Re: Union file system

Matthias Urlichs (smurf@noris.de)
28 Nov 1996 00:31:05 +0100

In linux.dev.kernel, article <m0vSnkq-0004omC@pcpaul.wau.mis.ah.nl>,
paul@wau.mis.ah.nl (Paul Slootman) writes:
>
> When I tried Yggdrasil's stuff a couple of years back, that distribution
> has something called IFS ("Werner's Inherited File System", IIRC). This
>
> I recall that it worked quite well. Anyone know why it didn't get into
> the mainstream kernel?
>
Because it was a total hack (just look at the source code), because it had
unresolved bugs (like failing to free inodes under some unfathomable
circumstances, which meant you were unable to unmount the file systems you
used as source for your IFS mount at last startup), and because Linus
thinks, quite rightly IMHO, that anything you can do with such a beast in
the kernel, you can do even better with a preloaded shared library.

-- 
Competitive fury is not always anger.  It is the true missionary's
courage and zeal in facing the possibility that one's best may not be enough.
               --Gene Scott

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