Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ginosko!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!pawl!shadow From: shadow@pawl.rpi.edu (Deven T. Corzine) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech Subject: Re: An IFF-based filesystem? (Re: Why do you need metaphor?) Message-ID:Date: 12 Aug 89 23:14:03 GMT References: <7570@cbmvax.UUCP> <440@xdos.UUCP> <1417@bnr-fos.UUCP> <15863@watdragon.waterloo.edu> Sender: usenet@rpi.edu Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY Lines: 73 In-reply-to: rtczegledi@crocus.waterloo.edu's message of 11 Aug 89 16:09:41 GMT On 11 Aug 89 16:09:41 GMT, rtczegledi@crocus.waterloo.edu (Richard Czegledi) said: Richard> Something that I feel would be very useful (not to mention Richard> nice) is to give the amiga the ability to put 'files' under Richard> 'files'. Waterloo Port does something like that. 4 months ago, I posted to comp.sys.amiga.tech about this very idea, albeit somewhat more thought out. I'm afraid I don't have a copy of the article I posted; only replies to it. (I have all articles I've posted since 6/28/89.) The article I posted was "Subject: An IFF-based filesystem?", posted to comp.sys.amiga.tech, message ID . If anyone has a copy of the article, please email it to me? Part of what I wrote: [was included in a reply] Deven> I've got an idea to bounce off the net here... In considering Deven> design and implementation of a file system for Amigix, I have Deven> been contemplating the idea of designing a filesystem which is Deven> structurally similar to Unix, but which has library support for Deven> manipulating IFF files, and which actually uses IFF files for Deven> object files, executables and any other filesystem-specific Deven> formats. I went on to describe how documentation, manual pages, readme files, icons, startup screens, etc. could all be imbedded in the same file as the executable. Also: In article <1149.AA1149@geo-works> bryan@geo-works.UUCP (Bryan Ford) writes: Bryan> Good idea. Too bad the Amiga's executable file formats aren't Bryan> forward compatible like IFF. Hmmm...I wonder if it would be Bryan> feasible to create a new executable file format that uses an Bryan> IFF standard for executables. Maybe 'X68K'? Who knows. Bryan> Probably wouldn't be practical, unless C-A is planning to put Bryan> IFF stuff in ROM. In on 6/27/89, I wrote: Deven> This is exactly the idea I have been contemplating using for Deven> the standard executable format for Amigix. (Amigix is a Deven> (major) project based in part on implementing Unix V7 on the Deven> Amiga... Email for more info, or check comp.sys.amiga.tech if Deven> the old threads haven't expired.) Deven> The idea is you could put other things, like an icon, startup Deven> screen, the actual source code, stack size, whatever, all with Deven> the binary. It could be a very flexible format. I haven't had Deven> time to work extensively on it, however. :-( Deven> As for putting it in ROM, the amigix.library (containing IFF Deven> support code and loader, along with Unix syscalls and other Deven> stuff) would be in RAM, but shared, so it could do well Deven> enough... thoughts/comments? Bryan> Oh well, nice idea while it lasted... Deven> Oh, it's still a nice idea... I haven't dropped it yet. It's a good idea, which I've thought a lot about. I wish I had the time and resources to *do* something about it... Someday... Deven -- Deven T. Corzine Internet: deven@rpi.edu, shadow@pawl.rpi.edu Snail: 2214 12th Street, Troy, NY 12180 Phone: (518) 271-0750 Bitnet: deven@rpitsmts, userfxb6@rpitsmts UUCP: uunet!rpi!deven Simple things should be simple and complex things should be possible.