Mail Archives: opendos/1997/06/03/01:59:51
> > disabling case sensitivity. So ext2-OS/2 has an available switch (usually
> > specified in OS/2's config.sys) which makes the fs act like HPFS when
> > dealing with case (and destroys all but one copy of files differentiated by
> > case only in a directory).
>
> Well, thats what we need for OpenDOS! Only since we have source,
> we can make the "case sensitivity" work for everything.
Note also: This ext2-os2.ifs was based on the Linux sources; Matthieu
WILLM did a wonderful job porting it to OS/2 - and OS/2 probably has
some advantages over OpenDOS as it stands for porting, but this is what
we should be aiming for: the ability to (reasonably easily) port good
sources to OpenDOS.
As I see it, either OpenDOS tries to simply run what all the other
DOSes run, and hope that people are happy enough with what that gives
them, or aspire to run "serious" software - familiar features but
better implemented or totally new features. To begin to do this, it is
essential to take onboard successful software from other operating
systems (Linux and I guess OS/2 standing out as the most worthwhile),
since we aren't going to get far writing everything from scratch.
So this probably needs something like emx (that OS/2 has to allow Unix
sources to be quickly ported). But it also makes life tough for those
wishing to maintain compatibility with old 16-bit hardware. I expect
that it is possible to have an "IFS" system that goes between the
kernel and 3rd party device/filesystem drivers that works in all
systems from the original PC up, and could very well gain "critical
mass". But ultimately there are going to be programs for which there
is little enthusiasm to port to anything below a 286 (and even a 286 is
doubtful), simply because it is easier to get good OpenDOS software
written as a "byproduct" by the hords of Linux programmers than to find
enough keen programmers to write for OPenDOS from scratch.
What I'd like to see is somebody *try* to port some typical Linux
sources (and not just simple stuff like du) to OpenDOS and list what is
lacking that would make the job much easier.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Aitchison, Physics & Astronomy \_ Phone : +64 3 3642-947 a.h. 3371-225
University of Canterbury, </ Fax : +64 3 3642-469 or 3642-999
Christchurch, New Zealand. /) E-mail: phys169 AT csc DOT canterbury DOT ac DOT nz
#include <disclaimer.std> (/' Callsign: ZL3TQE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Raw text -