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| author | Daniel Baumann <daniel.baumann@progress-linux.org> | 2024-04-07 15:49:25 +0000 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | Daniel Baumann <daniel.baumann@progress-linux.org> | 2024-04-07 15:49:25 +0000 |
| commit | 464df1d5e5ab1322e2dd0a7796939fff1aeefa9a (patch) | |
| tree | 6a403684e0978f0287d7f0ec0e5aab1fd31a59e1 /ext2ed/doc/ext2ed-design.sgml | |
| parent | Initial commit. (diff) | |
| download | e2fsprogs-464df1d5e5ab1322e2dd0a7796939fff1aeefa9a.tar.xz e2fsprogs-464df1d5e5ab1322e2dd0a7796939fff1aeefa9a.zip | |
Adding upstream version 1.47.0.upstream/1.47.0upstream
Signed-off-by: Daniel Baumann <daniel.baumann@progress-linux.org>
Diffstat (limited to '')
| -rw-r--r-- | ext2ed/doc/ext2ed-design.sgml | 3459 |
1 files changed, 3459 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/ext2ed/doc/ext2ed-design.sgml b/ext2ed/doc/ext2ed-design.sgml new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b2cab37 --- /dev/null +++ b/ext2ed/doc/ext2ed-design.sgml @@ -0,0 +1,3459 @@ +<!DOCTYPE Article PUBLIC "-//Davenport//DTD DocBook V3.0//EN"> + +<Article> + +<ArtHeader> + +<Title>EXT2ED - The Extended-2 filesystem editor - Design and implementation</Title> +<AUTHOR +> +<FirstName>Programmed by Gadi Oxman, with the guide of Avner Lottem</FirstName> +</AUTHOR +> +<PubDate>v0.1, August 3 1995</PubDate> + +</ArtHeader> + +<Sect1> +<Title>About EXT2ED documentation</Title> + +<Para> +The EXT2ED documentation consists of three parts: + +<ItemizedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The ext2 filesystem overview. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The EXT2ED user's guide. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The EXT2ED design and implementation. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</ItemizedList> + +</Para> + +<Para> +This document is not the user's guide. If you just intend to use EXT2ED, you +may not want to read it. +</Para> + +<Para> +However, if you intend to browse and modify the source code, this document is +for you. +</Para> + +<Para> +In any case, If you intend to read this article, I strongly suggest that you +will be familiar with the material presented in the other two articles as well. +</Para> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1> +<Title>Preface</Title> + +<Para> +In this document I will try to explain how EXT2ED is constructed. +At this time of writing, the initial version is finished and ready +for distribution; It is fully functional. However, this was not always the +case. +</Para> + +<Para> +At first, I didn't know much about Unix, much less about Unix filesystems, +and even less about Linux and the extended-2 filesystem. While working +on this project, I gradually acquired knowledge about all of the above +subjects. I can think of two ways in which I could have made my project: + +<OrderedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The "Engineer" way + +Learn the subject thoroughly before I get to the programming itself. +Then, I could easily see the entire picture and select the best +course of action, taking all the factors into account. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The "Explorer - Progressive" way. + +Jump immediately into the cold water - Start programming and +learning the material in parallel. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</OrderedList> + +</Para> + +<Para> +I guess that the above dilemma is typical and appears all through science and +technology. +</Para> + +<Para> +However, I didn't have the luxury of choice when I started my project - +Linux is a relatively new (and great!) operating system. The extended-2 +filesystem is even newer - Its first release lies somewhere in 1993 - Only +passed two years until I started working on my project. +</Para> + +<Para> +The situation I found myself at the beginning was that I didn't have a fully +detailed document which describes the ext2 filesystem. In fact, I didn't +have any ext2 document at all. When I asked Avner about documentation, he +suggested two references: + +<ItemizedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + A general Unix book - THE DESIGN OF THE UNIX OPERATING SYSTEM, by +Maurice J. Bach. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The kernel sources. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</ItemizedList> + +I read the relevant parts of the book before I started my project - It is a +bit old now, but the principles are still the same. However, I needed +more than just the principles. +</Para> + +<Para> +The kernel sources are a rare bonus! You don't get everyday the full +sources of the operating system. There is so much that can be learned from +them, and it is the ultimate source - The exact answer how the kernel +works is there, with all the fine details. At the first week I started to +look at random at the relevant parts of the sources. However, it is difficult +to understand the global picture from direct reading of over one hundred +page sources. Then, I started to do some programming. I didn't know +yet what I was looking for, and I started to work on the project like a kid +who starts to build a large puzzle. +</Para> + +<Para> +However, this was exactly the interesting part! It is frustrating to know +it all from advance - I think that the discovery itself, bit by bit, is the +key to a true learning and understanding. +</Para> + +<Para> +Now, in this document, I am trying to present the subject. Even though I +developed EXT2ED progressively, I now can see the entire subject much +brighter than I did before, and though I do have the option of presenting it +only in the "engineer" way. However, I will not do that. +</Para> + +<Para> +My presentation will be mixed - Sometimes I will present a subject with an +incremental perspective, and sometimes from a "top down" view. I'll leave +you to decide if my presentation choice was wise :-) +</Para> + +<Para> +In addition, you'll notice that the sections tend to get shorter as we get +closer to the end. The reason is simply that I started to feel that I was +repeating myself so I decided to present only the new ideas. +</Para> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1> +<Title>Getting started ...</Title> + +<Para> +Getting started is almost always the most difficult task. Once you get +started, things start "running" ... +</Para> + +<Sect2> +<Title>Before the actual programming</Title> + +<Para> +From mine talking with Avner, I understood that Linux, like any other Unix +system, provides accesses to the entire disk as though it were a general +file - Accessing the device. It is surely a nice idea. Avner suggested two +ways of action: + +<ItemizedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Opening the device like a regular file in the user space. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Constructing a device driver which will run in the kernel space and +provide hooks for the user space program. The advantage is that it +will be a part of the kernel, and would be able to use the ext2 +kernel functions to do some of the work. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</ItemizedList> + +I chose the first way. I think that the basic reason was simplicity - Learning +the ext2 filesystem was complicated enough, and adding to it the task of +learning how to program in the kernel space was too much. I still don't know +how to program a device driver, and this is perhaps the bad part, but +concerning the project in a back-perspective, I think that the first way is +superior to the second; Ironically, because of the very reason I chose it - +Simplicity. EXT2ED can now run entirely in the user space (which I think is +a point in favor, because it doesn't require the user to recompile its +kernel), and the entire hard work is mine, which fitted nicely into the +learning experience - I didn't use other code to do the job (aside from +looking at the sources, of-course). +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>Jumping into the cold water</Title> + +<Para> +I didn't know almost anything of the structure of the ext2 filesystem. +Reading the sources was not enough - I needed to experiment. However, a tool +for experiments in the ext2 filesystem was exactly my project! - Kind of a +paradox. +</Para> + +<Para> +I started immediately with constructing a simple <Literal remap="tt">hex editor</Literal> - It would +open the device as a regular file, provide means of moving inside the +filesystem with a simple <Literal remap="tt">offset</Literal> method, and just show a +<Literal remap="tt"> hex dump</Literal> of the contents at this point. Programming this was trivially +simple of-course. At this point, the user-interface didn't matter to me - I +wanted a fast way to interact. As a result, I chose a simple command line +parser. Of course, there where no windows at this point. +</Para> + +<Para> +A hex editor is nice, but is not enough. It indeed enabled me to see each part +of the filesystem, but the format of the viewed data was difficult to +analyze. I wanted to see the data in a more intuitive way. +</Para> + +<Para> +At this point of time, the most helpful file in the sources was the ext2 +main include file - <Literal remap="tt">/usr/include/linux/ext2_fs.h</Literal>. Among its contents +there were various structures which I assumed they are disk images - Appear +exactly like that on the disk. +</Para> + +<Para> +I wanted a <Literal remap="tt">quick</Literal> way to get going. I didn't have the patience to learn +each of the structures use in the code. Rather, I wanted to see them in action, +so that I could explore the connections between them - Test my assumptions, +and reach other assumptions. +</Para> + +<Para> +So after the <Literal remap="tt">hex editor</Literal>, EXT2ED progressed into a tool which has some +elements of a compiler. I programmed EXT2ED to <Literal remap="tt">dynamically read the kernel +ext2 main include file in run time</Literal>, and process the information. The goal +was to <Literal remap="tt">imply a structure-definition on the current offset at the +filesystem</Literal>. EXT2ED would then display the structure as a list of its +variables names and contents, instead of a meaningless hex dump. +</Para> + +<Para> +The format of the include file is not very complicated - The structures +are mostly <Literal remap="tt">flat</Literal> - Didn't contain a lot of recursive structure; Only a +global structure definition, and some variables. There were cases of +structures inside structures, I treated them in a somewhat non-elegant way - I +made all the structures flat, and expanded the arrays. As a result, the parser +was very simple. After all, this was not an exercise in compiling, and I +wanted to quickly get some results. +</Para> + +<Para> +To handle the task, I constructed the <Literal remap="tt">struct_descriptor</Literal> structure. +Each <Literal remap="tt">struct_descriptor instance</Literal> contained information which is needed +in order to format a block of data according to the C structure contained in +the kernel source. The information contained: + +<ItemizedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The descriptor name, used to reference to the structure in EXT2ED. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The name of each variable. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The relative offset of the each variable in the data block. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The length, in bytes, of each variable. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</ItemizedList> + +Since I didn't want to limit the number of structures, I chose a simple +double linked list to store the information. One variable contained the +<Literal remap="tt">current structure type</Literal> - A pointer to the relevant +<Literal remap="tt">struct_descriptor</Literal>. +</Para> + +<Para> +Now EXT2ED contained basically three command line operations: + +<ItemizedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + setdevice + +Used to open a device for reading only. Write access was postponed +to a very advanced state in the project, simply because I didn't +know a thing of the filesystem structure, and I believed that +making actual changes would do nothing but damage :-) +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + setoffset + +Used to move in the device. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + settype + +Used to imply a structure definition on the current place. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + show + +Used to display the data. It displayed the data in a simple hex dump +if there was no type set, or in a nice formatted way - As a list of +the variable contents, if there was. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</ItemizedList> + +</Para> + +<Para> +Command line analyzing was primitive back then - A simple switch, as far as +I can remember - Nothing alike the current flow control, but it was enough +at the time. +</Para> + +<Para> +At the end, I had something to start working with. It knew to format many +structures - None of which I understood - and provided me, without too much +work, something to start with. