Re: [9fans] Multi-dimensional filesystem

[Skip Tavakkolian <skip.tavakkolian@gmail.com>]

if i understand correctly, this is one way it could be done (i think):

* built a graph representing the structure
* create a file server that given a graph and a root node, synthesizes
a hierarchy,  AND
* on every walk to a node launches a copy of itself with the same
graph but the new node as the root AND
* mounts the newly launched copy of it self under that node (like exportfs).

-Skip

On Fri, Aug 3, 2012 at 10:18 AM,  <tlaronde@polynum.com> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> This is mainly a theoretical question.
>
> While playing with the representation of mathematical definitions as a
> file hierarchy (at dot you find a DESC or whatever named file with the
> description, and the subdirs are simply more restrictive instances of
> the thing; say : collection -> magma -> monoïde -> group etc.), it is
> soon obvious that a filesystem is a one dimension thing: you only follow
> one string. Multiple "parents" at the same level are not there.
>
> One could trick partly using hard or soft links. But with always the
> same problem: who is dot-dot, in a case where multiple parents are here?
> And multiple parents are not, to my knowledge, supported by kernel
> filesystem code. Manipulating the namespace is not the same.
>
> Has someone ever played with the notion of a multidimensional
> filesystem, where '/' is the origin, the nodes would be some
> representation of (a, b, c,...) (even negatives perhaps), each node
> having a name (user defined one by the way), and if
> a node is, say (3, 0, 1,...) this means that it is to be found as the
> third subdir of the (1, 0, 0,...) path etc., (In this scheme, if there
> is no link (no path) from another notion, it is another dimension).
>
> Just for intellectual curiosity.
>
> Best,
> --
>         Thierry Laronde <tlaronde +AT+ polynum +dot+ com>
>                       http://www.kergis.com/
> Key fingerprint = 0FF7 E906 FBAF FE95 FD89  250D 52B1 AE95 6006 F40C
>