Messages in this thread | | | Subject | Re: what is necessary for directory hard links | Date | Fri, 21 Jul 2006 14:49:12 -0400 | From | "Horst H. von Brand" <> |
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Joshua Hudson <joshudson@gmail.com> wrote: > This patch is the sum total of all that I had to change in the kernel > VFS layer to support hard links to directories
Can't be done, as it creates the possibility of loops. The "only files can be hardlinked" idea makes garbage collection (== deleting of unreachable objects) simple: Just check the number of references.
Detecting unconnected subgraphs uses a /lot/ of memory; and much worse, you have to stop (almost) all filesystem activity while doing it.
Besides, the flow "root down through directories" gives a natural order in which to go locking stuff when needed; if there can be loops, the system could easily deadlock. -- Dr. Horst H. von Brand User #22616 counter.li.org Departamento de Informatica Fono: +56 32 654431 Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria +56 32 654239 Casilla 110-V, Valparaiso, Chile Fax: +56 32 797513
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