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1> +<Title>Starting to explore</Title> + +<Para> +With the above tool in my pocket, I started to explore the ext2 filesystem +structure. From the brief reading in Bach's book, I got familiar to some +basic concepts - The <Literal remap="tt">superblock</Literal>, for example. It seems that the +superblock is an important part of the filesystem. I decided to start +exploring with that. +</Para> + +<Para> +I realized that the superblock should be at a fixed location in the +filesystem - Probably near the beginning. There can be no other way - +The kernel should start at some place to find it. A brief looking in +the kernel sources revealed that the superblock is signed by a special +signature - A <Literal remap="tt">magic number</Literal> - EXT2_SUPER_MAGIC (0xEF53 - EF probably +stands for Extended Filesystem). I quickly found the superblock at the +fixed offset 1024 in the filesystem - The <Literal remap="tt">s_magic</Literal> variable in the +superblock was set exactly to the above value. +</Para> + +<Para> +It seems that starting with the <Literal remap="tt">superblock</Literal> was a good bet - Just from +the list of variables, one can learn a lot. I didn't understand all of them +at the time, but it seemed that the following keywords were repeating themselves +in various variables: + +<ItemizedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + block +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + inode +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + group +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</ItemizedList> + +At this point, I started to explore the block groups. I will not detail here +the technical design of the ext2 filesystem. I have written a special +article which explains just that, in the "engineering" way. Please refer to it +if you feel that you are lacking knowledge in the structure of the ext2 +filesystem. +</Para> + +<Para> +I was exploring the filesystem in this way for some time, along with reading +the sources. This lead naturally to the next step. +</Para> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1> +<Title>Object specific commands</Title> + +<Para> +What has become clear is that the above way of exploring is not powerful +enough - I found myself doing various calculations manually in order to pass +between related structures. I needed to replace some tasks with an automated +procedure. +</Para> + +<Para> +In addition, it also became clear that (of-course) each key object in the +filesystem has its special place in regard to the overall ext2 filesystem +design, and needs a <Literal remap="tt">fine tuned handling</Literal>. It is at this point that the +structure definitions <Literal remap="tt">came to life</Literal> - They became <Literal remap="tt">object +definitions</Literal>, making EXT2ED <Literal remap="tt">object oriented</Literal>. +</Para> + +<Para> +The actual meaning of the breathtaking words above, is that each structure +now had a list of <Literal remap="tt">private commands</Literal>, which ended up in +<Literal remap="tt">calling special fine-tuned C functions</Literal>. This approach was +found to be very powerful and is <Literal remap="tt">the heart of EXT2ED even now</Literal>. +</Para> + +<Para> +In order to implement the above concepts, I added the structure +<Literal remap="tt">struct_commands</Literal>. The role of this structure is to group together a +group of commands, which can be later assigned to a specific type. Each +structure had: + +<ItemizedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + A list of command names. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + A list of pointers to functions, which binds each command to its +special fine-tuned C function. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</ItemizedList> + +In order to relate a list of commands to a type definition, each +<Literal remap="tt">struct_descriptor</Literal> structure (explained earlier) was added a private +<Literal remap="tt">struct_commands</Literal> structure. +</Para> + +<Para> +Follows the current definitions of <Literal remap="tt">struct_descriptor</Literal> and of +<Literal remap="tt">struct_command</Literal>: + +<ProgramListing> +struct struct_descriptor { + unsigned long length; + unsigned char name [60]; + unsigned short fields_num; + unsigned char field_names [MAX_FIELDS][80]; + unsigned short field_lengths [MAX_FIELDS]; + unsigned short field_positions [MAX_FIELDS]; + struct struct_commands type_commands; + struct struct_descriptor *prev,*next; +}; + +typedef void (*PF) (char *); + +struct struct_commands { + int last_command; + char *names [MAX_COMMANDS_NUM]; + char *descriptions [MAX_COMMANDS_NUM]; + PF callback [MAX_COMMANDS_NUM]; +}; +</ProgramListing> + + +</Para> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1 id="flow-control"> +<Title>Program flow control</Title> + +<Para> +Obviously the above approach lead to a major redesign of EXT2ED. The +main engine of the resulting design is basically the same even now. +</Para> + +<Para> +I redesigned the program flow control. Up to now, I analyzed the user command +line with the simple switch method. Now I used the far superior callback +method. +</Para> + +<Para> +I divided the available user commands into two groups: + +<OrderedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + General commands. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Type specific commands. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</OrderedList> + +As a result, at each point in time, the user was able to enter a +<Literal remap="tt">general command</Literal>, selectable from a list of general commands which was +always available, or a <Literal remap="tt">type specific command</Literal>, selectable from a list of +commands which <Literal remap="tt">changed in time</Literal> according to the current type that the +user was editing. The special <Literal remap="tt">type specific command</Literal> "knew" how to +handle the object in the best possible way - It was "fine tuned" for the +object's place in the ext2 filesystem design. +</Para> + +<Para> +In order to implement the above idea, I constructed a global variable of +type <Literal remap="tt">struct_commands</Literal>, which contained the <Literal remap="tt">general commands</Literal>. +The <Literal remap="tt">type specific commands</Literal> were accessible through the <Literal remap="tt">struct +descriptors</Literal>, as explained earlier. +</Para> + +<Para> +The program flow was now done according to the following algorithm: + +<OrderedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Ask the user for a command line. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Analyze the user command - Separate it into <Literal remap="tt">command</Literal> and +<Literal remap="tt">arguments</Literal>. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Trace the list of known objects to match the command name to a type. +If the type is found, call the callback function, with the arguments +as a parameter. Then go back to step (1). +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + If the command is not type specific, try to find it in the general +commands, and call it if found. Go back to step (1). +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + If the command is not found, issue a short error message, and return +to step (1). +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</OrderedList> + +Note the <Literal remap="tt">order</Literal> of the above steps. In particular, note that a command +is first assumed to be a type-specific command and only if this fails, a +general command is searched. The "<Literal remap="tt">side-effect</Literal>" (main effect, actually) +is that when we have two commands with the <Literal remap="tt">same name</Literal> - One that is a +type specific command, and one that is a general command, the dispatching +algorithm will call the <Literal remap="tt">type specific command</Literal>. This allows +<Literal remap="tt">overriding</Literal> of a command to provide <Literal remap="tt">fine-tuned</Literal> operation. +For example, the <Literal remap="tt">show</Literal> command is overridden nearly everywhere, +to accommodate for the different ways in which different objects are displayed, +in order to provide an intuitive fine-tuned display. +</Para> + +<Para> +The above is done in the <Literal remap="tt">dispatch</Literal> function, in <Literal remap="tt">main.c</Literal>. Since +it is a very important function in EXT2ED, and it is relatively short, I will +list it entirely here. Note that a redesign was made since then - Another +level was added between the two described, but I'll elaborate more on this +later. However, the basic structure follows the explanation described above. + +<ProgramListing> +int dispatch (char *command_line) + +{ + int i,found=0; + char command [80]; + + parse_word (command_line,command); + + if (strcmp (command,"quit")==0) return (1); + + /* 1. Search for type specific commands FIRST - Allows overriding of a general command */ + + if (current_type != NULL) + for (i=0;i<=current_type->type_commands.last_command && !found;i++) { + if (strcmp (command,current_type->type_commands.names [i])==0) { + (*current_type->type_commands.callback [i]) (command_line); + found=1; + } + } + + /* 2. Now search for ext2 filesystem general commands */ + + if (!found) + for (i=0;i<=ext2_commands.last_command && !found;i++) { + if (strcmp (command,ext2_commands.names [i])==0) { + (*ext2_commands.callback [i]) (command_line); + found=1; + } + } + + + /* 3. If not found, search the general commands */ + + if (!found) + for (i=0;i<=general_commands.last_command && !found;i++) { + if (strcmp (command,general_commands.names [i])==0) { + (*general_commands.callback [i]) (command_line); + found=1; + } + } + + if (!found) { + wprintw (command_win,"Error: Unknown command\n"); + refresh_command_win (); + } + + return (0); +} +</ProgramListing> + +</Para> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1> +<Title>Source files in EXT2ED</Title> + +<Para> +The project was getting large enough to be split into several source +files. I split the source as much as I could into self-contained +source files. The source files consist of the following blocks: + +<ItemizedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + <Literal remap="tt">Main include file - ext2ed.h</Literal> + +This file contains the definitions of the various structures, +variables and functions used in EXT2ED. It is included by all source +files in EXT2ED. + +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + <Literal remap="tt">Main block - main.c</Literal> + +<Literal remap="tt">main.c</Literal> handles the upper level of the program flow control. +It contains the <Literal remap="tt">parser</Literal> and the <Literal remap="tt">dispatcher</Literal>. Its task is +to ask the user for a required action, and to pass control to other +lower level functions in order to do the actual job. + +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + <Literal remap="tt">Initialization - init.c</Literal> + +The init source is responsible for the various initialization +actions which need to be done through the program. For example, +auto detection of an ext2 filesystem when selecting a device and +initialization of the filesystem-specific structures described +earlier. + +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + <Literal remap="tt">Disk activity - disk.c</Literal> + +<Literal remap="tt">disk.c</Literal> is handles the lower level interaction with the +device. All disk activity is passed through this file - The various +functions through the source code request disk actions from the +functions in this file. In this way, for example, we can easily block +the write access to the device. + +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + <Literal remap="tt">Display output activity - win.c</Literal> + +In a similar way to <Literal remap="tt">disk.c</Literal>, the user-interface functions and +most of the interaction with the <Literal remap="tt">ncurses library</Literal> are done +here. Nothing will be actually written to a specific window without +calling a function from this file. + +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + <Literal remap="tt">Commands available through dispatching - *_com.c </Literal> + +The above file name is generic - Each file which ends with +<Literal remap="tt">_com.c</Literal> contains a group of related commands which can be +called through <Literal remap="tt">the dispatching function</Literal>. + +Each object typically has its own file. A separate file is also +available for the general commands. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</ItemizedList> + +The entire list of source files available at this time is: + +<ItemizedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + blockbitmap_com.c +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + dir_com.c +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + disk.c +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + ext2_com.c +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + file_com.c +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + general_com.c +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + group_com.c +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + init.c +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + inode_com.c +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + inodebitmap_com.c +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + main.c +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + super_com.c +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + win.c +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</ItemizedList> + +</Para> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1> +<Title>User interface</Title> + +<Para> +The user interface is text-based only and is based on the following +libraries: +</Para> + +<Para> + +<ItemizedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The <Literal remap="tt">ncurses</Literal> library, developed by <Literal remap="tt">Zeyd Ben-Halim</Literal>. