Mail Archives: opendos/1997/05/06/00:06:13
On Mon, 5 May 1997, John Fremlin wrote:
> >> > I give my vote for a case sensitive FS though. It would make
> >> > things much more flexible.
> >>
> >> My vote goes to case sensitive too...
> >And mine.
> >
>
> Mine does not. If you want your Linux filesystem then get Linux.
The Linux filesystem is separate from Linux and has most if not
all of the features that many users would like to have in DOS.
By making ext2 available in OpenDOS, a lot of users would be able
to do things like have LFN's and case sensitive filenames,
symbolic links, etc AT THEIR OPTION. As well, other OpenDOS
users would continue to use FAT, and wouldn't have to know or to
use EXT2 at all. OS/2 can use FAT *OR* HPFS, Windows NT can use
FAT *OR* NTFS, so why shouldn't OpenDOS be allowed to use FAT
*OR* EXT2?
Statements like you just made are not very constructive, and
limit free thought. In no way would *MY* using of an EXT2
filesystem under OpenDOS interfere with YOUR using FAT so why
should I be PREVENTED from using EXT2 because you don't need it?
> Linux is as far as I have heard, a wonderful OS. "As far as I
> have heard" because I only have 5 MB free on my harddisk and
> a "small" Linux version takes 15 MB.
A realistic Linux installation takes 100MB - 200MB but what does
that have to do with the EXT2 filesystem whatsoever? Simple,
nothing. Since EXT2 is just a filesystem, if OpenDOS takes 10
megs on FAT, then it will take 10megs on EXT2. Having an ext2
partition does NOT mean that you HAVE Linux, nor that you NEED
it in ANY way. Currently AFAIK, Linux (and other UNICES) are the
only ones that can and do use ext2, but there is nothing to say
that DOS, OS/2, Win-95, WinNT and other OS's can't use the EXT2
filesystem.
> OpenDos was the only alternative, for me, to MS-DOS 6.21 (yes,
> the version without DoubleSpace/DriveSpace).
>
> I want an OpenDos that is 100% MS-DOS (v6+) compatible, and beyond
> that I'm not going to fuss too much. Any added features are useful
> but not *absolutely* necessary.
Well, then you would install OpenDOS, and when it says:
"Your drive is now going to be formatted and you must
choose a filesystem for that drive. Please select one of the
following filesystems to format the drive with. If you are
unsure pick FAT, or else press F1 for help"
Format as FAT
Format as EXT2
What is the problem with that? This way, you get FAT and a lot
of wasted disk space due to cluster lossage, and I get a self
defragmenting LFN filesystem that is robust.
> As long as I can run all my old programs on OpenDos, without
> too many hitches (e.g. EMM386 PIC=ON) then a case sensitive
> filesystem would be great (but if it took more than 300 Kb I'd
> hunt it down and do my best to delete it).
Well, then you would continue to use the FAT filesystem.
I on the other hand would use EXT2, and would benefit from its
features.
As far as a memory footprint for the driver code for the FS, it
is not 300k, and would be loaded HIGH as in above 1M anyways so
it wouldn't matter. Even if it DID take 300k of conventional,
you would have the option of not using it.
> Remember MS-DOS compatiblity.
Yes, as always. But don't forget that new technology doesn't
necessarily BREAK old technology. Don't ASSUME that. Remember,
I have to run the same programs as you do too, and they'd damned
well run on my ext2 partition under opendos too.
BTW, for what it is worth, OpenDOS running under DOSemu in Linux
allready works fine with ext2. The filesystem is transparent.
LFN's and symlinks are mangled to 8.3 names.
Bye for now.
TTYL
Mike A. Harris | http://blackwidow.saultc.on.ca/~mharris
Computer Consultant | Coming soon: dynamic-IP-freedom...
My dynamic address: http://blackwidow.saultc.on.ca/~mharris/ip-address.html
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