Subject: Re: libahdi [Re: CVS commit: basesrc]
To: None <J.D.Coleman@newcastle.ac.uk>
From: Brook Milligan <brook@biology.nmsu.edu>
List: tech-userlevel
Date: 02/10/2000 11:31:47
   Hmm, API ... some thoughts ...

   Purpose of the library ... routines to read native labels _and_ to read
   other ports' disks.

   We want to be able to (at least) read the foreign labels, maybe also to
   write them.  First, names for functions.  Either of the form :

Can I add a suggestion for functionality for the library?  A nice
interface for retrieving geometry information (particularly for BIOS
geometry for those ports that have it) would be great.

I have a bunch of code for reading and writing MSDOS
bootsectors/FATs/... close to ready for a new newfs_msdos(8) that
handles a broader range of conditions than the in-tree one.  One of
the problems is getting all the relevant geometry information figured
out.  It would be great if the basic disklabel library could provide
an API for supporting that so that this stuff doesn't have to
duplicate code (in slightly modified form) now in disklabel and fdisk.

Would it be relevant to be more specific about what sort of interface
would be useful for that application?

Cheers,
Brook