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The <Literal remap="tt">GNU readline</Literal> library. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</ItemizedList> + +</Para> + +<Para> +The user interaction is command line based - The user enters a command +line, which consists of a <Literal remap="tt">command</Literal> and of <Literal remap="tt">arguments</Literal>. This fits +nicely with the program flow control described earlier - The <Literal remap="tt">command</Literal> +is used by <Literal remap="tt">dispatch</Literal> to select the right function, and the +<Literal remap="tt">arguments</Literal> are interpreted by the function itself. +</Para> + +<Sect2> +<Title>The ncurses library</Title> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">ncurses</Literal> library enables me to divide the screen into "windows". +The main advantage is that I treat the "window" in a virtual way, asking +the ncurses library to "write to a window". However, the ncurses +library internally buffers the requests, and nothing is actually passed to the +terminal until an explicit refresh is requested. When the refresh request is +made, ncurses compares the current terminal state (as known in the last time +that a refresh was done) with the new to be shown state, and passes to the +terminal the minimal information required to update the display. As a +result, the display output is optimized behind the scenes by the +<Literal remap="tt">ncurses</Literal> library, while I can still treat it in a virtual way. +</Para> + +<Para> +There are two basic concepts in the <Literal remap="tt">ncurses</Literal> library: + +<ItemizedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + A window. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + A pad. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</ItemizedList> + +A window can be no bigger than the actual terminal size. A pad, however, is +not limited in its size. +</Para> + +<Para> +The user screen is divided by EXT2ED into three windows and one pad: + +<ItemizedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Title window. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Status window. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Main display pad. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Command window. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</ItemizedList> + +</Para> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">title window</Literal> is static - It just displays the current version +of EXT2ED. +</Para> + +<Para> +The user interaction is done in the <Literal remap="tt">command window</Literal>. The user enters a +<Literal remap="tt">command line</Literal>, feedback is usually displayed there, and then relevant +data is usually displayed in the main display and in the status window. +</Para> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">main display</Literal> is using a <Literal remap="tt">pad</Literal> instead of a window because +the amount of information which is written to it is not known in advance. +Therefor, the user treats the main display as a "window" into a bigger +display and can <Literal remap="tt">scroll vertically</Literal> using the <Literal remap="tt">pgdn</Literal> and <Literal remap="tt">pgup</Literal> +commands. Although the <Literal remap="tt">pad</Literal> mechanism enables me to use horizontal +scrolling, I have not utilized this. +</Para> + +<Para> +When I need to show something to the user, I use the ncurses <Literal remap="tt">wprintw</Literal> +command. Then an explicit refresh command is required. As explained before, +the refresh commands is piped through <Literal remap="tt">win.c</Literal>. For example, to update +the command window, <Literal remap="tt">refresh_command_win ()</Literal> is used. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>The readline library</Title> + +<Para> +Avner suggested me to integrate the GNU <Literal remap="tt">readline</Literal> library in my project. +The <Literal remap="tt">readline</Literal> library is designed specifically for programs which use +command line interface. It provides a nice package of <Literal remap="tt">command line editing +tools</Literal> - Inserting, deleting words, and the whole package of editing tools +which are normally available in the <Literal remap="tt">bash</Literal> shell (Refer to the readline +documentation for details). In addition, I utilized the <Literal remap="tt">history</Literal> +feature of the readline library - The entered commands are saved in a +<Literal remap="tt">command history</Literal>, and can be called later by whatever means that the +readline package provides. Command completion is also supported - When the +user enters a partial command name, EXT2ED will provide the readline library +with the possible completions. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1> +<Title>Possible support of other filesystems</Title> + +<Para> +The entire ext2 layer is provided through specific objects. Given another +set of objects, support of other filesystem can be provided using the same +dispatching mechanism. In order to prepare the surface for this option, I +added yet another layer to the two-layer structure presented earlier. EXT2ED +commands now consist of three layers: + +<ItemizedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The general commands. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The ext2 general commands. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The ext2 object specific commands. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</ItemizedList> + +The general commands are provided by the <Literal remap="tt">general_com.c</Literal> source file, +and are always available. The two other levels are not present when EXT2ED +loads - They are dynamically added by <Literal remap="tt">init.c</Literal> when EXT2ED detects an +ext2 filesystem on the device. +</Para> + +<Para> +The abstraction levels presented above helps to extend EXT2ED to fully +support a new filesystem, with its own specific type commands. +</Para> + +<Para> +Even without any source code modification, the user is free to add structure +definitions in a separate file (specified in the configuration file), +which will be added to the list of available objects. The added objects will +consist only of variables, of-course, and will be used through the more +primitive <Literal remap="tt">setoffset</Literal> and <Literal remap="tt">settype</Literal> commands. +</Para> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1> +<Title>On the implementation of the various commands</Title> + +<Para> +This section points out some typical programming style that I used in many +places at the code. +</Para> + +<Sect2> +<Title>The explicit use of the dispatch function</Title> + +<Para> +The various commands are reached by the user through the <Literal remap="tt">dispatch</Literal> +function. This is not surprising. The fact that can be surprising, at least in +a first look, is that <Literal remap="tt">you'll find the dispatch call in many of my +own functions!</Literal>. +</Para> + +<Para> +I am in fact using my own implemented functions to construct higher +level operations. I am heavily using the fact that the dispatching mechanism +is object oriented ant that the <Literal remap="tt">overriding</Literal> principle takes place and +selects the proper function to call when several commands with the same name +are accessible. +</Para> + +<Para> +Sometimes, however, I call the explicit command directly, without passing +through <Literal remap="tt">dispatch</Literal>. This is typically done when I want to bypass the +<Literal remap="tt">overriding</Literal> effect. +</Para> + +<Para> + +This is used, for example, in the interaction between the global cd command +and the dir object specific cd command. You will see there that in order +to implement the "entire" cd command, the type specific cd command uses both +a dispatching mechanism to call itself recursively if a relative path is +used, or a direct call of the general cd handling function if an explicit path +is used. + +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>Passing information between handling functions</Title> + +<Para> +Typically, every source code file which handles one object type has a global +structure specifically designed for it which is used by most of the +functions in that file. This is used to pass information between the various +functions there, and to physically provide the link to other related +objects, typically for initialization use. +</Para> + +<Para> + +For example, in order to edit a file, information about the +inode is needed - The file command is available only when editing an +inode. When the file command is issued, the handling function (found, +according to the source division outlined above, in inode_com.c) will +store the necessary information about the inode in a specific structure +of type struct_file_info which will be available for use by the file_com.c +functions. Only then it will set the type to file. This is also the reason +that a direct asynchronous set of the object type to a file through a settype +command will fail - The above data structure will not be initialized +properly because the user never was at the inode of the file. + +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>A very simplified overview of a typical command handling function</Title> + +<Para> +This is a very simplified overview. Detailed information will follow +where appropriate. +</Para> + +<Sect3> +<Title>The prototype of a typical handling function</Title> + +<Para> + +<OrderedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + I chose a unified <Literal remap="tt">naming convention</Literal> for the various object +specific commands. It is perhaps best showed with an example: + +The prototype of the handling function of the command <Literal remap="tt">next</Literal> of +the type <Literal remap="tt">file</Literal> is: + +<Screen> + extern void type_file___next (char *command_line); + +</Screen> + + +For other types and commands, the words <Literal remap="tt">file</Literal> and <Literal remap="tt">next</Literal> +should be replaced accordingly. + +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The ext2 general commands syntax is similar. For example, the ext2 +general command <Literal remap="tt">super</Literal> results in calling: + +<Screen> + extern void type_ext2___super (char *command_line); + +</Screen> + +Those functions are available in <Literal remap="tt">ext2_com.c</Literal>. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The general commands syntax is even simpler - The name of the +handling function is exactly the name of the commands. Those +functions are available in <Literal remap="tt">general_com.c</Literal>. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</OrderedList> + +</Para> + +</Sect3> + +<Sect3> +<Title>"Typical" algorithm</Title> + +<Para> +This section can't of-course provide meaningful information - Each +command is handled differently, but the following frame is typical: + +<OrderedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Parse command line arguments and analyze them. Return with an error +message if the syntax is wrong. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + "Act accordingly", perhaps making use of the global variable available +to this type. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Use some <Literal remap="tt">dispatch / direct </Literal> calls in order to pass control to +other lower-level user commands. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Sometimes <Literal remap="tt">dispatch</Literal> to the object's <Literal remap="tt">show</Literal> command to +display the resulting data to the user. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</OrderedList> + +I told you it is meaningless :-) +</Para> + +</Sect3> + +</Sect2> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1> +<Title>Initialization overview</Title> + +<Para> +In this section I will discuss some aspects of the various initialization +routines available in the source file <Literal remap="tt">init.c</Literal>. +</Para> + +<Sect2> +<Title>Upon startup</Title> + +<Para> +Follows the function <Literal remap="tt">main</Literal>, appearing of-course in <Literal remap="tt">main.c</Literal>: + + +<ProgramListing> +int main (void) + +{ + if (!init ()) return (0); /* Perform some initial initialization */ + /* Quit if failed */ + + parser (); /* Get and parse user commands */ + + prepare_to_close (); /* Do some cleanup */ + printf ("Quitting ...