Re: [Qemu-devel] Looking for an easy way to exchange data bidirectional between host and guest (including some suggestion)

[John R. Hogerhuis]

I can think of some reasons for a non-native file service that is
instead built into QEMU:

a) One interface to all clients outside of QEMU. Lowers the learning
curve for dealing with different enviroments; at least for some raw file
access they are all accessible in the same way. You can lower
configuration close to zero-config, just as was done with user mode
networking. This allows to control the complexity of the configuration,
as opposed to Samba, Windows, NFS, issues in each particular
circumstance. Don't underestimate the value of expedience.

c) Vintage OSes where being networked is atypical or for which network
compatibility with QEMU is currently problematic like old versions of
DOS

d) Non-desktop emulation of non-networked embedded devices.

e) Scripts to be used across farms of QEMU virtual machines will have
more commonalities even across different OSes. The event and content of
a file popping up on a machine in a given directory is a very basic form
of inter-process communication common in business operations. Having one
way that always or almost always works with QEMU virtual machines will
be good for QEMU strategically. Look at VmWare... purchased recently by
EMC corporation. Their product line is currently geared toward packing
multiple 'virtual servers" onto beefy real servers.

-- John.