[Nepomuk] Automatic resources deletion

[Ignacio Serantes]

Hi,

This message has opinions and suggestions and I have no intention of being
rude. If something seems rude it's only my poor English :). On the other
side probably this was discussed in the past so sorry for boring you.

Nepomuk is trying very hard maintaining actualized the database monitoring
"missing files" and erasing corresponding resources. This actually has the
following consequences:

   - cost and problems of monitoring
   - code to delete resources automatically (with some bugs in the past
   causing lost of data)
   - resource consumption (in some cases "very very very high" resource
   consumption)
   - sensitive to user mistakes using the console (if by mistake you renamed
   a path you are monitoring you will lost all your resources)
   - sensitive to changes by other users (if other user in your system
   renamed a path you are monitoring you will lost all your resources)

and all this effort trying to maintain database updated, a goal that is not
achieved because updating database could be time and during that time you
can do a query and obtain resources that will be deleted some minutes after.
Not reliable information is worst that no information.

I think that other approach would be better and safer:

   - add a configuration option to select manual or automatic resources
   management.
   - automatically delete resources only by deletion (or moving) event if
   manual resources management is selected.
   - add some kind of mark to file resources to show users witch files don't
   exists (kio, dolphin, krunner, etc...)

What are the advantages of this approach:

   1. you don't spend resources deleting so you don't annoying users when
   they need resources
   2. users can easily show removed files and could solve mistakes or
   manually delete resources
   3. less logic in manual management so less bugs
   4. safer to console mistakes from any system users
   5. apparently less monitoring cost
   6. users can select if they prefer manual management or automatic (for
   backward compatibility)

What are the disadvantages of this approach:

   1. user must manually maintain database if they select manual management

Configuration could be a new tab called "Database management" in
"Nepomuk/Strigi Server Configuration" with several controls like:

   - check: Manual management of deleted file resources
   - check: Delete resources of files don't exists anymore
   - grid: Delete resources of files in external HDs  don't exists anymore
   or not mounted
      - column1: uuid (text readonly)
      - column2: last mount point (text readonly)
      - column3: delete resource (check)
   - button: "Delete resources" (only that are previously checked)

I'm waiting for your comments :).

-- 
Best wishes,
Ignacio
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