\n"); + return (1); /* And quit */ +} +</ProgramListing> + +</Para> + +<Para> +The two initialization functions, which are called by <Literal remap="tt">main</Literal>, are: + +<ItemizedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + init +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + prepare_to_close +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</ItemizedList> + +</Para> + +<Sect3> +<Title>The init function</Title> + +<Para> +<Literal remap="tt">init</Literal> is called from <Literal remap="tt">main</Literal> upon startup. It initializes the +following tasks / subsystems: + +<OrderedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Processing of the <Literal remap="tt">user configuration file</Literal>, by using the +<Literal remap="tt">process_configuration_file</Literal> function. Failing to complete the +configuration file processing is considered a <Literal remap="tt">fatal error</Literal>, +and EXT2ED is aborted. I did it this way because the configuration +file has some sensitive user options like write access behavior, and +I wanted to be sure that the user is aware of them. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Registration of the <Literal remap="tt">general commands</Literal> through the use of +the <Literal remap="tt">add_general_commands</Literal> function. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Reset of the object memory rotating lifo structure. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Reset of the device parameters and of the current type. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Initialization of the windows subsystem - The interface between the +ncurses library and EXT2ED, through the use of the <Literal remap="tt">init_windows</Literal> +function, available in <Literal remap="tt">win.c</Literal>. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Initialization of the interface between the readline library and +EXT2ED, through <Literal remap="tt">init_readline</Literal>. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Initialization of the <Literal remap="tt">signals</Literal> subsystem, through +<Literal remap="tt">init_signals</Literal>. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Disabling write access. Write access needs to be explicitly enabled +using a user command, to prevent accidental user mistakes. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</OrderedList> + +When <Literal remap="tt">init</Literal> is finished, it dispatches the <Literal remap="tt">help</Literal> command in order +to show the available commands to the user. Note that the ext2 layer is still +not added; It will be added if and when EXT2ED will detect an ext2 +filesystem on a device. +</Para> + +</Sect3> + +<Sect3> +<Title>The prepare_to_close function</Title> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">prepare_to_close</Literal> function reverses some of the actions done +earlier in EXT2ED and freeing the dynamically allocated memory. +Specifically, it: + +<OrderedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Closes the open device, if any. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Removes the first level - Removing the general commands, through +the use of <Literal remap="tt">free_user_commands</Literal>, with a pointer to the +general_commands structure as a parameter. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Removes of the second level - Removing the ext2 ext2 general +commands, in much the same way. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Removes of the third level - Removing the objects and the object +specific commands, by using <Literal remap="tt">free_struct_descriptors</Literal>. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Closes the window subsystem, and detaches EXT2ED from the ncurses +library, through the use of the <Literal remap="tt">close_windows</Literal> function, +available in <Literal remap="tt">win.c</Literal>. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</OrderedList> + +</Para> + +</Sect3> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>Registration of commands</Title> + +<Para> +Addition of a user command is done through the <Literal remap="tt">add_user_command</Literal> +function. The prototype is: + +<Screen> +void add_user_command (struct struct_commands *ptr,char *name,char +*description,PF callback); +</Screen> + +The function receives a pointer to a structure of type +<Literal remap="tt">struct_commands</Literal>, a desired name for the command which will be used by +the user to identify the command, a short description which is utilized by the +<Literal remap="tt">help</Literal> subsystem, and a pointer to a C function which will be called if +<Literal remap="tt">dispatch</Literal> decides that this command was requested. +</Para> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">add_user_command</Literal> is a <Literal remap="tt">low level function</Literal> used in the three +levels to add user commands. For example, addition of the <Literal remap="tt">ext2 +general commands is done by:</Literal> + +<ProgramListing> +void add_ext2_general_commands (void) + +{ + add_user_command (&ext2_commands,"super","Moves to the superblock of the filesystem",type_ext2___super); + add_user_command (&ext2_commands,"group","Moves to the first group descriptor",type_ext2___group); + add_user_command (&ext2_commands,"cd","Moves to the directory specified",type_ext2___cd); +} +</ProgramListing> + +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>Registration of objects</Title> + +<Para> +Registration of objects is based, as explained earlier, on the "compilation" +of an external user file, which has a syntax similar to the C language +<Literal remap="tt">struct</Literal> keyword. The primitive parser I have implemented detects the +definition of structures, and calls some lower level functions to actually +register the new detected object. The parser's prototype is: + +<Screen> +int set_struct_descriptors (char *file_name) +</Screen> + +It opens the given file name, and calls, when appropriate: + +<ItemizedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + add_new_descriptor +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + add_new_variable +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</ItemizedList> + +<Literal remap="tt">add_new_descriptor</Literal> is a low level function which adds a new descriptor +to the doubly linked list of the available objects. It will then call +<Literal remap="tt">fill_type_commands</Literal>, which will add specific commands to the object, +if the object is known. +</Para> + +<Para> +<Literal remap="tt">add_new_variable</Literal> will add a new variable of the requested length to the +specified descriptor. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>Initialization upon specification of a device</Title> + +<Para> +When the general command <Literal remap="tt">setdevice</Literal> is used to open a device, some +initialization sequence takes place, which is intended to determine two +factors: + +<ItemizedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Are we dealing with an ext2 filesystem ? +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + What are the basic filesystem parameters, such as its total size and +its block size ? +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</ItemizedList> + +This questions are answered by the <Literal remap="tt">set_file_system_info</Literal>, possibly +using some <Literal remap="tt">help from the user</Literal>, through the configuration file. +The answers are placed in the <Literal remap="tt">file_system_info</Literal> structure, which is of +type <Literal remap="tt">struct_file_system_info</Literal>: + +<ProgramListing> +struct struct_file_system_info { + unsigned long file_system_size; + unsigned long super_block_offset; + unsigned long first_group_desc_offset; + unsigned long groups_count; + unsigned long inodes_per_block; + unsigned long blocks_per_group; /* The name is misleading; beware */ + unsigned long no_blocks_in_group; + unsigned short block_size; + struct ext2_super_block super_block; +}; +</ProgramListing> + +</Para> + +<Para> +Autodetection of an ext2 filesystem is usually recommended. However, on a damaged +filesystem I can't assure a success. That's were the user comes in - He can +<Literal remap="tt">override</Literal> the auto detection procedure and force an ext2 filesystem, by +selecting the proper options in the configuration file. +</Para> + +<Para> +If auto detection succeeds, the second question above is automatically +answered - I get all the information I need from the filesystem itself. In +any case, default parameters can be supplied in the configuration file and +the user can select the required behavior. +</Para> + +<Para> +If we decide to treat the filesystem as an ext2 filesystem, <Literal remap="tt">registration of +the ext2 specific objects</Literal> is done at this point, by calling the +<Literal remap="tt">set_struct_descriptors</Literal> outlined earlier, with the name of the file +which describes the ext2 objects, and is basically based on the ext2 sources +main include file. At this point, EXT2ED can be fully used by the user. +</Para> + +<Para> +If we do not register the ext2 specific objects, the user can still provide +object definitions in a separate file, and will be able to use EXT2ED in a +<Literal remap="tt">limited form</Literal>, but more sophisticated than a simple hex editor. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1> +<Title>main.c</Title> + +<Para> +As described earlier, <Literal remap="tt">main.c</Literal> is used as a front-head to the entire +program. <Literal remap="tt">main.c</Literal> contains the following elements: +</Para> + +<Sect2> +<Title>The main routine</Title> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">main</Literal> routine was displayed above. Its task is to pass control to +the initialization routines and to the parser. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>The parser</Title> + +<Para> +The parser consists of the following functions: + +<ItemizedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The <Literal remap="tt">parser</Literal> function, which reads the command line from the +user and saves it in readline's history buffer and in the internal +last-command buffer. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The <Literal remap="tt">parse_word</Literal> function, which receives a string and parses +the first word from it, ignoring whitespaces, and returns a pointer +to the rest of the string. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The <Literal remap="tt">complete_command</Literal> function, which is used by the readline +library for command completion. It scans the available commands at +this point and determines the possible completions. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</ItemizedList> + +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>The dispatcher</Title> + +<Para> +The dispatcher was already explained in the flow control section - section +<XRef LinkEnd="flow-control">. Its task is to pass control to the proper command +handling function, based on the command line's command. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>The self-sanity control</Title> + +<Para> +This is not fully implemented. +</Para> + +<Para> +The general idea was to provide a control system which will supervise the +internal work of EXT2ED. Since I am pretty sure that bugs exist, I have +double checked myself in a few instances, and issued an <Literal remap="tt">internal +error</Literal> warning if I reached the conclusion that something is not logical. +The internal error is reported by the function <Literal remap="tt">internal_error</Literal>, +available in <Literal remap="tt">main.c</Literal>. +</Para> + +<Para> +The self sanity check is compiled only if the compile time option +<Literal remap="tt">DEBUG</Literal> is selected. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1> +<Title>The windows interface</Title> + +<Para> +Screen handling and interfacing to the <Literal remap="tt">ncurses</Literal> library is done in +<Literal remap="tt">win.c</Literal>. +</Para> + +<Sect2> +<Title>Initialization</Title> + +<Para> +Opening of the windows is done in <Literal remap="tt">init_windows</Literal>. In +<Literal remap="tt">close_windows</Literal>, we just close our windows. The various window lengths +with an exception to the <Literal remap="tt">show pad</Literal> are defined in the main header file. +The rest of the display will be used by the <Literal remap="tt">show pad</Literal>. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>Display output</Title> + +<Para> +Each actual refreshing of the terminal monitor is done by using the +appropriate refresh function from this file: <Literal remap="tt">refresh_title_win</Literal>, +<Literal remap="tt">refresh_show_win</Literal>, <Literal remap="tt">refresh_show_pad</Literal> and +<Literal remap="tt">refresh_command_win</Literal>. +</Para> + +<Para> +With the exception of the <Literal remap="tt">show pad</Literal>, each function simply calls the +<Literal remap="tt">ncurses refresh command</Literal>. In order to provide to <Literal remap="tt">scrolling</Literal> in +the <Literal remap="tt">show pad</Literal>, some information about its status is constantly updated +by the various functions which display output in it. <Literal remap="tt">refresh_show_pad</Literal> +passes this information to <Literal remap="tt">ncurses</Literal> so that the correct part of the pad +is actually copied to the display. +</Para> + +<Para> +The above information is saved in a global variable of type <Literal remap="tt">struct +struct_pad_info</Literal>: +</Para> + +<Para> + +<ProgramListing> +struct struct_pad_info { + int display_lines,display_cols; + int line,col; + int max_line,max_col; + int disable_output; +}; +</ProgramListing> + +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>Screen redraw</Title> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">redraw_all</Literal> function will just reopen the windows. This action is +necessary if the display gets garbled from some reason. