[KLUG Programming] Pthreads problem

[Adam Williams]

> LESS abstraction, eh? Lack of use of sysctl will hurt my ability to use
> the future netsysctl, which will emit kernel RPC calls over the network?
> I have a better idea, let's:
> 1. Encrypt NFS traffic,
> 2. Code public key auth. for NFS, and
> 3. Enable file locking over NFS

Well, you've pretty much described NFSv4.

> and just fscking export /proc over this improved (to the point where
> actual HUMAN BEINGS might like to use it) NFS to our master server,
> shall we?

I'd rather have some sort of messaging system than an exported
filesystem; XML-RPC, D-BUS, CORBA, whatever...  it is easier to build
apps that use those securely than to connect parts of two systems
together (network mounting) just to perform a simple function.

> Nah... why do something like creating a file-sharing protocol that JUST
> DOESN'T SUCK?!

Impossible, or nearly; something like WebDAV may be as close as you
get.  File sharing simply contains too many caveats; app developers end
up wanting to do really stupid things, like multi-user user of
"database" files, so you get crap features like opportunistic locking
and client-side caching, which ultimately results in nothing but PAIN. 
When the real soluton is to USE-A-BLEEDIN'-RDBMS.  But file-sharing is
"easier" [ hey, anybody can fopen() ], so they do that.