[Pythonmac-SIG] MacOS 10.4: getxattr() etc. for Python?

[Michael Hudson]

Wolfgang Keller <wolfgang.keller.nospam at gmx.de> writes:

> Hello,
>
>>> > Dumb  question: How about integrating it "officially" in the Macpython
>>> > distribution, so that all file objects on MacOS X.4 automatically have
>>> > an xattr dict?
>>>
>>> Are  these  functions  in  any  way standard (eg. does FreeBSD have
>>> them?). If so, they should probably be detected at configure time.
>
>> I  don't  believe FreeBSD has them, but the SELinux project has them
>> for  ACLs, though they are poorly documented. They may also exist in
>> other  file  systems,  such as ReiserFS. Also, the concept exists on
>> Solaris as well.
>
> Basically _every_ "modern" file system has extended attributes.

That's not quite the point: does "every" system possessing a driver
for such a file system use the getxattr &c functions to access these
features?

> And,  imho, the API (a dict)

<pedant>The should be "a mapping"</>.

> should be identical on all platforms that support EAs, not just on
> MacOS X.

Makes sense.

Cheers,
mwh

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