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1> +<Title>The disk interface</Title> + +<Para> +All the disk activity with regard to the filesystem passes through the file +<Literal remap="tt">disk.c</Literal>. This is done that way to provide additional levels of safety +concerning the disk access. This way, global decisions considering the disk +can be easily accomplished. The benefits of this isolation will become even +clearer in the next sections. +</Para> + +<Sect2> +<Title>Low level functions</Title> + +<Para> +Read requests are ultimately handled by <Literal remap="tt">low_read</Literal> and write requests +are handled by <Literal remap="tt">low_write</Literal>. They just receive the length of the data +block, the offset in the filesystem and a pointer to the buffer and pass the +request to the <Literal remap="tt">fread</Literal> or <Literal remap="tt">fwrite</Literal> standard library functions. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>Mounted filesystems</Title> + +<Para> +EXT2ED design assumes that the edited filesystem is not mounted. Even if +a <Literal remap="tt">reasonably simple</Literal> way to handle mounted filesystems exists, it is +probably <Literal remap="tt">too complicated</Literal> :-) +</Para> + +<Para> +Write access to a mounted filesystem will be denied. Read access can be +allowed by using a configuration file option. The mount status is determined +by reading the file /etc/mtab. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>Write access</Title> + +<Para> +Write access is the most sensitive part in the program. This program is +intended for <Literal remap="tt">editing filesystems</Literal>. It is obvious that a small mistake +in this regard can make the filesystem not usable anymore. +</Para> + +<Para> +The following safety measures are added, of-course, to the general Unix +permission protection - The user can always disable write access on the +device file itself. +</Para> + +<Para> +Considering the user, the following safety measures were taken: + +<OrderedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The filesystem is <Literal remap="tt">never</Literal> opened with write-access enables. +Rather, the user must explicitly request to enable write-access. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The user can <Literal remap="tt">disable</Literal> write access entirely by using a +<Literal remap="tt">configuration file option</Literal>. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Changes are never done automatically - Whenever the user makes +changes, they are done in memory. An explicit <Literal remap="tt">writedata</Literal> +command should be issued to make the changes active in the disk. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</OrderedList> + +Considering myself, I tried to protect against my bugs by: + +<ItemizedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Opening the device in read-only mode until a write request is +issued by the user. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Limiting <Literal remap="tt">actual</Literal> filesystem access to two functions only - +<Literal remap="tt">low_read</Literal> for reading, and <Literal remap="tt">low_write</Literal> for writing. Those +functions were programmed carefully, and I added the self +sanity checks there. In addition, this is the only place in which I +need to check the user options described above - There can be no +place in which I can "forget" to check them. + +Note that The disabling of write-access through the configuration file +is double checked here only as a <Literal remap="tt">self-sanity</Literal> check - If +<Literal remap="tt">DEBUG</Literal> is selected, since write enable should have been refused +and write-access is always disabled at startup, hence finding +<Literal remap="tt">here</Literal> that the user has write access disabled through the +configuration file clearly indicates that I have a bug somewhere. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</ItemizedList> + +</Para> + +<Para> +The following safety measure can provide protection against <Literal remap="tt">both</Literal> user +mistakes and my own bugs: + +<ItemizedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + I added a <Literal remap="tt">logging option</Literal>, which logs every actual write +access to the disk in the lowest level - In <Literal remap="tt">low_write</Literal> itself. + +The logging has nothing to do with the current type and the various +other higher level operations of EXT2ED - It is simply a hex dump of +the contents which will be overwritten; Both the original contents +and the new written data. + +In that case, even if the user makes a mistake, the original data +can be retrieved. + +Even If I have a bug somewhere which causes incorrect data to be +written to the disk, the logging option will still log exactly the +original contents at the place were data was incorrectly overwritten. +(This assumes, of-course, that <Literal remap="tt">low-write</Literal> and the <Literal remap="tt">logging +itself</Literal> work correctly. I have done my best to verify that this is +indeed the case). + +The <Literal remap="tt">logging</Literal> option is implemented in the <Literal remap="tt">log_changes</Literal> +function. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</ItemizedList> + +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>Reading / Writing objects</Title> + +<Para> +Usually <Literal remap="tt">(not always)</Literal>, the current object data is available in the +global variable <Literal remap="tt">type_data</Literal>, which is of the type: + +<ProgramListing> +struct struct_type_data { + long offset_in_block; + + union union_type_data { + char buffer [EXT2_MAX_BLOCK_SIZE]; + struct ext2_acl_header t_ext2_acl_header; + struct ext2_acl_entry t_ext2_acl_entry; + struct ext2_old_group_desc t_ext2_old_group_desc; + struct ext2_group_desc t_ext2_group_desc; + struct ext2_inode t_ext2_inode; + struct ext2_super_block t_ext2_super_block; + struct ext2_dir_entry t_ext2_dir_entry; + } u; +}; +</ProgramListing> + +The above union enables me, in the program, to treat the data as raw data or +as a meaningful filesystem object. +</Para> + +<Para> +The reading and writing, if done to this global variable, are done through +the functions <Literal remap="tt">load_type_data</Literal> and <Literal remap="tt">write_type_data</Literal>, available in +<Literal remap="tt">disk.c</Literal>. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1> +<Title>The general commands</Title> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">general commands</Literal> are handled in the file <Literal remap="tt">general_com.c</Literal>. +</Para> + +<Sect2> +<Title>The help system</Title> + +<Para> +The help command is handled by the function <Literal remap="tt">help</Literal>. The algorithm is as +follows: +</Para> + +<Para> + +<OrderedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Check the command line arguments. If there is an argument, pass +control to the <Literal remap="tt">detailed_help</Literal> function, in order to provide +help on the specific command. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + If general help was requested, display a list of the available +commands at this point. The three levels are displayed in reverse +order - First the commands which are specific to the current type +(If a current type is defined), then the ext2 general commands (If +we decided that the filesystem should be treated like an ext2 +filesystem), then the general commands. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Display information about EXT2ED - Current version, general +information about the project, etc. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</OrderedList> + +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>The setdevice command</Title> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">setdevice</Literal> commands result in calling the <Literal remap="tt">set_device</Literal> +function. The algorithm is: +</Para> + +<Para> + +<OrderedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Parse the command line argument. If it isn't available report the +error and return. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Close the current open device, if there is one. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Open the new device in read-only mode. Update the global variables +<Literal remap="tt">device_name</Literal> and <Literal remap="tt">device_handle</Literal>. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Disable write access. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Empty the object memory. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Unregister the ext2 general commands, using +<Literal remap="tt">free_user_commands</Literal>. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Unregister the current objects, using <Literal remap="tt">free_struct_descriptors</Literal> +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Call <Literal remap="tt">set_file_system_info</Literal> to auto-detect an ext2 filesystem +and set the basic filesystem values. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Add the <Literal remap="tt">alternate descriptors</Literal>, supplied by the user. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Set the device offset to the filesystem start by dispatching +<Literal remap="tt">setoffset 0</Literal>. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + Show the new available commands by dispatching the <Literal remap="tt">help</Literal> +command. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</OrderedList> + +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>Basic maneuvering</Title> + +<Para> +Basic maneuvering is done using the <Literal remap="tt">setoffset</Literal> and the <Literal remap="tt">settype</Literal> +user commands. +</Para> + +<Para> +<Literal remap="tt">set_offset</Literal> accepts some alternative forms of specifying the new +offset. They all ultimately lead to changing the <Literal remap="tt">device_offset</Literal> +global variable and seeking to the new position. <Literal remap="tt">set_offset</Literal> also +calls <Literal remap="tt">load_type_data</Literal> to read a block ahead of the new position into +the <Literal remap="tt">type_data</Literal> global variable. +</Para> + +<Para> +<Literal remap="tt">set_type</Literal> will point the global variable <Literal remap="tt">current_type</Literal> to the +correct entry in the double linked list of the known objects. If the +requested type is <Literal remap="tt">hex</Literal> or <Literal remap="tt">none</Literal>, <Literal remap="tt">current_type</Literal> will be +initialized to <Literal remap="tt">NULL</Literal>. <Literal remap="tt">set_type</Literal> will also dispatch <Literal remap="tt">show</Literal>, +so that the object data will be re-formatted in the new format. +</Para> + +<Para> +When editing an ext2 filesystem, it is not intended that those commands will +be used directly, and it is usually not required. My implementation of the +ext2 layer, on the other hand, uses this lower level commands on countless +occasions. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>The display functions</Title> + +<Para> +The general command version of <Literal remap="tt">show</Literal> is handled by the <Literal remap="tt">show</Literal> +function. This command is overridden by various objects to provide a display +which is better suited to the object. +</Para> + +<Para> +The general show command will format the data in <Literal remap="tt">type_data</Literal> according +to the structure definition of the current type and show it on the <Literal remap="tt">show +pad</Literal>. If there is no current type, the data will be shown as a simple hex +dump; Otherwise, the list of variables, along with their values will be shown. +</Para> + +<Para> +A call to <Literal remap="tt">show_info</Literal> is also made - <Literal remap="tt">show_info</Literal> will provide +<Literal remap="tt">general statistics</Literal> on the <Literal remap="tt">show_window</Literal>, such as the current +block, current type, current offset and current page. +</Para> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">pgup</Literal> and <Literal remap="tt">pgdn</Literal> general commands just update the +<Literal remap="tt">show_pad_info</Literal> global variable - We just increment +<Literal remap="tt">show_pad_info.line</Literal> with the number of lines in the screen - +<Literal remap="tt">show_pad_info.display_lines</Literal>, which was initialized in +<Literal remap="tt">init_windows</Literal>. