED 5F 55 E9 58 04 6A B1 TIS Labs at Network Associates, Safeport Network Services To Unsubscribe: send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with "unsubscribe freebsd-current" in the body of the message
