Odd FS idea.

[Christopher R. Hertel]

This is probably an old idea, but it hit my brain a few days ago and I    
would like to get some feedback.  

How hard would it be to write an overlay filesystem for Linux?  That is,
take something that already exists--such as ext2--and add a layer on top  
that manages such things as ACLs, forks, & other desirable features, and
then have the OS mount the overlay fs rather than the underlying fs.      

I am not talking about the Samba VFS layer but about something done in the
OS itself such that all calls go through the overlay fs before hitting the
underlying fs.  

This is probably being done somewhere by someone.  It isn't an area that I
think about much so it is likely I have missed something, or a lot.  If   
anyone knows of such a beast please point me at it.  It seems an efficient
way (programmer-time-wise) to add some of the features for which people
have been asking.

Chris -)-----

-- 
Christopher R. Hertel -)-----                   University of Minnesota
crh at nts.umn.edu              Networking and Telecommunications Services

    Ideals are like stars; you will not succeed in touching them
    with your hands...you choose them as your guides, and following
    them you will reach your destiny.  --Carl Schultz