Re: [gcmd-dev] Network connections

[Micha]

Magnus Stålnacke <address@hidden>:

> I have just discovered and explored network connections
> with both mc and nautilus. It works.
> 
> 
> Also found this page explaining about how to do it with nautilus:
> http://gnomejournal.org/article/12/working-with-remote-resources

I can also do 'Go -> Location -> smb://woody.lan1/beamer'
to access my samba server, for example. There are some 
agreements about implementing RFCs and protocols and 
how to invoke URIs, which should work in every filemanager,
even in the windows explorer ;)

> I even tried to get gcmd to connect over ssh, but i guess it only
> uses ftp. But i imagine it wont be that hard to do since gnome-vfs
> obviously has support for ssh and some other protocols. Just a
> drop-down box in the "new-conn-dialog" to chose protocol.

gcmd could as well use the original gnome-vfs (nautilus) code
modul. Well, integration with gnome ... :| you know my opinion.
I'd rather prefer to tie closer to mc, than to gnome.
Why not use the mc universal "virtual filesystem" code.
It works very well with ftp, ssh, and samba, and also for browsing 
archives, even package archives (like .rpm or .deb files) with creating the 
appropriate visual / virtual structure, and iso (DVD/CD) images.

> How does nautilus do this? Is it doable from cmd-line and does
> gnome-vfs mount it somewhare accessible by gcmd?

ftp, ssh, and smb are no real mounts (like nfs which isn't sorted as 
network connections but as remote storage medium).
gnome-vfs isn't calling /bin/mount, neither does it modify /etc/mtab.
It just maintain the connection and translates every action. Just like mc 
does. The 'mount' may be just a internal socket, either of gnome or of 
HAL - if gnome integrates HAL daemon like KDE. I can see some 
stuff in /tmp, in the orbit-<user> and in virtual-<user> folders. 
The information about the connection type and options usually gets stored 
sustainable in the desktop files (represented by the icons), presumably in 
freedesktop style. I seem to remember to have seen markers for 'GNOME' 
or 'KDE' so they can use some compatible desktop entries without interfering
incompatible ones. (In the end, there shouldn't be much left at all.)

> I cannot find that nautilus mounts anything anywhere when connecting to
> a remote machine, i guess that is the "vfs" part about it, but gcmd
> also uses the same vfs, so can it be accessible?
The site you provided above mentioned that modern file chooser dialogs
use the virtual mounts too. That should be possible for gcmd just as easy.

I can't help but to think there's something wrong with implementing gnome
features. Maybe it's the firm belief that there can be only one gnome 
(universal-)filemanager, and that will be nautilus anyway. No other app will 
ever 
integrate that good with the gnome desktop. I think this just should not be the 
target for gcmd. There's nothing to get, it's a dead end street.

And still wishing gcmd was the 'graphical commander' or the 'geek commander'
or whatever else ...