Re: [gnome-network]Desktop/file sharing and a case for SLP

[=?windows-1252?q?=22Miguel_A=2E_Ar=E9valo=22?= <marevalo marevalo net>]

Rodrigo Moya wrote:
> On Sat, 2004-01-24 at 19:05 +0100, "Miguel A. Arévalo" wrote:
>
> > I think user filesharing must be completely in user-space (as opposed on 
> > both kernel and/or admin space) and so Gnome should supply a user-space 
> > filesharing daemon (some minimalist one implementing WebDAV or Samba) 
> > implemented for example as a nautilus extension or a panel applet. And 
> > so we can anounce it whichever port/address it is using with SLP.
>
> doing this means re-inventing a new protocol/service, which we have
> discussed for a long time about.

Well, I'm sorry but WebDAV, SMB, and SLP are widely 
developed/implemented and easely re-usable. OTOH using a systemwide 
apache/nfsd server for personal filesharing is a quite new/harmfull idea 
as the user has really no idea on how his system has this services 
configured. It seems to me a quick and dirty hack waiting for a 
permanent solution.

But, of course, the final implementation will be the one selected by the 
one who write it so this is just my .02 €

> > I think that making filesharing that way it will be much more secure 
> > that the Windows or traditional UNIX style of implementing 
> > user-file-sharing.
> >
> > After that we can go for a service browsing module for nautilus and so on...
>
> yes, the idea is to use service discovery. We are going to merge gmdns
> (gmdns in GNOME CVS) into libgnetwork. We were going to do this, but
> lack of time hasn't helped, so if you want to help, it would be great if
> you tried integrating the sources in gmdns into libgnetwork.
>
> Once everything's in libgnetwork, we just need to start adding that
> functionality to all apps, like nautilus, epiphany, galeon, etc

Well, you have just hitted me, I don't really like Zeroconf (which mdns 
is part of), I've run quite big networks and trust me I still have 
really bad headaches when I remember this multicast-monster 
bandwith-eating NetBeui/NetBios-based networks that Zeroconf tries to 
emulate. It's good for crossed cables and really small networks (even 
over USB or Bluetooth) but nothing more. SLP is much more scalable and 
user-friendly for medium to big networks.

But here is a proposal and I can take a look on it this week if there is 
some agreement:

Develop a neutral api for accesing Service Discovery information with 
differents plugins (a la NSS) for diferent SD/SL services, on the 
resolver side we can have this modules for searching information:

- mDNS SD -> For Zeroconf (Apple and SOHO enviroments).
-  DNS SD -> For Windows 2000 (and some services like Jabber and SMTP)
-  SLP    -> For big networks (UserLinux) and Novell environments
-  NetBIOS-> For Windows NT and samba2 networks

And on the other side some API for User-level services (like desktop and 
personal file sharing, but also iChat, iTunes-like services) to register 
on either mDNS and/or SLP.

What do you think about it?

Regards.