An idea for integrating Unix filesystem and GUI

[p.carsten at arcor.de]

Hi,

a) generall GUI specifics
I would very much appreciate transparent GUIs  (not bluring). I consider  sysadmins also being GUI users. Avoiding to give new users any point of reference for further learning seems to inherit a big hazard for both the users and the people giving or wanting help or feedback to/from them (sysadmin, helpdesk, designers, coders etc.)

In the Example of virtual desktop filesystem sysadmins need to learn about yet another virtual filesystem and it's caveats. Maybe even for multiple desktops. (Where the hell is this setting actually stored? What is the user talking about?) This way we will not be likely to come to common terms.

James G wrote:
> I think this would ultimately be a better approach than the current dual 
> filesystem/GUI schemes.

I agree, it seems to be a good idea to keep the GUIs as thin as possible and make global enhancements in the underlaying achitecture instead if needed.

Isn't the main lesson not the least from the windows debacle that no app can be better than its foundation?  For the windows case the systems thinker solution is to leave it behind and use software that is free as in freedom. I guess free GUI people would just need to make use of their freedoms and bring good things to their foundation to excel.

Well, I will certainly be happy to check out and test nice integration ideas, and giving some feedback.



b) FS proposal specific
I like that the realnames are given in brackets. It is nice if the user sees what is being referenced (Destination appearing in brackets or in the status bar of the GUI)
Concening the proposition I would like to suggest an addition.
IIRC currently the filesystem only refers to machine specific configuration settings and user specific settings. I would say there is often also a need for i.e. network wide settings.

I think the choices system [1] is an aproach to this and KDE also has a hierachy and $KDEDIRS for their native apps.

Good points for a standardisation (in LSB?) I see are:
- don't save defaults policy
- common merging policy (hierachy)
- provide some stardards (maybe /etc/foo , $HOME/[.]etc/foo, /usr/share/etc/foo ?)
- allow extension/customization with a environment variable.

Looks as if this would also perfectly integrate with other nice things like devfs, auto- or supermount and config4gnu.

cheers
-Peter

[1] http://rox.sourceforge.net/choices.html