[PATCH RFC] cifs-utils: new plugin architecture for ID mapping code

[Scott Lovenberg]

On Thu, Dec 6, 2012 at 10:38 AM, simo <idra at samba.org> wrote:
> On Thu, 2012-12-06 at 10:16 -0500, Scott Lovenberg wrote:
>> On Thu, Dec 6, 2012 at 7:37 AM, Jeff Layton <jlayton at samba.org> wrote:
>> > 1/ Should we switch this code to use a config file of some sort instead
>> > of this symlink? The symlink would probably be more efficient, but it
>> > is a little odd and might confuse people. It also might make it hard to
>> > expand the idmapping interfaces later.
>>
>> Please no symlinks.  We could end up with something like alternatives
>> (/etc/alternatives) where you need a utility to track and change
>> symlinks pointing to symlinks.  I don't even know where java is on my
>> machine or which JVM I'm running.  Symlinks have a tendency to turn
>> into symlink farms.  Look at your PAM install, it's a bunch of links
>> to a single file on most installs.  That way lies madness and dragons.
>>
>> I think most people are comfortable with config files and they're
>> intuitive.  Also, is anyone at any time going to be using more than
>> one mapping interface?
>
> Probably not, which is why a symlink is all we need.
> I think starting with a symlink is fine, I do not particularly love it,
> but makes a lot of stuff simpler for starter.
> Having to parse a config file at each program invocation (for utilities)
> adds up in latency and also requires YACF (Yet Another Config File)
> where all you do is say: use plugin X, or a very complex version of a
> symlink.
>
> Now if you need to actually configure something then yes we could move
> to use a config file eventually.
>
> But unless you already know there is something the cifs utils (*not* the
> plugins) need to configure then it seem a lot of overhead both in terms
> of coding that needs to be done, file formats to choose and associated
> bikeshed, and runtime churn.
>
> Simo.

Simo, those are all great points.  FWIW, even though I don't like the
idea of symlinks, I'm inclined to agree with you that in this case
it's the correct way to go.

-- 
Peace and Blessings,
-Scott.