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>Changing data</Title> + +<Para> +Data change is done in memory only. An update to the disk if followed by an +explicit <Literal remap="tt">writedata</Literal> command to the disk. The <Literal remap="tt">write_data</Literal> +function simple calls the <Literal remap="tt">write_type_data</Literal> function, outlined earlier. +</Para> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">set</Literal> command is used for changing the data. +</Para> + +<Para> +If there is no current type, control is passed to the <Literal remap="tt">hex_set</Literal> function, +which treats the data as a block of bytes and uses the +<Literal remap="tt">type_data.offset_in_block</Literal> variable to write the new text or hex string +to the correct place in the block. +</Para> + +<Para> +If a current type is defined, the requested variable is searched in the +current object, and the desired new valued is entered. +</Para> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">enablewrite</Literal> commands just sets the global variable +<Literal remap="tt">write_access</Literal> to <Literal remap="tt">1</Literal> and re-opens the filesystem in read-write +mode, if possible. +</Para> + +<Para> +If the current type is NULL, a hex-mode is assumed - The <Literal remap="tt">next</Literal> and +<Literal remap="tt">prev</Literal> commands will just update <Literal remap="tt">type_data.offset_in_block</Literal>. +</Para> + +<Para> +If the current type is not NULL, the The <Literal remap="tt">next</Literal> and <Literal remap="tt">prev</Literal> command +are usually overridden anyway. If they are not overridden, it will be assumed +that the user is editing an array of such objects, and they will just pass +to the next / prev element by dispatching to <Literal remap="tt">setoffset</Literal> using the +<Literal remap="tt">setoffset type + / - X</Literal> syntax. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1> +<Title>The ext2 general commands</Title> + +<Para> +The ext2 general commands are contained in the <Literal remap="tt">ext2_general_commands</Literal> +global variable (which is of type <Literal remap="tt">struct struct_commands</Literal>). +</Para> + +<Para> +The handling functions are implemented in the source file <Literal remap="tt">ext2_com.c</Literal>. +I will include the entire source code since it is relatively short. +</Para> + +<Sect2> +<Title>The super command</Title> + +<Para> +The super command just "brings the user" to the main superblock and set the +type to ext2_super_block. The implementation is trivial: +</Para> + +<Para> + +<ProgramListing> +void type_ext2___super (char *command_line) + +{ + char buffer [80]; + + super_info.copy_num=0; + sprintf (buffer,"setoffset %ld",file_system_info.super_block_offset);dispatch (buffer); + sprintf (buffer,"settype ext2_super_block");dispatch (buffer); +} +</ProgramListing> + +It involves only setting the <Literal remap="tt">copy_num</Literal> variable to indicate the main +copy, dispatching a <Literal remap="tt">setoffset</Literal> command to reach the superblock, and +dispatching a <Literal remap="tt">settype</Literal> to enable the superblock specific commands. +This last command will also call the <Literal remap="tt">show</Literal> command of the +<Literal remap="tt">ext2_super_block</Literal> type, through dispatching at the general command +<Literal remap="tt">settype</Literal>. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>The group command</Title> + +<Para> +The group command will bring the user to the specified group descriptor in +the main copy of the group descriptors. The type will be set to +<Literal remap="tt">ext2_group_desc</Literal>: + +<ProgramListing> +void type_ext2___group (char *command_line) + +{ + long group_num=0; + char *ptr,buffer [80]; + + ptr=parse_word (command_line,buffer); + if (*ptr!=0) { + ptr=parse_word (ptr,buffer); + group_num=atol (buffer); + } + + group_info.copy_num=0;group_info.group_num=0; + sprintf (buffer,"setoffset %ld",file_system_info.first_group_desc_offset);dispatch (buffer); + sprintf (buffer,"settype ext2_group_desc");dispatch (buffer); + sprintf (buffer,"entry %ld",group_num);dispatch (buffer); +} +</ProgramListing> + +The implementation is as trivial as the <Literal remap="tt">super</Literal> implementation. Note +the use of the <Literal remap="tt">entry</Literal> command, which is a command of the +<Literal remap="tt">ext2_group_desc</Literal> object, to pass to the correct group descriptor. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>The cd command</Title> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">cd</Literal> command performs the usual cd function. The path to the global +cd command is a path from <Literal remap="tt">/</Literal>. +</Para> + +<Para> +<Literal remap="tt">This is one of the best examples of the power of the object oriented +design and of the dispatching mechanism. The operation is complicated, yet the +implementation is surprisingly short!</Literal> +</Para> + +<Para> + +<ProgramListing> +void type_ext2___cd (char *command_line) + +{ + char temp [80],buffer [80],*ptr; + + ptr=parse_word (command_line,buffer); + if (*ptr==0) { + wprintw (command_win,"Error - No argument specified\n"); + refresh_command_win ();return; + } + ptr=parse_word (ptr,buffer); + + if (buffer [0] != '/') { + wprintw (command_win,"Error - Use a full pathname (begin with '/')\n"); + refresh_command_win ();return; + } + + dispatch ("super");dispatch ("group");dispatch ("inode"); + dispatch ("next");dispatch ("dir"); + if (buffer [1] != 0) { + sprintf (temp,"cd %s",buffer+1);dispatch (temp); + } +} +</ProgramListing> + +</Para> + +<Para> +Note the number of the dispatch calls! +</Para> + +<Para> +<Literal remap="tt">super</Literal> is used to get to the superblock. <Literal remap="tt">group</Literal> to get to the +first group descriptor. <Literal remap="tt">inode</Literal> brings us to the first inode - The bad +blocks inode. A <Literal remap="tt">next</Literal> is command to pass to the root directory inode, +a <Literal remap="tt">dir</Literal> command "enters" the directory, and then we let the <Literal remap="tt">object +specific cd command</Literal> to take us from there (The object is <Literal remap="tt">dir</Literal>, so +that <Literal remap="tt">dispatch</Literal> will call the <Literal remap="tt">cd</Literal> command of the <Literal remap="tt">dir</Literal> type). +Note that a symbolic link following could bring us back to the root directory, +thus the innocent calls above treats nicely such a recursive case! +</Para> + +<Para> +I feel that the above is <Literal remap="tt">intuitive</Literal> - I was expressing myself "in the +language" of the ext2 filesystem - (Go to the inode, etc), and the code was +written exactly in this spirit! +</Para> + +<Para> +I can write more at this point, but I guess I am already a bit carried +away with the self compliments :-) +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1> +<Title>The superblock</Title> + +<Para> +This section details the handling of the superblock. +</Para> + +<Sect2> +<Title>The superblock variables</Title> + +<Para> +The superblock object is <Literal remap="tt">ext2_super_block</Literal>. The definition is just +taken from the kernel ext2 main include file - /usr/include/linux/ext2_fs.h. +<FOOTNOTE> + +<Para> +Those lines of source are copyrighted by <Literal remap="tt">Remy Card</Literal> - The author of the +ext2 filesystem, and by <Literal remap="tt">Linus Torvalds</Literal> - The first author of the Linux +operating system. Please cross reference the section Acknowledgments for the +full copyright. +</Para> + +</FOOTNOTE> + + + +<ProgramListing> +struct ext2_super_block { + __u32 s_inodes_count; /* Inodes count */ + __u32 s_blocks_count; /* Blocks count */ + __u32 s_r_blocks_count; /* Reserved blocks count */ + __u32 s_free_blocks_count; /* Free blocks count */ + __u32 s_free_inodes_count; /* Free inodes count */ + __u32 s_first_data_block; /* First Data Block */ + __u32 s_log_block_size; /* Block size */ + __s32 s_log_frag_size; /* Fragment size */ + __u32 s_blocks_per_group; /* # Blocks per group */ + __u32 s_frags_per_group; /* # Fragments per group */ + __u32 s_inodes_per_group; /* # Inodes per group */ + __u32 s_mtime; /* Mount time */ + __u32 s_wtime; /* Write time */ + __u16 s_mnt_count; /* Mount count */ + __s16 s_max_mnt_count; /* Maximal mount count */ + __u16 s_magic; /* Magic signature */ + __u16 s_state; /* File system state */ + __u16 s_errors; /* Behavior when detecting errors */ + __u16 s_pad; + __u32 s_lastcheck; /* time of last check */ + __u32 s_checkinterval; /* max. time between checks */ + __u32 s_creator_os; /* OS */ + __u32 s_rev_level; /* Revision level */ + __u16 s_def_resuid; /* Default uid for reserved blocks */ + __u16 s_def_resgid; /* Default gid for reserved blocks */ + __u32 s_reserved[0]; /* Padding to the end of the block */ + __u32 s_reserved[1]; /* Padding to the end of the block */ + . + . + . + __u32 s_reserved[234]; /* Padding to the end of the block */ +}; +</ProgramListing> + +</Para> + +<Para> +Note that I <Literal remap="tt">expanded</Literal> the array due to my primitive parser +implementation. The various fields are described in the <Literal remap="tt">technical +document</Literal>. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>The superblock commands</Title> + +<Para> +This section explains the commands available in the <Literal remap="tt">ext2_super_block</Literal> +type. They all appear in <Literal remap="tt">super_com.c</Literal> +</Para> + +<Sect3> +<Title>The show command</Title> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">show</Literal> command is overridden here in order to provide more +information than just the list of variables. A <Literal remap="tt">show</Literal> command will end +up in calling <Literal remap="tt">type_super_block___show</Literal>. +</Para> + +<Para> +The first thing that we do is calling the <Literal remap="tt">general show command</Literal> in +order to display the list of variables. +</Para> + +<Para> +We then add some interpretation to the various lines to make the data +somewhat more intuitive (Expansion of the time variables and the creator +operating system code, for example). +</Para> + +<Para> +We also display the <Literal remap="tt">backup copy number</Literal> of the superblock in the status +window. This copy number is saved in the <Literal remap="tt">super_info</Literal> global variable - +<Literal remap="tt">super_info.copy_num</Literal>. Currently, this is the only variable there ... +but this type of internal variable saving is typical through my +implementation. +</Para> + +</Sect3> + +<Sect3> +<Title>The backup copies handling commands</Title> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">current copy number</Literal> is available in <Literal remap="tt">super_info.copy_num</Literal>. It +was initialized in the ext2 command <Literal remap="tt">super</Literal>, and is used by the various +superblock routines. +</Para> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">gocopy</Literal> routine will pass to another copy of the superblock. The +new device offset will be computed with the aid of the variables in the +<Literal remap="tt">file_system_info</Literal> structure. Then the routine will <Literal remap="tt">dispatch</Literal> to +the <Literal remap="tt">setoffset</Literal> and the <Literal remap="tt">show</Literal> routines. +</Para> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">setactivecopy</Literal> routine will just save the current superblock data +in a temporary variable of type <Literal remap="tt">ext2_super_block</Literal>, and will dispatch +<Literal remap="tt">gocopy 0</Literal> to pass to the main superblock. Then it will place the saved +data in place of the actual data. +</Para> + +<Para> +The above two commands can be used if the main superblock is corrupted. +</Para> + +</Sect3> + +</Sect2> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1> +<Title>The group descriptors</Title> + +<Para> +The group descriptors handling mechanism allows the user to take a tour in +the group descriptors table, stopping at each point, and examining the +relevant inode table, block allocation map or inode allocation map through +dispatching to the relevant objects. +</Para> + +<Para> +Some information about the group descriptors is available in the global +variable <Literal remap="tt">group_info</Literal>, which is of type <Literal remap="tt">struct_group_info</Literal>: +</Para> + +<Para> + +<ProgramListing> +struct struct_group_info { + unsigned long copy_num; + unsigned long group_num; +}; +</ProgramListing> + +</Para> + +<Para> +<Literal remap="tt">group_num</Literal> is the index of the current descriptor in the table. +</Para> + +<Para> +<Literal remap="tt">copy_num</Literal> is the number of the current backup copy. +</Para> + +<Sect2> +<Title>The group descriptor's variables</Title> + +<Para> + +<ProgramListing> +struct ext2_group_desc +{ + __u32 bg_block_bitmap; /* Blocks bitmap block */ + __u32 bg_inode_bitmap; /* Inodes bitmap block */ + __u32 bg_inode_table; /* Inodes table block */ + __u16 bg_free_blocks_count; /* Free blocks count */ + __u16 bg_free_inodes_count; /* Free inodes count */ + __u16 bg_used_dirs_count; /* Directories count */ + __u16 bg_pad; + __u32 bg_reserved[3]; +}; +</ProgramListing> + +</Para> + +<Para> +The first three variables are used to provide the links to the +<Literal remap="tt">blockbitmap, inodebitmap and inode</Literal> objects. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>Movement in the table</Title> + +<Para> +Movement in the group descriptors table is done using the <Literal remap="tt">next, prev and +entry</Literal> commands. Note that the first two commands <Literal remap="tt">override</Literal> the +general commands of the same name. The <Literal remap="tt">next and prev</Literal> command are just +calling the <Literal remap="tt">entry</Literal> function to do the job. I will show <Literal remap="tt">next</Literal>, +for example: +</Para> + +<Para> + +<ProgramListing> +void type_ext2_group_desc___next (char *command_line) + +{ + long entry_offset=1; + char *ptr,buffer [80]; + + ptr=parse_word (command_line,buffer); + if (*ptr!