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From: daryl@ihlpe.ATT.COM (Daryl Monge)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: Size of SysV "block"
Message-ID: <1879@ihlpe.ATT.COM>
Date: Mon, 20-Jul-87 23:20:16 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihlpe.1879
Posted: Mon Jul 20 23:20:16 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 22-Jul-87 05:45:08 EDT
References: <218@astra.necisa.oz> <142700010@tiger.UUCP> <23436@sun.uucp> <23693@sun.uucp>
Organization: Engineering Design Process Department, AT&T Bell Labs
Lines: 20
Summary: back on track

I think that everyone is getting side tracked on the original issue; that is
what is a block as reported by many UNIX utilities?

Clearly "block" is not useful, especially as file systems get more complex
and the notion of a "block" gets confused.

However, "bit" is useless in terms of user friendliness.  Imagine:
-rwxr-x---   1 daryl    daryl     3102120bits Feb  6 22:40 gmacs

The number of bits in a byte is not relevant.  Perhaps we should use the
word (:-) "character", since at least to me that has some real world meaning.
ex:
/e31          (/dev/dsk/36bs2):     12632K characters   33572 unique files

Comments?


Daryl Monge				UUCP:	...!ihnp4!ihcae!daryl
AT&T					CIS:	72717,65
Bell Labs, Naperville, Ill		AT&T	312-979-3603