Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!burl!codas!usfvax2!pdn!reggie
From: reggie@pdn.UUCP (George W. Leach)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: more rm insanity
Summary: 8th Edition Networking
	 Rob Pike & P.J. Weinberger
Message-ID: <1908@pdn.UUCP>
Date: 15 Dec 87 16:48:59 GMT
References: <1257@boulder.Colorado.EDU> <6840002@hpcllmv.HP.COM> <9555@mimsy.UUCP> <431@minya.UUCP>
Organization: Paradyne Corporation,   Largo FL
Lines: 55

In article <431@minya.UUCP>, jc@minya.UUCP (John Chambers) writes:

     [ discussion of how wildcard characters break with most network access
       to files on remote machines]

> > ...makes no sense to me.  
 
> Nor to me.  Ane there are "network" Unix systems where it works.  For example,
> with the Newcastle Connection, you can find out about network nodes at the
> same level as your system by typing:
> 	ls /../*
> Other wildcard expansions work similarly, because "/../" is implemented as
> a normal directory.  (It is actually a special file, of course, within which
> is hidden the network.)
 
> On a more general note, part of the problem is the widespread violation of
> the object-oriented design of Unix.  Objects are, of course, called "files",
> and operators are called "processes"............  
   
           [ text deleted here.... discussion of how most networking
             solutions are a kludge that break the model of UNIX, where
             any and all operations that act upon files are not necessarily
             valid across a network connection ]


      The Eight Edition UNIX addressed this problem as well.  While at Bellcore
I worked on a machine that was part of a collection of machines runninv v8, all
connected to a Datakit Switch, that formed a natural hierarchy above the
various machines: /n/indra/i5/reggie, would access my home directory from one
of ther other machines on the switch, eg. koura, vishnu, matha, .....  Although
we were disconnected after divestiture, there also existed a network of these
datakit switches.  The file system hierarchy was extended to provide names for
the site (eg. mh for Murray Hill) and the particular lab in which the desired
machine resided.  For example, to reach my brother at Bell Labs in Liberty
Corners, NJ the path would have been: /lc/garage/pierce/jpl2.


      For more information on the v8 file system, the naming problem with
networks of UNIX machines, and other similar solutions (eg. The Newcastle
Connection) and problems (eg. The IBIS remote file system on 4.2 BSD) see

       Rob Pike, and P.J. Weinberger
       The Hideous Name
       Summer 1985 USENIX Conference Proceedings
       Portland, Oregon, June 11-14, 1985, pp. 563-568.

      Perhaps someone at AT&T could expand upon this theme and describe
the current scheme.


-- 
George W. Leach					Paradyne Corporation
{gatech,rutgers,attmail}!codas!pdn!reggie	Mail stop LF-207
Phone: (813) 530-2376				P.O. Box 2826
						Largo, FL  34649-2826