<CT> Re: Calmira News?
- From: Norm Finch <NormF@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: calmira_tips@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 12:41:59 -0600
Erwin Dokter wrote:
> I am currently experimenting with a DOSLFN driver, that now comes with a
> Windows 386 driver. So 4.0 will finally some (some) LFN support.
>
I have noticed that Caldera DR-DOS v7.03 (the DOS I use) has an
undocumented executable called DRFAT32.EXE. Its help argument returns
this information:
----
DRFAT32 R1.00 Redirector Extension for FAT32 Partitions
Copyright (c) 1997,1998 Caldera, Inc. All rights reserved.
DRFAT32 [/Help|/?] [/D:<driver>] [/F:<files>] [/L:<letter>]
[/M:<buffers>] [/V]
/D:driver name of FAT32 installable device driver(s) (default is
FAT32XXX)
/F:value number of file handles to allocate (value = 5..99,
default is 20)
/L:drive specifies start drive letter (default is first unused
drive)
/M:value number of buffers to allocate (value = 1..64, default is
48)
/V print out debug information during initialization
----
My system is fully 16-bit, so I've never had occasion to experiment
with it. Given the /V argument though, it is clearly some sort of
driver intended to interface with FAT32. Lacking an installed
"FAT32XXX" driver, it doesn't do anything on my machine; I tried
that. Beyond this, I can't tell much about it specifically; except
that examining the raw file with List seems to indicate that it must
also be run with 512 (??)byte sectors [the questioned characters are
not alphabetical] -- apparently that's the text for outputting an
error message. It's a PKLite file, so not much else in it is
intelligible in readable English. I'm not very competent with Debug,
so I haven't tried checking it out with that.
Is it possible though that it might be useful in your LFN effort?
There is the question of its legal status, too, I suppose. DR-DOS has
had a highly metamorphic, uncertain history -- including in and out,
in and out of abandonware, etc. At the present, I'd certainly call it
abandonware. Based on the current lack of support and
contact-ability, I find it *solidly* in the abandoned camp. It seems
to have evaporated in that regard. That's the shape of this man's
opinion anyway. But if I'm wrong, and if it did turn out to be
useable in your effort, it would be a shame to have it shot down by
bored legal-beagles who suddenly "discover" activity related to it,
despite the fact that nothing involving monetary exchange whatsoever
is associated with Calmira. Who knows, of course, what can happen
when lawyers with excess time on their hands catch wind of a thing,
even if the real world around you and me is totally indifferent to
their inanity?
Still, if it's truly abandoned (or for that matter, if it's not and
Caldera decided [assuming they still exist and are capable of
decision-making] that they actually liked the idea), AND if it works
...
In any case, I thought this might be food for thought if nothing
else. Here's to success, Erwin, as your effort proceeds.
Regards,
Norm Finch
--
"The chief virtue that language can have is clearness." - Hippocrates
-- Peace. Write well. Do good work. --
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