[Twisted-Python] Collaborative file storage via ftp/sftp/smb and html

[Andy Gayton]

I'm investigating setting up a collaborative remote file share.  There 
are a number of traditional ways for doing this, each has their 
strengths and weaknesses:

ftp - not secure, fast and robust file transfer, supports resume, 
difficult to administer as unless chrooted users have access to the 
entire file system, if chrooted its difficult to set up group, no vendor 
lockin on the client

sftp - same as ftp but secure

smb - secureish, slow over wan, doesn't support resume, great to 
administer - give exactly the access you want to who you want, easy to 
support groups, vendor lockin on the client

html - can be secure, slow non robust file transfer, doesn't support 
resume, easy to administer who has access to what, client access is 
universal

I'm looking at defining a virtual filesystem that can be accessed 
eventually by all of the above the methods.

If a person sftp's in, they can only see their home directory - they 
can't cd about the place and look at other things on the system.  Each 
of their groups could appear as a directory off their home-root directory.

I'm thinking it'll be easiest to control the permissions/ownerships of 
touched files in a similiar way to samba - so if you're in a group 
directory you create files in a way that other members of the group can 
modify them, which is different to when you're in your personal directories.

If a person then maps a drive from windows to the share they will see 
they same virtual filesystem.

I am going to start with conch's sftp at first and see how I go.  Just 
thought I'd run it past the list as I get started to see if others are 
interested and have thoughts in the area or recommendations on how this 
should be done.

cheers!
Andy.