Date: Thu, 2 Nov 1995 13:30:02 +0100 From: Andreas Haakh <ah@alvman.RoBIN.de> To: joerg_wunsch@uriah.heep.sax.de Cc: ah@alvman.RoBIN.de Subject: Re: misc/804: fdformat - patch to add DOS-filsystem Message-ID: <199511021230.NAA04288@alvman.RoBIN.de>
next in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
Hallo Joerg,
] As Andreas Haakh wrote:
] >
] > Mformat is part of mtools and whoever needs them will install them.
] > Others will use mount_msdos if necessary and appreciate the addition
] > to fdformat.
] I'd rather stick with Bruce's argumentation here: mkdosfs (or
] newdosfs) should become a standard part of the distribution. We do
] have a newfs (aka. mkufs), an (rather unrelated, since rarely used)
] mkisofs, so there's no reason why some other major file system that is
] supported should not be supported by an mkdosfs (or mkfatfs?).
] Ideally, one would also like to get a fsckfatfs, but that's arguably
] too much work for too less use.
You are completely right if you solely look from the viewpoint of
a pure, real unixman[_tm_] :-))
Shure, there should be something like mk{dos|fat}fs. This utility
should also be able to write the filesystem on a harddisk!!!
Now let's look at the whole thing from a realistic point of view:
* There is a demand for writing fat-floppies.
* I used fdformat because it only works on floppies!!!!!
* I could have included the bootcode from fdisk but I was not
shure weather it would work from a different offset. On the
other side you don't want or need a bootable FAT-floppy when
you create it from BSD! and if you did then you should emulate
the dos sys command as well...
I just included the jmp-instructions at the beginning of the
bootsector to pacify msdosfs. Even mformat does not supply the
bootcode!!!!!
*
] > I persomally dislike mformat because it only supplies the other half
] > of a 'real MSDOS-format' the creation of the filesystem.
] But that's just a matter of *your* personal taste. Other people see
] the line drawn between both as entirely logical. Note that the format
] command in MSDOS starting at DOS 6 is also only a high-level format
] command when used without any option, and it's also only a high-level
] format command when applied to hard disks.
See above...
] I think your contribution does also miss the boot code itself, i.e.,
] sticking such a floppy into the drive and attempting to boot it will
] result in a catastrophic failure (a jump to no-where land is sitting
] right in front of the BPB), instead of providing a useful hint that
] the disk doesn't contain a bootable system.
See above...
] 'tschuldigung für's Auf-Dir-Rumhacken. :)
Never mind... ich nehm's nicht persoenlich !!
My suggestion to the whole affair is: You supply me with the
necessary documentation on FAT filesystems etc. and I will write
a new{dos|FAT}fs aka mk{dos|FAT}fs. I have realized that the
structure of FAT-fs is really simple. Two or three printed
pages should be all...(a hint to the fs-wizards who might be
interested in repairing the mv command on FAT partitions)
In the meantime add my code to fdformat and add an additional
line to the documentation saying that the -D option will be
replaced by someting like mk...fs. We could also use the -D option
some day to call mk...fs to create a filsystem we supply as
argument (eg. fdformat -D {ufs|lfs|fatfs} ...).
I know there is a german proverb "nichts ist dauerhafter als
ein Provisorium" (nothing is more durable than a provisory
solution) but this would satisfy a general demand to be able
to format msdos-floppies.
Finally another thing only slightly related to this topic:
the permissions of /dev/[r]fd?* should be changed to allow
group writeaccess(operator) to the floppies. There is no need
to make it readonly.
Andreas
P.S. Joerg, verschicke dies bitte auch an die anderen betroffenen
Personen... ah
--
Andreas Haakh \ ah@alvman.RoBIN.de
Kirschberg 12 b \ +49 6155 62615
64347 Griesheim \_________________________________________
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?199511021230.NAA04288>