httpfs is a virtual filesystem allowing you to access web pages and files.

Source

http://www.nongnu.org/hurdextras/#httpfs

Documentation

IRC, freenode, #hurd, 2013-09-03

<congzhang> hi, why I can't cd to /http:/richtlijn.be/~larstiq/hurd/ to do
<congzhang>         grep?
<pinotree> this is not ftp
<congzhang> it works for other file
<pinotree> ?
<congzhang> I can't cd to ~larstiq, I don't know why
<pinotree> http is not a filesystem protocol
<pinotree> while httpfs could try in representing it as such, it is not
  something reliable
<congzhang> ok, it's not reliable
<congzhang> I expect it can expose dir like browser
<congzhang> so, the translator just know href from home page, and one by
  one
<pinotree> uh?
<congzhang> if ...:80/a/b/c.png exits, but not has a href in homepage, so I
  can't cd to a, right?
<pinotree> you are looking things from the wrong point of view
<pinotree> a web server can do anything with URLs, including redirecting,
  URL rewriting and whatever else
<congzhang> so, how to understand httpfs's idea?
<congzhang> how httpfs list dir?
<pinotree> check its code
<congzhang> en, no need it's not reliable
<congzhang> it's not work, it's enough
<congzhang> I have an idea, for the file system, we explore dir level by
  level, but for http, we change full path one 
<congzhang> once time
<congzhang> maybe can allow user to cd any directory, and just mark as some
  special color to make user know the translator was not sure, file exist
  or not
<congzhang> once the file exits, mark all the parent directory as normal
  color?
<rekado> congzhang: you can find more info about httpfs here:
  http://nongnu.org/hurdextras/
<pinotree> congzhang: you're still looking at http from the wrong point of
  view
<pinotree> there are no directories nor files
<pinotree> you start a request for a URL, and you get some content back (in
  case there's no error)
<congzhang> you mean httpfs just for kidding?
<pinotree> that the content is a web page listing a directory on the
  filesystem of the web server machine, or a file sent back via the
  connection, or a complex web page, it's the same
<rekado> congzhang: you can only get a list of files if the web server
  responds with an index of files
<pinotree> "files"
<rekado> The readme explains how httpfs does its thing:
  http://cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/*checkout*/httpfs/README?root=hurdextras
<congzhang> if I can't cd to /http:/host/a/b how to get
  /http:/host/a/b/c.html, even the file exist?
<pinotree> you don't cd in http
<pinotree> cd is for changing directory, which does not apply to a protocol
  like http which is not fs-oriented
<congzhang> yes, I agree with you, http was not fs-oriented
<congzhang> so httpfs was not so useful
<rekado> You can access the document directly, though, can't you?
<congzhang> rekado: I try once more
<congzhang> I can't
<congzhang> so, the httpfs need some extend, http protocol was not fs
  oriented, so need some extend to make it work with file system
<pinotree> http is not designed for file system usage, so extending it is
  useless
<congzhang> or, httpfs was not so useful
<pinotree> there are many other protocols for file systems
<congzhang> I don't think so
<pinotree> i do
<congzhang> if we can't make it more useful, remove it from hurd rep, or
  extend it more useful
<congzhang> add some more rule, to make it work with file system
<pinotree> no
<congzhang> some paradox in it
<pinotree> which paradox?
<congzhang> for http vs file system
<pinotree> ???
<congzhang> tree oriented and  star topology oriented?
<pinotree> you don't make any sense