todo: Refresh documentation.

[libguestfs.git] / TODO

diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index 2301c27..5002fc1 100644 (file)
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -206,6 +206,10 @@ http://www.perlmonks.org/index.pl?node_id=582185
 Note that pty requires cooperation inside the C code too (there are
 two sides to a pty, and one has to be handled after the fork).
 
+[I tried to implement this in the new C virt-rescue, but it doesn't
+work.  qemu is implementing its own ptys, and they are broken.  Need
+to fix qemu.]
+
 Windows-based daemon/appliance
 ------------------------------
 
@@ -234,6 +238,8 @@ However this won't work easily for VM disk images in the disk image.
 One would have to download those to the host and launch another
 libguestfs instance.
 
+[Not sure this is such a good idea.  See also live CD inspection idea below.]
+
 Map filesystems to disk blocks
 ------------------------------
 
@@ -264,16 +270,6 @@ Fix 'file'
 https://www.redhat.com/archives/libguestfs/2010-June/msg00053.html
 https://www.redhat.com/archives/libguestfs/2010-June/msg00079.html
 
-Regression test on virt-inspector
----------------------------------
-
-Occasionally we break virt-inspector through some change.  We should
-add a regression test for it.  However this is hard because we'd need
-to avoid having to carry huge images.
-
-Update: I managed to fit a real-but-minimal Fedora 13 image into 6.2 MB.
-See: http://rwmj.wordpress.com/2010/09/07/tip-pack-files-into-a-new-disk-image/#content
-
 Freeze/thaw filesystems
 -----------------------
 
@@ -319,7 +315,6 @@ Currently LUKS support only works if the device contains volume
 groups.  If it contains, eg., partitions, you cannot access them.
 We would like to add:
 
-  - An easier way to use this from guestfish.
   - Direct access to the /dev/mapper device (eg. if it contains
     anything apart from VGs).
 
@@ -347,3 +342,38 @@ Eric Sandeen pointed out the blktrace tool which is a better way of
 capturing traces than using patched qemu (see
 contrib/visualize-alignment).  We would still use the same
 visualization tools in conjunction with blktrace traces.
+
+guestfish parsing
+-----------------
+
+At the moment guestfish uses an ad hoc parser which has many
+shortcomings.  We should change to using a lex/yacc-based scanner and
+parser (there are better parsers out there, but yacc is sufficient and
+very widely available).
+
+The scanner must deal with the case of parsing a whole command string,
+eg. for a command that the user types in:
+
+ ><fs> add-drive-opts "/tmp/foo" readonly:true
+
+and also with parsing single words from the command line:
+
+ guestfish add-drive-opts /tmp/foo readonly:true
+
+Note the quotes are for scanning and don't indicate types.
+
+We should also allow variables and expressions as part of this new
+parsing code, eg:
+
+ set roots inspect-os
+ set product inspect-get-product-name %{roots[0]}
+
+% is better than $ because of shell escaping and confusion with shell
+variables.
+
+live CD inspection
+------------------
+
+guestfish -i livecd.iso
+
+Could this be done through the core API and existing calls?