Auto-Mounted Pnd Files?

[ashdjones]

Okay, so I've read the PXML specification again just to be sure i'm not asking a stupid question.

Can PND files be set to automatically mount? For example if they don't contain an application: man files, the missing help files, a collection of command line utilities. It makes more sense to merge this sort of thing into the NAND file system right? I remember reading here (somewhere) that you could do this within special folders on the SD card... but not heard anything else about it.

 

[skeezix]

Not yet. We've often discussed it,, for lib packs and mini updates or common files, but we'll aim for v1.5 or somethng for that

for now, common needs will probably get ipkg'd or we'll update libpnd asap if needed

jeffPhone

 

[ashdjones]

Ok thanks. So if I want to add to the filesystem where does one put the files? Directly on the NAND?

 

[WizardStan]

I would first ask why you want to change the filesystem, and then try to suggest an alternative. You can almost always change the default location for things via environment variables, and if not, there's always symlinks.

 

[ashdjones]

I would first ask why you want to change the filesystem, and then try to suggest an alternative. You can almost always change the default location for things via environment variables, and if not, there's always symlinks.

I don't want to change it, just augment. What you're suggesting is exactly that but logically, i'm really not bothered which.

 

[Lozrus]

I would first ask why you want to change the filesystem, and then try to suggest an alternative. You can almost always change the default location for things via environment variables, and if not, there's always symlinks.

Or UnionFS? Should be ideal for this kind of request, you could put a whole file system overlay onto SD (with extra documentation, updated binaries, custom versions of scripts etc.)

 

[ashdjones]

I would first ask why you want to change the filesystem, and then try to suggest an alternative. You can almost always change the default location for things via environment variables, and if not, there's always symlinks.

Or UnionFS? Should be ideal for this kind of request, you could put a whole file system overlay onto SD (with extra documentation, updated binaries, custom versions of scripts etc.)

Yeah, this seems perfect. I presume you can set this manually using fstab and mount -a? Could a default path be written in to the firmware, for example: "/mnt/SOME SD CARD/pandora/filesystem"?

 

[rabidpoobear]

Since we're asking random PND questions already - I have a question about one of my apps. It's going to use a database (say PostgreSQL) and I obviously want the data nearby the application (i.e. on the same SD.) I'm not really sure how to manage that. Can I "install" postgre to the SD card that has my app on it and then say "that's that", mattress man?

 

[torpor]

Rabidpoobear: why not use sqlite? Then you won't need all the Postgres luggage ..

 

[rabidpoobear]

Rabidpoobear: why not use sqlite? Then you won't need all the Postgres luggage ..

Shh, don't tell anyone, but I'm making a GPS navigation application, and PostgreSQL is a requirement because it has the PostGIS extensions and all the tools to import OpenStreetMap data and a lot of the libs I'm using for routing, etc. require your data to be in a Postgre database. So unfortunately I have no other choice. Otherwise I'd use sqlite, I like it.

 

[Yoyobuae]

I would first ask why you want to change the filesystem, and then try to suggest an alternative. You can almost always change the default location for things via environment variables, and if not, there's always symlinks.

Or UnionFS? Should be ideal for this kind of request, you could put a whole file system overlay onto SD (with extra documentation, updated binaries, custom versions of scripts etc.)

This. I like the idea of playing with the OS without having to be reflashing the NAND and such. I guess another option would be to put everything on the SD card, but it would be better to use whatever is already present on NAND and just put additional stuff on SD.

 

[skeezix]

I've had numerous random ideas.. Such as mount a pnd to be /usr/local/pndname, or arbitrary aufs unions but not sure where the sweet spot is between needs and ease. Real power users will probably just do it in /etc/init.d and not need it in pnd. Still, for stuff like a postgres install an automount could be... But also requiring user to be disciplined enough not to yank out sd while on/suspended... Hence we do it post-release after we all have more pnd usage experience

jeffphone

 

[skeezix]

Yoyo - a union over to sd is fine since 1) that's how pnd works, more or less, so we know it works, 2) how we'll likely do system updates with low risk, and 3) means you canrevert all mods by booting wihout the sd but likewise putting whole distro on sd is easy too.. Leave NAND virgin and just boot sd with all your packages installed if you need to. 16gb sshd is not that pricey anymore

But let's see how good we can make the pnd system before you all go rolling your own firmwares

jeff

 

[Yoyobuae]

Good, good. That's how I think I will run my Pandora most of the time (eventually, that is): one SD card permanently in slot and the other one removable when necessary. Me likes

 

[laurencevde]

Can a PND automatically execute some scripts (in the PND) when inserted and removed? I think that'll be enough for most "special" cases. Though it's not particularly safe...

 

[skeezix]

Currently pnd does not support auto-exec scripts, specifically due to all the screaming and gnashing over security we got already Easily put in (trivial in fact), but.. we'll see how it goes at first.

Right now a pnd can request auto-creation of directories (so /id can be created by quake.pnd on insertion, say), and we're adding in so a pnd can request varios directories gto be mounted into the pnd CWD (ie: so /id can show up as ./id, to make porting easy), and all sorts of co9ol stuff.. but we're dodging doing auto-exec and a lot of magic.. keeping things to surrond the app for now, before we get pnds into the system. One step at a time

jeff

 

[conso]

letting pnd's autoexecute themselves would indeed be a security problem. maybe a local file could instead hold a list of pnd's that should be executed on discovery.

 

[skeezix]

Yeah, but we don't really want to re-implement sudo

Also don't want it to ask on boot "do you wish to allow these pnd files ot run that request it".

But we coudl add a conf entry tat says 'SecurityOutTheWindow,AllowRunOnBoot' where you ptu in 'yes', and then /pandora/automount would work, and /pandora/autoexec/ would work, say. *Shrug*

jeff

 

[rabidpoobear]

Can we pretend for a second that we're all adults who keep backups of our data? It's not like you're gonna brick the system if something malicious happens, and the community's so small the likelihood of that seems rather low.

 

[Alpha2]

There's always the possiblity that a developer could have a break down one day and say "eff the community" I mean supposedly one of the DS Homebrewers created a bricker and set it loose on their community only to say sorry later, but it dosent matter at that point it's already out in the wild. Not everyone will back up their content every day. Someone could be on the road for a month with a Pandora log in one day to download a new thing from developer-X and boom a month worth of use and files could be destroyed before word gets around that it's some form of Pandora malware.

Not saying it WILL happen, just that it could unless every PND is checked before the public sees it.