variant symlinks vs VFS, and microkernels vs error kernels

[Matthew Dillon]

    We aren't going to be doing anything esoteric when we implement
    variant symlinks... as far as programs like 'ls' are concerned, they 
    will simply be symlinks.

    The VFS environments serve a larger purpose.  For example, the only way
    you can be sure that you have specified the correct dependancies in
    a port config file is to do the build in an environment which heavily
    restricts what the build system actually sees.  build, installation, and
    execution stages would all need different verification environments.

    Another example where a custom VFS environment would be useful is in
    a jailed or emulation environment.  

    While it is possible to use variant symlinks to approach the such 
    environments, so many paths would have to be symlinked that it would
    really be more of a burden and less of a benefit.

					-Matt
					Matthew Dillon 
					<dillon at xxxxxxxxxxxxx>