From: dg AT dcs DOT st-and DOT ac DOT uk
Message-Id: <30177.9702021617@dufftown.dcs.st-andrews.ac.uk>
To: opendos AT mail DOT tacoma DOT net
Subject: Re: [opendos] OpenDOS + Win95 w/FAT32? 
In-Reply-To: mharris@blackwidow.saultc.on.ca's message of Sun, 02 Feb 97 
 09:12:58 -0500.
	     <Pine DOT LNX DOT 3 DOT 95 DOT 970202090415 DOT 5878S-100000 AT capslock DOT com> 
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Date: Sun, 02 Feb 97 16:17:54 +0000
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[...]
>I think that OpenDOS should progress in a NEW direction, by adding
>somehthing like ext2 support STANDARD.  It may not work with old apps,
>but that is ok.  The old apps will sit on FAT drives.  This will
>change as more and more new programs come out.  I like the IFS layer
>the best actually, so that any filesystem can be supported.  These
>types of issues BELONG in the OS, not in user software.  When I use
>Linux, I can use minix/extfs/ext2/xenix/msdos/VFAT/HPFS/and about 20
>other filesystems and my programs don't know/care what FS I use.  It
>would be nice to see DOS start heading in this direction.

We already have an IFS layer. CD drivers, network devices, InterLink all use 
it. Compatability here isn't a problem. Nearly everything will run from one of 
these --- the number of programs that *have* to run on a FAT drive will be 
very small to non-existant.

The main thing that needs done, though, is the long filenames interface. From 
Ralf Brown's interrupt list:

	MS-DOS 7 (Chicago) - LONG FILENAME FUNCTIONS

	AH = 71h
	AL = function
	0Dh reset drive
	39h create directory
	3Ah remove directory
	3Bh set current directory
	41h delete file
	43h get file attributes (BL=00h), set file attributes (BL=01h)
	47h get current directory
	4Eh find first file
	4Fh find next file
	56h move (rename) file
	6Ch create/open file

This doesn't look too hard, now, does it? Come on, someone could write a TSR 
that implements it on top of FAT, either as VFAT or using look-up files 
without much difficulty.

[...]

-- 
------------------- http://www-hons-cs.cs.st-and.ac.uk/~dg --------------------
   If you're up against someone more intelligent than you are, do something
    totally insane and let him think himself to death.  --- Pyanfar Chanur
---------------- Sun-Earther David Daton Given of Lochcarron ------------------