=0) { + ptr=parse_word (ptr,buffer); + entry_offset=atol (buffer); + } + + sprintf (buffer,"entry %ld",group_info.group_num+entry_offset); + dispatch (buffer); +} +</ProgramListing> + +The <Literal remap="tt">entry</Literal> function is also simple - It just calculates the offset +using the information in <Literal remap="tt">group_info</Literal> and in <Literal remap="tt">file_system_info</Literal>, +and uses the usual <Literal remap="tt">setoffset / show</Literal> pair. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>The show command</Title> + +<Para> +As usual, the <Literal remap="tt">show</Literal> command is overridden. The implementation is +similar to the superblock's show implementation - We just call the general +show command, and add some information in the status window - The contents of +the <Literal remap="tt">group_info</Literal> structure. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>Moving between backup copies</Title> + +<Para> +This is done exactly like the superblock case. Please refer to explanation +there. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>Links to the available friends</Title> + +<Para> +From a group descriptor, one typically wants to reach an <Literal remap="tt">inode</Literal>, or +one of the <Literal remap="tt">allocation bitmaps</Literal>. This is done using the <Literal remap="tt">inode, +blockbitmap or inodebitmap</Literal> commands. The implementation is again trivial +- Get the necessary information from the group descriptor, initialize the +structures of the next type, and issue the <Literal remap="tt">setoffset / settype</Literal> pair. +</Para> + +<Para> +For example, here is the implementation of the <Literal remap="tt">blockbitmap</Literal> command: +</Para> + +<Para> + +<ProgramListing> +void type_ext2_group_desc___blockbitmap (char *command_line) + +{ + long block_bitmap_offset; + char buffer [80]; + + block_bitmap_info.entry_num=0; + block_bitmap_info.group_num=group_info.group_num; + + block_bitmap_offset=type_data.u.t_ext2_group_desc.bg_block_bitmap; + sprintf (buffer,"setoffset block %ld",block_bitmap_offset);dispatch (buffer); + sprintf (buffer,"settype block_bitmap");dispatch (buffer); +} +</ProgramListing> + +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1> +<Title>The inode table</Title> + +<Para> +The inode handling enables the user to move in the inode table, edit the +various attributes of the inode, and follow to the next stage - A file or a +directory. +</Para> + +<Sect2> +<Title>The inode variables</Title> + +<Para> + +<ProgramListing> +struct ext2_inode { + __u16 i_mode; /* File mode */ + __u16 i_uid; /* Owner Uid */ + __u32 i_size; /* Size in bytes */ + __u32 i_atime; /* Access time */ + __u32 i_ctime; /* Creation time */ + __u32 i_mtime; /* Modification time */ + __u32 i_dtime; /* Deletion Time */ + __u16 i_gid; /* Group Id */ + __u16 i_links_count; /* Links count */ + __u32 i_blocks; /* Blocks count */ + __u32 i_flags; /* File flags */ + union { + struct { + __u32 l_i_reserved1; + } linux1; + struct { + __u32 h_i_translator; + } hurd1; + } osd1; /* OS dependent 1 */ + __u32 i_block[EXT2_N_BLOCKS]; /* Pointers to blocks */ + __u32 i_version; /* File version (for NFS) */ + __u32 i_file_acl; /* File ACL */ + __u32 i_size_high; /* High 32bits of size */ + __u32 i_faddr; /* Fragment address */ + union { + struct { + __u8 l_i_frag; /* Fragment number */ + __u8 l_i_fsize; /* Fragment size */ + __u16 i_pad1; + __u32 l_i_reserved2[2]; + } linux2; + struct { + __u8 h_i_frag; /* Fragment number */ + __u8 h_i_fsize; /* Fragment size */ + __u16 h_i_mode_high; + __u16 h_i_uid_high; + __u16 h_i_gid_high; + __u32 h_i_author; + } hurd2; + } osd2; /* OS dependent 2 */ +}; +</ProgramListing> + +</Para> + +<Para> +The above is the original source code definition. We can see that the inode +supports <Literal remap="tt">Operating systems specific structures</Literal>. In addition to the +expansion of the arrays, I have <Literal remap="tt">"flattened</Literal> the inode to support only +the <Literal remap="tt">Linux</Literal> declaration. It seemed that this one occasion of multiple +variable aliases didn't justify the complication of generally supporting +aliases. In any case, the above system specific variables are not used +internally by EXT2ED, and the user is free to change the definition in +<Literal remap="tt">ext2.descriptors</Literal> to accommodate for his needs. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>The handling functions</Title> + +<Para> +The user interface to <Literal remap="tt">movement</Literal> is the usual <Literal remap="tt">next / prev / +entry</Literal> interface. There is really nothing special in those functions - The +size of the inode is fixed, the total number of inodes is known from the +superblock information, and the current entry can be figured up from the +device offset and the inode table start offset, which is known from the +corresponding group descriptor. Those functions are a bit older then some +other implementations of <Literal remap="tt">next</Literal> and <Literal remap="tt">prev</Literal>, and they do not save +information in a special structure. Rather, they recompute it when +necessary. +</Para> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">show</Literal> command is overridden here, and provides a lot of additional +information about the inode - Its type, interpretation of the permissions, +special ext2 attributes (Immutable file, for example), and a lot more. +Again, the <Literal remap="tt">general show</Literal> is called first, and then the additional +information is written. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>Accessing files and directories</Title> + +<Para> +From the inode, a <Literal remap="tt">file</Literal> or a <Literal remap="tt">directory</Literal> can typically be reached. +In order to treat a file, for example, its inode needs to be constantly +accessed. To satisfy that need, when editing a file or a directory, the +inode is still saved in memory - <Literal remap="tt">type_data</Literal> is not overwritten. +Rather, the following takes place: + +<ItemizedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + An internal global structure which is used by the types <Literal remap="tt">file</Literal> +and <Literal remap="tt">dir</Literal> handling functions is initialized by calling the +appropriate function. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The type is changed accordingly. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</ItemizedList> + +The result is that a <Literal remap="tt">settype ext2_inode</Literal> is the only action necessary +to return to the inode - We actually never left it. +</Para> + +<Para> +Follows the implementation of the inode's <Literal remap="tt">file</Literal> command: +</Para> + +<Para> + +<ProgramListing> +void type_ext2_inode___file (char *command_line) + +{ + char buffer [80]; + + if (!S_ISREG (type_data.u.t_ext2_inode.i_mode)) { + wprintw (command_win,"Error - Inode type is not file\n"); + refresh_command_win (); return; + } + + if (!init_file_info ()) { + wprintw (command_win,"Error - Unable to show file\n"); + refresh_command_win ();return; + } + + sprintf (buffer,"settype file");dispatch (buffer); +} +</ProgramListing> + +</Para> + +<Para> +As we can see - We just call <Literal remap="tt">init_file_info</Literal> to get the necessary +information from the inode, and set the type to <Literal remap="tt">file</Literal>. The next call +to <Literal remap="tt">show</Literal>, will dispatch to the <Literal remap="tt">file's show</Literal> implementation. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1> +<Title>Viewing a file</Title> + +<Para> +There isn't an ext2 kernel structure which corresponds to a file - A file is +just a series of blocks which are determined by its inode. As explained in +the last section, the inode is never actually left - The type is changed to +<Literal remap="tt">file</Literal> - A type which contains no variables, and a special structure is +initialized: +</Para> + +<Para> + +<ProgramListing> +struct struct_file_info { + + struct ext2_inodes *inode_ptr; + + long inode_offset; + long global_block_num,global_block_offset; + long block_num,blocks_count; + long file_offset,file_length; + long level; + unsigned char buffer [EXT2_MAX_BLOCK_SIZE]; + long offset_in_block; + + int display; + /* The following is used if the file is a directory */ + + long dir_entry_num,dir_entries_count; + long dir_entry_offset; +}; +</ProgramListing> + +</Para> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">inode_ptr</Literal> will just point to the inode in <Literal remap="tt">type_data</Literal>, which +is not overwritten while the user is editing the file, as the +<Literal remap="tt">setoffset</Literal> command is not internally used. The <Literal remap="tt">buffer</Literal> +will contain the current viewed block of the file. The other variables +contain information about the current place in the file. For example, +<Literal remap="tt">global_block_num</Literal> just contains the current block number. +</Para> + +<Para> +The general idea is that the above data structure will provide the file +handling functions all the accurate information which is needed to accomplish +their task. +</Para> + +<Para> +The global structure of the above type, <Literal remap="tt">file_info</Literal>, is initialized by +<Literal remap="tt">init_file_info</Literal> in <Literal remap="tt">file_com.c</Literal>, which is called by the +<Literal remap="tt">type_ext2_inode___file</Literal> function when the user requests to watch the +file. <Literal remap="tt">It is updated as necessary to provide accurate information as long as +the file is edited.</Literal> +</Para> + +<Sect2> +<Title>Returning to the file's inode</Title> + +<Para> +Concerning the method I used to handle files, the above task is trivial: + +<ProgramListing> +void type_file___inode (char *command_line) + +{ + dispatch ("settype ext2_inode"); +} +</ProgramListing> + +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>File movement</Title> + +<Para> +EXT2ED keeps track of the current position in the file. Movement inside the +current block is done using <Literal remap="tt">next, prev and offset</Literal> - They just change +<Literal remap="tt">file_info.offset_in_block</Literal>. +</Para> + +<Para> +Movement between blocks is done using <Literal remap="tt">nextblock, prevblock and block</Literal>. +To accomplish this, the direct blocks, indirect blocks, etc, need to be +traced. This is done by <Literal remap="tt">file_block_to_global_block</Literal>, which accepts a +file's internal block number, and converts it to the actual filesystem block +number. +</Para> + +<Para> + +<ProgramListing> +long file_block_to_global_block (long file_block,struct struct_file_info *file_info_ptr) + +{ + long last_direct,last_indirect,last_dindirect; + long f_indirect,s_indirect; + + last_direct=EXT2_NDIR_BLOCKS-1; + last_indirect=last_direct+file_system_info.block_size/4; + last_dindirect=last_indirect+(file_system_info.block_size/4) \ + *(file_system_info.block_size/4); + + if (file_block <= last_direct) { + file_info_ptr->level=0; + return (file_info_ptr->inode_ptr->i_block [file_block]); + } + + if (file_block <= last_indirect) { + file_info_ptr->level=1; + file_block=file_block-last_direct-1; + return (return_indirect (file_info_ptr->inode_ptr-> \ + i_block [EXT2_IND_BLOCK],file_block)); + } + + if (file_block <= last_dindirect) { + file_info_ptr->level=2; + file_block=file_block-last_indirect-1; + return (return_dindirect (file_info_ptr->inode_ptr-> \ + i_block [EXT2_DIND_BLOCK],file_block)); + } + + file_info_ptr->level=3; + file_block=file_block-last_dindirect-1; + return (return_tindirect (file_info_ptr->inode_ptr-> \ + i_block [EXT2_TIND_BLOCK],file_block)); +} +</ProgramListing> + +<Literal remap="tt">last_direct, last_indirect, etc</Literal>, contain the last internal block number +which is accessed by this method - If the requested block is smaller then +<Literal remap="tt">last_direct</Literal>, for example, it is a direct block. +</Para> + +<Para> +If the block is a direct block, its number is just taken from the inode. +A non-direct block is handled by <Literal remap="tt">return_indirect, return_dindirect and +return_tindirect</Literal>, which correspond to indirect, double-indirect and +triple-indirect. Each of the above functions is constructed using the lower +level functions. For example, <Literal remap="tt">return_dindirect</Literal> is constructed as +follows: +</Para> + +<Para> + +<ProgramListing> +long return_dindirect (long table_block,long block_num) + +{ + long f_indirect; + + f_indirect=block_num/(file_system_info.block_size/4); + f_indirect=return_indirect (table_block,f_indirect); + return (return_indirect (f_indirect,block_num%(file_system_info.block_size/4))); +} +</ProgramListing> + +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>Object memory</Title> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">remember</Literal> command is overridden here and in the <Literal remap="tt">dir</Literal> type - +We just remember the inode of the file. It is just simpler to implement, and +doesn't seem like a big limitation. +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>Changing data</Title> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">set</Literal> command