Disadvantages of a virtual file system compared to direct writing to BFS:
-
Reduced flexibility — everything is read-only; repackaging is required for any modification.
-
More complex and slower startup — many packages need to be mounted, increasing CPU and RAM usage.
-
Limited BFS attribute and index functionality — query and attribute searches work only on real files.
-
Less transparency — virtual files can confuse older tools and users.
-
More complicated update management — even minor fixes require rebuilding the entire package.
-
Compatibility issues with older BeOS applications.
-
Potential security risks if someone gains write access to the packages directory.
-
Additional complexity in the system directory structure.
-
Disk space duplication — While .hpkg saves space centrally, native non-packaged applications duplicate libraries because they cannot modify system packages.