Date: Sun, 4 May 1997 23:28:52 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Mike A. Harris" <mharris AT blackwidow DOT saultc DOT on DOT ca>
Reply-To: "Mike A. Harris" <mharris AT blackwidow DOT saultc DOT on DOT ca>
To: OpenDOS discussion list <opendos AT delorie DOT com>
Subject: Re: A few FS notions
In-Reply-To: <199705020619.SAA19407@cantua.canterbury.ac.nz>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.95.970504232124.9064G-100000@capslock.com>
Organization: Total disorganization.
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I've just read a lot of posts concerning the "subject" line and
have thought about it a lot.  My conclusion is that everyone
wants something new in the filesystem.  This is ok and is
expected.  I too want new things.  (ext2 for example).  Not all
users are going to want all of the new things however, so I think
that before creating a NEW FS for OpenDOS we should really
explore all of the possibilities of EXISTING filesystems.  Then
if no EXISTING FS does what we want, we can take the best FS and
redesign it, by taking the good points from it, and good points
from other FS's and adding the new stuff.

1) FAT is a BAD (Broken As Designed) floppy disk FS from the very
   start.
2) FAT is non-reliable
3) FAT is non-secure
4) FAT <fill in the blank about how FAT sucks>

Therefore we need to look at FS's like ext2/hpfs/ntfs and use
them as a design point.  Although I personally think ext2 would
satisfy ALL the needs of everyone, I am not fully aware of what
everyone wants and what ext2 is capable of.  I have read a fair
bit about ext2 though and STRONGLY suggest that others read about
it too.  We don't want to reinvent the wheel.

Now I'm going to go read all the stuff I have on ext2 before I
post anything more on this thread.

.... the last thing we want to add to OpenDOS is a new hacked FS
like VFAT or worse....



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
Email: mharris at blackwidow.saultc.on.ca  <-- Spam proof address

4DOS can be downloaded from ftp://ftp.std.com/vendors/jpsoft