linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] Added CONFIG_VFAT_FS

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Date:	Fri, 3 Jul 2009 00:00:04 +0200
From:	Pavel Machek <pavel@....cz>
To:	tridge@...ba.org
Cc:	OGAWA Hirofumi <hirofumi@...l.parknet.co.jp>, john.lanza@...ux.com,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, linux-fsdevel@...r.kernel.org,
	Dave Kleikamp <shaggy@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>,
	Steve French <sfrench@...ibm.com>,
	Mingming Cao <cmm@...ibm.com>,
	Paul McKenney <paulmck@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>
Subject: Re: [PATCH] Added CONFIG_VFAT_FS_DUALNAMES option

Hi!

>  > Defaults should be back-compatible.
> 
> I would usually agree, but I think we have an unusual situation here,
> in some ways similar to a demonstrated security hole. The previous
> behaviour exposed a lot of Linux vendors to the possibility of an
> expensive legal fight.

I'd actually like to see all-out software patent war in the U.S. It
would make sure that software patents do not spread to the rest of
world. Bad for U.S.? Yes. Good for world? Yes!

>  > Users considering disabling this should understand that filesystem
>  > they write to will not be valid vfat filesystems, and may trigger bugs
>  > in some devices.
> 
> If we find any devices that exhibit any problems with this patch while
> it is in linux-next (and maybe linux-mm?) then this warning would
> indeed be appropriate. It no such devices are known then I think the
> warning is going a bit far. 

You already know that it breaks XP and older linuxes. So... what are
you arguing about?! Chkdsk marks it as invalid filesystem... not a
vfat.

If mickey$oft intentionally modified windows 8 to intentionally corrupt
ext3 filesystems so that linux oopses on accessing them, how'd you
like that?

>  > Why not use something like position in directory instead of random
>  > number?
> 
> We did of course consider that, and the changes to the patch to
> implement collision avoidance are relatively simple. We didn't do it
> as it would weaken the legal basis behind the patch. I'll leave it to

Consider it again. Or put fair 'this makes XP crash' warning in
kconfig.

								Pavel
PS: I find it bad that original patch description did not contain XP
crashing / chkdsk explanation.
-- 
(english) http://www.livejournal.com/~pavelmachek
(cesky, pictures) http://atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~pavel/picture/horses/blog.html
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