From:	mharris AT blackwidow DOT saultc DOT on DOT ca
Date:	Tue, 11 Feb 1997 08:03:10 -0500 (EST)
Reply-To:	mharris AT blackwidow DOT saultc DOT on DOT ca
To:	MORRIS JP <jpmorris AT csm DOT uwe DOT ac DOT uk>
cc:	opendos AT mail DOT tacoma DOT net
Subject:	Re: [opendos] Re: [opendos-developer] unix directory links in OD???
In-Reply-To:	<199702101316.NAA24978@milly>
Message-ID:	<Pine.LNX.3.95.970211075845.285l-100000@capslock.com>
Organization:	Total disorganization.
MIME-Version:	1.0
Sender:	owner-opendos AT mail DOT tacoma DOT net

On Mon, 10 Feb 1997, MORRIS JP wrote:

> > > I was thinking today how useful the directory links from unix would be in 
> > > dos (OD).  Now, I don't remember the exact name of what they are called, 
> > > but it should be added to the improvement list.  I am sure it would be a 
> > > very simple addition...
> >
> > You COULD manually create 2 directory entries in a dir on your
> > hard disk that would point to the same file in your FAT (a
> > hardlink), however any disk maintenance software (such as CHKDSK,
> > SCANDISK, NDD) will detect this and label it as an error.  Ever
> > hear of crosslinked files?
> 
> I have achieved this on a floppy disk using Norton Utility.

Me also.  Norton Diskedit.

> I simply changed the starting cluster and length fields of a dummy file I
> created, and lo, a link!

Yep.

> However, as you say, chkdsk goes psychotic when it notices this, and deleting
> the file tends to create problems.

Big ones.

> I was intending to create a utility that produced a file in the root directory
> containing a list of all links, and hooked into the DOS API.

Hmm.  Interesting idea.  I can think of several problems however.


> When something bad occurs (deletion, low level access) all the links are
> removed until the thing has finished, then they are reconstructed from the
> link table in the root.

Scary!  Windows would render such a scheme useless in about 15
minutes!  A system crash during a file deletion would be sure to
destroy the mechanism.  Also, it would be like a M$ kludge-hack.

If you defragged the drive, you'd encounter some interesting
problems too.


> It would have been quite dangerous to do though.  That is why I
> would prefer to get a filesystem from Caldera instead of Mr
> Nobody.. 

Yeah, the internet community will give us an ext2 FS within 6
months IMHO.


Mike A. Harris        |             http://blackwidow.saultc.on.ca/~mharris
Computer Consultant   |    My webpage has moved and my address has changed.
My dynamic address: http://blackwidow.saultc.on.ca/~mharris/ip-address.html
mailto:mharris AT blackwidow DOT saultc DOT on DOT ca

Want a Windows emulator for Linux? Visit Caldera's website: www.caldera.com

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