is overridden, and provides the same functionality +like the usage of the <Literal remap="tt">general set</Literal> command with no type declared. The +<Literal remap="tt">writedata</Literal> is overridden so that we'll write the edited block +(file_info.buffer) and not <Literal remap="tt">type_data</Literal> (Which contains the inode). +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1> +<Title>Directories</Title> + +<Para> +A directory is just a file which is formatted according to a special format. +As such, EXT2ED handles directories and files quite alike. Specifically, the +same variable of type <Literal remap="tt">struct_file_info</Literal> which is used in the +<Literal remap="tt">file</Literal>, is used here. +</Para> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">dir</Literal> type uses all the variables in the above structure, as +opposed to the <Literal remap="tt">file</Literal> type, which didn't use the last ones. +</Para> + +<Sect2> +<Title>The search_dir_entries function</Title> + +<Para> +The entire situation is similar to that which was described in the +<Literal remap="tt">file</Literal> type, with one main change: +</Para> + +<Para> +The main function in <Literal remap="tt">dir_com.c</Literal> is <Literal remap="tt">search_dir_entries</Literal>. This +function will <Literal remap="tt">"run"</Literal> on the entire entries in the directory, and will +call a client's function each time. The client's function is supplied as an +argument, and will check the current entry for a match, based on its own +criterion. It will then signal <Literal remap="tt">search_dir_entries</Literal> whether to +<Literal remap="tt">ABORT</Literal> the search, whether it <Literal remap="tt">FOUND</Literal> the entry it was looking +for, or that the entry is still not found, and we should <Literal remap="tt">CONTINUE</Literal> +searching. Follows the declaration: + +<ProgramListing> +struct struct_file_info search_dir_entries \ + (int (*action) (struct struct_file_info *info),int *status) + +/* + This routine runs on all directory entries in the current directory. + For each entry, action is called. The return code of action is one of + the following: + + ABORT - Current dir entry is returned. + CONTINUE - Continue searching. + FOUND - Current dir entry is returned. + + If the last entry is reached, it is returned, along with an ABORT status. + + status is updated to the returned code of action. +*/ +</ProgramListing> + +</Para> + +<Para> +With the above tool in hand, many operations are simple to perform - Here is +the way I counted the entries in the current directory: +</Para> + +<Para> + +<ProgramListing> +long count_dir_entries (void) + +{ + int status; + + return (search_dir_entries (&action_count,&status).dir_entry_num); +} + +int action_count (struct struct_file_info *info) + +{ + return (CONTINUE); +} +</ProgramListing> + +It will just <Literal remap="tt">CONTINUE</Literal> until the last entry. The returned structure +(of type <Literal remap="tt">struct_file_info</Literal>) will have its number in the +<Literal remap="tt">dir_entry_num</Literal> field, and this is exactly the required number! +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +<Sect2> +<Title>The cd command</Title> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">cd</Literal> command accepts a relative path, and moves there ... +The implementation is of-course a bit more complicated: + +<OrderedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The path is checked that it is not an absolute path (from <Literal remap="tt">/</Literal>). +If it is, we let the <Literal remap="tt">general cd</Literal> to do the job by calling +directly <Literal remap="tt">type_ext2___cd</Literal>. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + The path is divided into the nearest path and the rest of the path. +For example, cd 1/2/3/4 is divided into <Literal remap="tt">1</Literal> and into +<Literal remap="tt">2/3/4</Literal>. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + It is the first part of the path that we need to search for in the +current directory. We search for it using <Literal remap="tt">search_dir_entries</Literal>, +which accepts the <Literal remap="tt">action_name</Literal> function as the user defined +function. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + <Literal remap="tt">search_dir_entries</Literal> will scan the entire entries and will call +our <Literal remap="tt">action_name</Literal> function for each entry. In +<Literal remap="tt">action_name</Literal>, the required name will be checked against the +name of the current entry, and <Literal remap="tt">FOUND</Literal> will be returned when a +match occurs. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + If the required entry is found, we dispatch a <Literal remap="tt">remember</Literal> +command to insert the current <Literal remap="tt">inode</Literal> into the object memory. +This is required to easily support <Literal remap="tt">symbolic links</Literal> - If we +find later that the inode pointed by the entry is actually a +symbolic link, we'll need to return to this point, and the above +inode doesn't have (and can't have, because of <Literal remap="tt">hard links</Literal>) the +information necessary to "move back". +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + We then dispatch a <Literal remap="tt">followinode</Literal> command to reach the inode +pointed by the required entry. This command will automatically +change the type to <Literal remap="tt">ext2_inode</Literal> - We are now at an inode, and +all the inode commands are available. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + We check the inode's type to see if it is a directory. If it is, we +dispatch a <Literal remap="tt">dir</Literal> command to "enter the directory", and +recursively call ourself (The type is <Literal remap="tt">dir</Literal> again) by +dispatching a <Literal remap="tt">cd</Literal> command, with the rest of the path as an +argument. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + If the inode's type is a symbolic link (only fast symbolic link were +meanwhile implemented. I guess this is typically the case.), we note +the path it is pointing at, the saved inode is recalled, we dispatch +<Literal remap="tt">dir</Literal> to get back to the original directory, and we call +ourself again with the <Literal remap="tt">link path/rest of the path</Literal> argument. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + In any other case, we just stop at the resulting inode. +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</OrderedList> + +</Para> + +</Sect2> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1> +<Title>The block and inode allocation bitmaps</Title> + +<Para> +The block allocation bitmap is reached by the corresponding group descriptor. +The group descriptor handling functions will save the necessary information +into a structure of the <Literal remap="tt">struct_block_bitmap_info</Literal> type: +</Para> + +<Para> + +<ProgramListing> +struct struct_block_bitmap_info { + unsigned long entry_num; + unsigned long group_num; +}; +</ProgramListing> + +</Para> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">show</Literal> command is overridden, and will show the block as a series of +bits, each bit corresponding to a block. The main variable is the +<Literal remap="tt">entry_num</Literal> variable, declared above, which is just the current block +number in this block group. The current entry is highlighted, and the +<Literal remap="tt">next, prev and entry</Literal> commands just change the above variable. +</Para> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">allocate and deallocate</Literal> change the specified bits. Nothing +special about them - They just contain code which converts between bit and +byte locations. +</Para> + +<Para> +The <Literal remap="tt">inode allocation bitmap</Literal> is treated in much the same fashion, with +the same commands available. +</Para> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1> +<Title>Filesystem size limitation</Title> + +<Para> +While an ext2 filesystem has a size limit of <Literal remap="tt">4 TB</Literal>, EXT2ED currently +<Literal remap="tt">can't</Literal> handle filesystems which are <Literal remap="tt">bigger than 2 GB</Literal>. +</Para> + +<Para> +This limitation results from my usage of <Literal remap="tt">32 bit long variables</Literal> and +of the <Literal remap="tt">fseek</Literal> filesystem call, which can't seek up to 4 TB. +</Para> + +<Para> +By looking in the <Literal remap="tt">ext2 library</Literal> source code by <Literal remap="tt">Theodore Ts'o</Literal>, +I discovered the <Literal remap="tt">llseek</Literal> system call which can seek to a +<Literal remap="tt">64 bit unsigned long long</Literal> offset. Correcting the situation is not +difficult in concept - I need to change long into unsigned long long where +appropriate and modify <Literal remap="tt">disk.c</Literal> to use the llseek system call. +</Para> + +<Para> +However, fixing the above limitation involves making changes in many places +in the code and will obviously make the entire code less stable. For that +reason, I chose to release EXT2ED as it is now and to postpone the above fix +to the next release. +</Para> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1> +<Title>Conclusion</Title> + +<Para> +Had I known in advance the structure of the ext2 filesystem, I feel that +the resulting design would have been quite different from the presented +design above. +</Para> + +<Para> +EXT2ED has now two levels of abstraction - A <Literal remap="tt">general</Literal> filesystem, and an +<Literal remap="tt">ext2</Literal> filesystem, and the surface is more or less prepared for additions +of other filesystems. Had I approached the design in the "engineering" way, +I guess that the first level above would not have existed. +</Para> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1> +<Title>Copyright</Title> + +<Para> +EXT2ED is Copyright (C) 1995 Gadi Oxman. +</Para> + +<Para> +EXT2ED is hereby placed under the GPL - Gnu Public License. You are free and +welcome to copy, view and modify the sources. My only wish is that my +copyright presented above will be left and that a list of the bug fixes, +added features, etc, will be provided. +</Para> + +<Para> +The entire EXT2ED project is based, of-course, on the kernel sources. The +<Literal remap="tt">ext2.descriptors</Literal> distributed with EXT2ED is a slightly modified +version of the main ext2 include file, /usr/include/linux/ext2_fs.h. Follows +the original copyright: +</Para> + +<Para> + +<ProgramListing> +/* + * linux/include/linux/ext2_fs.h + * + * Copyright (C) 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 + * Remy Card (card@masi.ibp.fr) + * Laboratoire MASI - Institut Blaise Pascal + * Universite Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris VI) + * + * from + * + * linux/include/linux/minix_fs.h + * + * Copyright (C) 1991, 1992 Linus Torvalds + */ + +</ProgramListing> + +</Para> + +</Sect1> + +<Sect1> +<Title>Acknowledgments</Title> + +<Para> +EXT2ED was constructed as a student project in the software +laboratory of the faculty of electrical-engineering in the +<Literal remap="tt">Technion - Israel's institute of technology</Literal>. +</Para> + +<Para> +At first, I would like to thank <Literal remap="tt">Avner Lottem</Literal> and <Literal remap="tt">Doctor Ilana +David</Literal> for their interest and assistance in this project. +</Para> + +<Para> +I would also like to thank the following people, who were involved in the +design and implementation of the ext2 filesystem kernel code and support +utilities: + +<ItemizedList> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + <Literal remap="tt">Remy Card</Literal> + +Who designed, implemented and maintains the ext2 filesystem kernel +code, and some of the ext2 utilities. <Literal remap="tt">Remy Card</Literal> is also the +author of several helpful slides concerning the ext2 filesystem. +Specifically, he is the author of <Literal remap="tt">File Management in the Linux +Kernel</Literal> and of <Literal remap="tt">The Second Extended File System - Current +State, Future Development</Literal>. + +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + <Literal remap="tt">Wayne Davison</Literal> + +Who designed the ext2 filesystem. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + <Literal remap="tt">Stephen Tweedie</Literal> + +Who helped designing the ext2 filesystem kernel code and wrote the +slides <Literal remap="tt">Optimizations in File Systems</Literal>. +</Para> +</ListItem> +<ListItem> + +<Para> + <Literal remap="tt">Theodore Ts'o</Literal> + +Who is the author of several ext2 utilities and of the ext2 library +<Literal remap="tt">libext2fs</Literal> (which I didn't use, simply because I didn't know +it exists when I started to work on my project). +</Para> +</ListItem> + +</ItemizedList> + +</Para> + +<Para> +Lastly, I would like to thank, of-course, <Literal remap="tt">Linus Torvalds</Literal> and the +<Literal remap="tt">Linux community</Literal> for providing all of us with such a great operating +system. +</Para> + +<Para> +Please contact me in a case of bug report, suggestions, or just about +anything concerning EXT2ED. +</Para> + +<Para> +Enjoy, +</Para> + +<Para> +Gadi Oxman <tgud@tochnapc2.technion.ac.il> +</Para> + +<Para> +Haifa, August 95 +</Para> + +</Sect1> + +</Article> |