3.2. Resources

Resources in VortexOS

Definition of a Resource: A resource in VortexOS is any entity that can be identified and accessed using a path. This encompasses a broad range of entities, including:

• Physical devices

• Logical pseudodevices

• Files within a filesystem

• Named services

• Elements of datasets

Accessing Resources: A client program accesses a resource by opening it with a scheme-rooted path. The path format is structured as follows:

• The first segment of the path specifies the scheme.

• The remainder of the path is interpreted by the scheme provider, determining the specific meaning or action appropriate for the resources under that scheme.

Some schemes simplify resource allocation by using a straightforward numeric sequence rather than a slash-separated path.

Examples of Resources:

• Files within a Filesystem: A path like /path/to/file is translated to /scheme/file/path/to/file. Other filesystems can be accessed using a scheme-specific prefix, such as /scheme/otherfs/path/to/file.

• Pseudo-Terminals: Represented as /scheme/pty/n, where n is a number, this path refers to a specific pseudo-terminal.

• Display: For example, /scheme/display.vesa/n, where n is a number, denotes a VESA virtual display. The displays might include:

  • Display 1: System log

  • Display 2: Text user interface (TUI)

  • Display 3: Graphical display used by the Orbital environment

• Networking: The path /scheme/udp/a.b.c.d/p refers to a UDP socket with the IPv4 address a.b.c.d and port number p.

These examples illustrate how VortexOS utilizes scheme-rooted paths to provide a unified and consistent method for accessing various types of resources.