Message-ID: <5CsZfRAruG9yEw+V@darkblak.demon.co.uk>
Date: Sun, 2 Feb 1997 10:25:47 +0000
To: opendos AT mail DOT tacoma DOT net
From: "Ian 'DrDebug' Day" <Ian AT darkblak DOT demon DOT co DOT uk>
Subject: Re: [opendos] OpenDOS + Win95 w/FAT32?
In-Reply-To: <28908.9702020153@dufftown.dcs.st-andrews.ac.uk>
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In article <28908 DOT 9702020153 AT dufftown DOT dcs DOT st-andrews DOT ac DOT uk>, dg AT dcs DOT st-
and.ac.uk writes
>[...]
>>> Dunno whether it works as FAT32 is not here at the time. It will be released
>>> with Windoze 96 (or whatever they call it) AFAIK.
>>
>>Actually, Win95 OEM Service Release 2 has FAT32 built in.
>>(And no, it wouldn't work, at least not until someone adds FAT32
>>support....)
>
>If we're going to change operating system, can we at least change operating 
>system to a *decent* one, like MinixFS or Ext2FS? FAT32 is another gross hack 
>on top of VFAT which is a gross hack on top of FAT16 which is a gross hack on 
>top of FAT12 which wasn't a decent file system when it was *developed*, let 
>alone these days. It doesn't even have automatic defragmenting!
>
>If we used ext2, then not only do we get a fast, reliable file system, we get 
>long filenames, *real* user/group attributes, symbolic links, 
>autodefragmenting, and a/m/c timestamps. This has to be a good thing.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

And since the source for Linux is available, them I'm sure someone can
add the support.

Just one provision:  Make it an IFS, rather than fixed in, so you can
(optionally ;-) add whichever file systems you want.  By default, the
kernel (IBMBIO/IBMDOS) would load up the equivelant of:

   IFS=C:\OpenDOS\FAT.IFS

Oh, and please; whoever does this, can we keep the low memory usage down
to an absolute friggin' minimum, and stick it in EMS/XMS?  ;-)

Also, native support of the INT 21/71 functions which allow DOS apps to
use the long filenames.  Unfortunately, under Win95, these only work
when Windows is loaded....  What were M$ thinking?  <g>   No, don't tell
me.  They want you to use the Win95 DOS shell, rather than DOS 7.00, and
since they all know that long filenames are long overdue we'd all want
to use them..... bla bla bla...  SAD!

DrDebug

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