MTPFS

Posted May 18, 2012 11:08 UTC (Fri) by tialaramex (subscriber, #21167)
In reply to: MTPFS by nybble41
Parent article: Tasting the Ice Cream Sandwich

The default behaviour for most desktop systems is in fact to assume that the USB network device leads to the Internet, and further, if there is no better route to the Internet in use already that you plugged it in because you want to use it and so it should be configured and made ready to use.

(Obviously policy might prohibit non-superusers from having this functionality on a company machine for example)

But you are correct that a built-in Ethernet device will be preferred most often if it's available. However we live in the Future™ and even when some other device is the preferred route to the Internet, link-local services should work over alternative devices. So, at least in theory, mDNS advertising a shared drive over a USB device would make it show up and be accessible.

Of course since nobody does this today it probably wouldn't actually work right out of the box if you tried it. But all the components exist, getting it to work is just a matter of polish.

MTPFS

Posted May 18, 2012 15:45 UTC (Fri) by nybble41 (subscriber, #55106) [Link]

> But you are correct that a built-in Ethernet device will be preferred most often if it's available.

Actually, my concern was just the opposite: that the built-in Ethernet or WiFi adapter might _not_ be preferred over the USB connection, which can only access this one device. Link-local access to the device will probably work just fine, but if the system selects that adapter as the default route there will be unfortunate side effects for the user's LAN/Internet connection.

> Of course since nobody does this today it probably wouldn't actually work right out of the box if you tried it.

That was my point. Sure, all the pieces are there, but the reason for making it an RNDIS interface to begin with was to avoid the need for any extra software. If you have to reconfigure the system or add special support for such devices, you might as well just include the more secure filesharing-only USB-to-IP proxy I originally suggested.