Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!husc6!psuvax1!vu-vlsi!cbmvax!daveh From: daveh@cbmvax.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: File System suggestions Message-ID: <2900@cbmvax.UUCP> Date: Fri, 4-Dec-87 00:45:54 EST Article-I.D.: cbmvax.2900 Posted: Fri Dec 4 00:45:54 1987 Date-Received: Tue, 8-Dec-87 03:03:46 EST References: <2086@ulowell.cs.ulowell.edu> Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA Lines: 34 in article <2086@ulowell.cs.ulowell.edu>, page@ulowell.cs.ulowell.edu (Bob Page) says: > > I realize this is too late for the NewFS, since it has been in beta > for a while, but here are some suggestions for a future version > of the FS. > > Second is 'file links'. Links allow you to have more than one name > for an individual file (No flames about necessity; people who don't > use multitasking don't think it's needed either). There are some > unused and redundant longwords in the file header, how about claiming > one (or maybe the high byte of the protection longword) for a link > count? Here are two ways to get the added functionality. ... I AGREE! We need links! I favor the idea of symbolic links, like in Apollo's Aegis and on BSD UNIX, rather than hard links. You don't need a link count with symbolic links. A link can be another type of disk block. It basically stores information about itself, and a symbolic pointer (pathname) to the thing it's linked to. This way, all files and directories stay exactly the same. When a link is Open()ed or CurrentDir()ed, it returns the specifics of the object it's linked to. This requires knowledge of links by the File System handler, but none by any existing programs, of course. And one new packet, ACTION_CREATE_LINK or somesuch. > ..Bob > -- > Bob Page, U of Lowell CS Dept. page@ulowell.edu ulowell!page > "I've never liked reality all that much, but I haven't found a > better solution." --Dave Haynie, Commodore-Amiga -- Dave Haynie Commodore-Amiga Usenet: {ihnp4|uunet|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh "The B2000 Guy" PLINK : D-DAVE H BIX : hazy "I can't relax, 'cause I'm a Boinger!"