[fdo] Integration of network-softwares like samba, nfs and sftp with the desktop

[Philip Van Hoof]

At this moment, I have the following in mind:

Option one: Create a ORBit daemon that will monitor the configuration-
files of Samba using fam (and will reload it's configuration if the file
is altered). This server will reparse the configuration-file each time
it's asked to do something (for a user) and will append/alter the
configuration-file if the security-checks are good. (so if the share is
within the homedir, if there are no symbolic/hard-links in the tree that
could give the user access to another place, etc etc).

   pro: Other desktops like KDE can easily talk CORBA with this daemon.
        They will probably never use this for CORBA smells to much like
        GNOME (they even have the same amount of characters in their
        name!!) but ... okay

contra: Yet another daemon, running as evil-root



Option two: Create a plugin or piece of code for Samba that will read
and listen for GConf-events/configuration key changes and will reload
the configuration of Samba.

   pro: Tight integration, no learning curve for developers who want to
        integrate their software with this folder-sharing. It's just
        adding GConf configuration-keys for that user.

contra: KDE desktops can't use this (for their developers will whine
        about GConf until we will all starve to death of it)



Option three: +s root binary that can alter the Samba configuration but
does some security-checks first. 

   pro: You can still create a silly daemon for this that will launch
        the tool, and it's usable for really any desktop. Even without
        a CORBA implementation. 

contra: Yet another +s binary. You can also create such a silly
        commandline tool for the daemon-option. Or you could use silly
        gconftool-2 for the GConf option.


Option four: Let the Samba people do it

   pro: They won't hate you because they think you made their secured-
        software insecure by proxying their configuration.

contra: You will probably have to wait for ever until this stupid small
        software/feature is created.


For sure: Alter software like nautilus to have popupmenus and property-
pages for folder-sharing. And let these softwares talk or CORBA with the
daemon, or GConf, or let it launch the +s tool.

For sure: Listen to developers of other desktops that you are an idiot
because you didn't use (their) technology x which is superior to
technology y for the stupid reason z.



-- 
Philip Van Hoof, Software Developer @ Cronos
home: me at freax dot org
gnome: pvanhoof at gnome dot org
work: philip dot vanhoof at cronos dot be
junk: philip dot vanhoof at gmail dot com
http://www.freax.be, http://www.freax.eu.org