Editing 2531: Dark Arts
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | + | {{incomplete|Created by a V8-BASED EXT4 FUSE DRIVER - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} | |
− | + | [[White Hat]] has presumably just asked [[Cueball]] to perform some task involving {{w|file system|filesystems}}. Cueball responds with an exceptionally melodramatic monologue, referring to the subject as "dark arts" and stating he'd rather not have anything to do with them. This is reminiscent of a fairly typical scene in e.g. superhero movies: a person with supernatural powers explains they prefer not to use them, as their use is likely to have negative effects that outweigh the positive ones. Often this is tied to a tragic backstory of the character, where the use of their powers previously caused them or someone close to them much suffering. | |
− | A filesystem is the part of a computer's {{w|operating system}} that handles the | + | A filesystem is the part of a computer's {{w|operating system}} that handles the organisation of data in persistent storage, usually splitting it into files and directories. It can be a very complicated piece of software. Because of this, it is easy to make mistakes in advanced usage, and because it controls practically all data on a given machine, mistakes made can have serious consequences (e.g., loss of data). These properties of filesystems are likely why Cueball is reluctant to mess with them. |
{{w|ext4}} is a popular filesystem used with the {{w|Linux}} operating system kernel. | {{w|ext4}} is a popular filesystem used with the {{w|Linux}} operating system kernel. | ||
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{{w|Javascript}} is a programming language most often associated with web pages. As such it is not usually interacting directly with a computer's filesystem, since allowing arbitrary websites to access the filesystem is widely considered an extremely bad idea{{citation needed}}. It ''is'' possible to run Javascript directly outside of a browser – in which case it does have access to common filesystem operations, and even theoretically to the internals of the filesystem – but since it is a high-level language with poor support for working with the data structures a filesystem uses, this would be a painful, "cursed" way to go about things. | {{w|Javascript}} is a programming language most often associated with web pages. As such it is not usually interacting directly with a computer's filesystem, since allowing arbitrary websites to access the filesystem is widely considered an extremely bad idea{{citation needed}}. It ''is'' possible to run Javascript directly outside of a browser – in which case it does have access to common filesystem operations, and even theoretically to the internals of the filesystem – but since it is a high-level language with poor support for working with the data structures a filesystem uses, this would be a painful, "cursed" way to go about things. | ||
− | + | An experienced IT professional will be reminded of their own experiences and mishaps with non trivial file system configurations. Beyond hardlinks, filesystems may have a number of features a normal user or even an admin are not aware of. Such features are prone to bugs, poor documentation or poor integration with other system tools. | |
For example: | For example: | ||
* {{w|Symbolic link|Symbolic links}} (soft links) - one file links to another using its name. While symbolic links work "everywhere," hardlinks are generally limited. | * {{w|Symbolic link|Symbolic links}} (soft links) - one file links to another using its name. While symbolic links work "everywhere," hardlinks are generally limited. | ||
− | * Compressed filesystems can cause unexpected side effects in performance, quota management | + | * Compressed filesystems can cause unexpected side effects in performance, quota management and disk fragmentation. |
* Sparse files and shallow copies (copy on demand). | * Sparse files and shallow copies (copy on demand). | ||
* Live filesystem backup and file locking. | * Live filesystem backup and file locking. | ||
− | * Read | + | * Read only filesystems. |
− | * 'Virtual' filesystems, like memory | + | * 'Virtual' filesystems, like memory backed and file backed file systems, backed by dynamic data or databases. |
− | * 'Overlay' file systems where a read | + | * 'Overlay' file systems where a read only portion is overlaid and partially shadowed by another file system. |
* File caching for read or write operation. | * File caching for read or write operation. | ||
* Syncing file systems. | * Syncing file systems. | ||
* Many, many more. | * Many, many more. | ||
− | "In another age" might refer to the fact that detailed | + | "In another age" might refer to the fact that these kinds of detailed manipulations (and forgetting about them six months later) were common in the days before containers, immutable server pattern, serverless, etc. In fact, one of the goals of these more modern deployment methods is to ensure that only a few specialists (e.g., the people who make Docker) have to worry about obscure details of filesystems, while other developers use Docker without needing to manipulate its internals themselves. Even configuration tools like Chef and Ansible help, because they provide Infrastructure as Code and you can look at the code to see what kinds of manipulations need to be done (vs. forgetting that time way back when that you did them manually). |
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
− | :[Cueball and White Hat stand in a slightly darkened room, with a jagged circle of light centered on Cueball and light | + | :[Cueball and White Hat stand in a slightly darkened room, with a jagged circle of light centered on Cueball and light reflecting onto White Hat's face. Cueball holds his arm out with his palm facing towards White Hat.] |
:Cueball: Long ago, in another age, I mastered these dark arts. | :Cueball: Long ago, in another age, I mastered these dark arts. | ||
:Cueball: But I now endeavor to live my life such that I never need them. | :Cueball: But I now endeavor to live my life such that I never need them. | ||
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[[Category: Comics featuring White Hat]] | [[Category: Comics featuring White Hat]] | ||
[[Category: Computers]] | [[Category: Computers]] | ||
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