[Gnu-arch-users] Re: WebDAV

[Eric S. Johansson]

Aaron Bentley wrote:
> Eric S. Johansson wrote:
>
> >  I've people described using sftp and webdav but I'm really not clear 
> > on what's the meta protocol describing data transfer.  Maybe I just 
> > haven't found the right documentation.
>
>
> Colin proposed a protocol a while back:
> http://mail.gnu.org/archive/html/gnu-arch-users/2004-01/msg01069.html
>
> Tom proposed taking it up a notch: (in abstraction level)
> http://mail.gnu.org/archive/html/gnu-arch-users/2004-01/msg01108.html

since my last message, I have found and was reading those messages.  I 
understand better with the goal was for them.  I wish them well.

> If you want to base a protocol on existing ones, I see roughly 3 options:
>
> 1 Implement Colin's RFC
> 2 Implement a the new protocol as a pseudo-file-sytem, using the pfs 
> commands described in libarch/pfs.h as a rough guide
> 3 Implement the new protocol as a non-pfs archive (all current archives, 
> using the commands described in libarch/archive.h as a rough guide.
>
> Option 2. is probably easiest.  Option 3 could be quite easy if it was 
> implemented using existing code for the backend.

I agree.  I believe that the pfs is probably the safest route for now. 
I'm going to concentrate on understanding webdav because I don't believe 
it has been fully exploited.  I also believes that it's possibly the 
shortest route to a peer-to-peer system (unless I've gone completely 
blond and missed the documentation.  not entirely unlikely given this week)


> If you base the server functionality on tla's existing code, you can 
> probably work on it in chunks, converting first one piece, then another 
> to use file descriptors in a client/server model.  When everything's 
> done, you'll be able to use it remotely over sockets.

understood. many thanks for the pointers.  it is much appreciated.

---eric