Re: [9fans] some Plan9 related ideas

[Francisco Ballesteros <nemo@lsub.org>]

> > * Downloadable namespaces
> > The namespace supported by a filesystem can be modified (possibly using a
> > configuration file provided by the filesystem) to correspond to changes in
> > system that the filesystem in encapsulating.
> 
> Right now, Plan 9 interprets the file /lib/namespace when it starts up
> (and when it starts up applications that respond to external requests).
> That describes a tailored — but not dynamic — name space already.

Plan B changes this to provide dynamic name spaces, where you request
resources but do not directly mount them. See at lsub.org info about Plan B.
In a few days, I'll be implementing this service as a user level
process in Plan 9
(following  a suggestion from rsc). In fact, this is part of our effort
 to integrate our system services back into Plan 9.

For example, we are using RFID and X10 servers (which are small enough that
you might embed them). Our client machines run:
     mount -U  /devs/x10!L136 /n/x10
to request mounting a *U*nion of file trees at /n/x10 for any server
discovered, e.g.,  with name /devs/x10 and location "136"

Is this what you wanted? If so, our modified Plan 9 (i.e. Plan B)
already provides
that.

As Sape said, XML  would be an overkill (though it might be easier
to publish ;-)) ).  We use the "/devs/x10!L136!Unemo..." strings to
specify things.