Hi guys, to give a quick comment on the "triple timestamps in DOS" discussion: I guess it is safe in MOST situations to use those, but not in all. It could be a feature to use per default only for FAT32 kernels, or it could be SYS CONFIG switchable, to keep "classic" directory entries possible.
Even for FAT32 kernels, the next question would be if it is good to put those timestamps on FAT16 and FAT12 drives. The wikipedia item mentioned earlier already gives context: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Design_of_the_FAT_file_system&oldid=614948461#Directory_entry Offset 0x0c: Windows VFAT file name case flags, possibly extra file size bits in EDR-DOS (only if file has attrib hidden-readonly-system to hide from big-unaware tools),.. Offset 0x0d: Create time 1/100ths of seconds or original first char of deleted files for some undelete-helper-TSR Offset 0x0e: Access key hash for various older DOSes, or VFAT create time. Two bytes (16 bit value) Offset 0x10: Undelete-helper-TSR backup of timestamp, or VFAT create date. Two byte value. Offset 0x12: File ownership or undelete-helper-TSR backup of timestamp or VFAT last access date. Luckily the latter is not on by default, otherwise it would write a lot: Word. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CONFIG.SYS - see "ACCDATE" Offset 0x14: High 16 bit of FAT32 cluster number or extra flags on some special DOS versions and OS/2. I think FreeDOS could have (or maybe already has) logics to only use those multi-use fields for extra timestamps if they are found to be 0 when DOS is about to set them. That could limit conflict with undelete-helpers and such. Note that most of this thread is about how nice CREATION timestamps and dates would be to have. Apparently nobody missed the ACCESS dates yet ;-) Cheers, Eric PS: Also interesting is how Windows nowadays uses the two FAT copies and a flag at their start for "transactions": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_of_the_FAT_file_system#CLUST_1 (see also the link to TFAT in that section) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Open source business process management suite built on Java and Eclipse Turn processes into business applications with Bonita BPM Community Edition Quickly connect people, data, and systems into organized workflows Winner of BOSSIE, CODIE, OW2 and Gartner awards http://p.sf.net/sfu/Bonitasoft _______________________________________________ Freedos-devel mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel
