Re: [9fans] u9fs

[Axel Belinfante <Axel.Belinfante@cs.utwente.nl>]

> If I wanted to use a different key I could use, for example,
> 
> 	mount -k 'user=glenda' /srv/sources /n/sources
> 	cpu -k 'user=glenda' -h sources
Thanks, I was not aware of this -k feature.

> really little point.  If you're using .rhosts authentication,
> then there's nothing stopping me from making my own
> connection to the u9fs service (with aux/9pcon or more
> usefully with a 9P filter in front of the kernel) and sending
> whatever attach name I want.  There's no authentication
> here, and I don't want to start pretending there is.

I know, but this rhost auth case is not an issue,
for me, here, because I don't intend to use it any longer.
This all started because I wanted to move
from rhost auth to now available p9any auth.
So, the .u9fs was meant as 'sort of' equivalent
(wrt opt-in/opt-out) to .rhosts in the case of
p9any/p9sk1 authentication, for the -luser attach hack.
With p9any auth, the plan 9 user can not just be anyone,
but is authenticated, right?

> It is worth noting, though, that if your Plan 9 system is not listed
> in /etc/rhosts.equiv, then users can opt in or out by editing
> their .rhosts files already.  So you really don't need a .u9fs file.

Been there, used that - that is what I depended on so far.

However, I wanted to:
 - get rid of rhosts authentication
   (the u9fs source advices against it, I don't feel safe;
	main thing I dislike about it is that a user using
	it to opt-in for u9fs autonagically also opts-in
	for rsh etc., which is more than wanted/needed)
 - instead, use newly available p9any/p9sk1 authentication
   (by which I loose the opt-in/out feature of rhost
	with plan 9 system not in host.equiv)
 - have flexibility by -luser attach name
   (now I need opt-in/out for the users)

That's why I came up with .u9fs -- 
opt-in/out at the unix side to complement
p9any authentication, giving me something
functionally similar to rhosts with empty hosts.equiv,
but using Plan 9 authentication, resulting in something
stronger than rhosts auth, I hope, something no longer
also allowing rsh,rlogin, at least mot from the plan 9
systen.

Axel.