[maemo-developers] Samba support dropped (was Re: N810 WE)

[From: Alexander Bokovoy]

On Wed, Jan 21, 2009 at 11:43 AM, Eero Tamminen <eero.tamminen at nokia.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> ext Andreas Schneider wrote:
>> libsmbclient is the way. And to make use of it you need something like a vfs
>> (gio, kio) in the filemanager or you have to write your own.
>
> Fremantle has a Glib version with GIO and kernel has FUSE module...
There are two ways to get CIFS file operations working on a GNU/Linux
system and they aren't replacement to each other. Rather, they should
be used together to provide better experience.

First, if you would need to get access to files outside a device for
once (download file and do whatever is needed locally), use of
libsmbclient/smbclient itself is preferred. If your application
actually needs to work with remote files "in-place", then using CIFS
kernel module is the only option as it provides rich semantics
including proper locking and attributes handling.

However, CIFS is much larger than just file operations. There are also
options to integrate with existing local networks on
authentication/authorization front. There is certainly a benefit from
ability to use a device in corporate environment where network access
might depend on being able to log-in into existing Active Directory or
NT domains infrastructure (I have been into many clients' networks
where Internet access is done through proxies which allow only domain
logged-in users to pass through).

There are also notification abilities, automatic system configuration
propagation (what is allowed and what-not), printing, address book
look-up where you'd have to log-in into AD/Domain before using LDAP
services and so on. Even proper use of mail/collaboration facilities
of Exchange servers require good deal of CIFS as shown by OpenChange
project.

CIFS support is much bigger task than just GIO/FUSE integration.

The question I still have is where Maemo devices would like to be in
next several years. So far integration with "enterprise" was not even
in plans. Personally, I can't even use 770-n800-n810 in my work
environment because it lacks enterprise Wifi options that big
corporations use. But that's a different story.
-- 
/ Alexander Bokovoy