PackageFS installation and usage with LUFS

The PackageFS installation procedure consists in patching the kernel and compile the daemon program called $\texttt{lufsd}$. The first step should be done by hand, since it had been necessary to modify original LUFS kernel code. In particular the original $\texttt{lu\_xlate\_symlink}$ function forbids symbolic links creation between different file system types. This sounds strange, because that was the motivation symbolic links were introduced in UNIX $^{\textrm{TM}}$. I never succeed in contacting the author Florin Malita, so I had to release my personal LUFS kernel patch. This has been possible without copyright violation, because the original source code is Free Software, as it is released with GNU GPL license (see appendix C).

Now, we show the installation process.

Download the patch for the particular Linux version from
http://packagefs.sourceforge.net into kernel's source top directory and apply it by

• $\texttt{/usr/src/linux-2.4.26\char93 patch -p1 < lufs\_pkgfs-2.4.26.patch}$

Then reconfigure the kernel, enable LUFS under $\texttt{File Systems}$ section (it requires development/incomplete drivers and Unix domain sockets). Proceed with building and installing the kernel.

The rest of the application can then be downloaded from the same home page and easily installed, specifying $\texttt{--disable-kernel-support}$ when running $\texttt{./configure}$.

A user can mount PackageFS running the lufsd daemon. He has to set the file system to be mounted and the mount point parameters.

• $\texttt{\$ lufsd none }$~ $\texttt{/packages/ -o fs=pkgfs,channels=1}$

The $\texttt{channels}$ value is set to 1 in order to limit open communication channels.

There is also the $\texttt{lufsmount}$ wrapper application, which has a syntax similar to the mount command

• $\texttt{\$ lufsmount pkgfs:// }$~ $\texttt{/packages/ -c 1}$

To unmount the file system the same user has to type

• $\texttt{\$ lufsumount }$~ $\texttt{/packages/}$