Automatically load fuse.ko kernel module.

[trasz]

Summary

Make sysutils/fusefs-libs load fuse.ko kernel module when neccessary.
This removes the need for tweaking loader.conf(5) to use eg ntfs-3g(8).

[brendan_freebsd_bbqsrc.net]

I have a few remarks.

I'm not certain this is a patch that is appropriate for introduction at this point of the process. Have you tried to have your patch added upstream?

Notwithstanding, I believe a better solution would be using the system itself to ensure the kernel module is loaded at boot time. This process could be automated better and it is probably better spending time on adding that to the Makefile than patching the code.

A particular use case of fuse filesystems is allowing ordinary user accounts the ability to mount fuse filesystems. Given this use case, this patch is only a minor convenience to a root user and has no impact on the ordinary user.

In summary, thank you for making this contribution, but I do not think it is an appropriate patch for addition to the port. If you really wish for this to be added to the codebase, please push the patch upstream.

[trasz]

I'm not sure enabling FUSE in GENERIC, or otherwise loading it at boot time is a good idea. It's not being used in most installations, and... well, the code is not particularly loved one.

As for it being useful only for root - to be honest, I consider user mounting a hack. I much prefer either automatic mounting, or some sudo solution. This patch helps both.

[brendan_freebsd_bbqsrc.net]

In D5687#121580, @trasz wrote:

I'm not sure enabling FUSE in GENERIC, or otherwise loading it at boot time is a good idea. It's not being used in most installations, and... well, the code is not particularly loved one.

I meant that if you want to use the port, you should enable it. Can't it be enabled by adding enable_fuse="YES" to the /etc/rc.conf file? This is what I was saying: use something like sysrc in post-install to automatically enable it if you desire such functionality.

In D5687#121580, @trasz wrote:

As for it being useful only for root - to be honest, I consider user mounting a hack. I much prefer either automatic mounting, or some sudo solution. This patch helps both.

You are welcome to your opinion. There are many ways to mount things, and one of them, particularly with fuse, is to mount things as a user. I find it particularly useful to use the fusefs-unionfs port for mounting an overlay when testing ports. It's much nicer when I don't need to be root to do it as well.

To reiterate: I do not think it's appropriate for this patch to be added to the port, and you should push it upstream. It does more than simply add a workaround for functionality that is broken on FreeBSD, which I believe is largely the purpose of the patching functionality of the ports framework, not adding new features.

There are already other—better known and robust—mechanisms in FreeBSD for enabling kernel modules prior to using tools. I do not want tools automatically loading kernel modules without my knowledge, and I hope few other tools in FreeBSD do this.