Re: [ros-dev] FullFAT replacement for Fastfat.sys

[Timo Kreuzer]

What about long file names? Can't we use something like that to work
around the patent?

Ged wrote:
>   Who says it will only be included for compatibility?
>
>  I don't see an open source NTFS being developed any time soon, if at all,
>  and I'm not overly keen on all these unix file systems.
>
>   
>
>  For the foreseeable future FAT is by far the best option for us. If we can
>  add journaling then all the better.
>
>  If we could also add optional ACL support without breaking compatibility
>  when we'd have a pretty good file system to move forward with.
>
>   
>
>  Ged.
>
>   
>
>   
>
>  From: ShadowFlare [mailto:[e-mail]] 
>  Sent: 30 July 2009 11:06
>  To: ReactOS Development List
>  Subject: Re: [ros-dev] FullFAT replacement for Fastfat.sys
>
>   
>
>  What happens if another OS makes changes, not knowing about the journal?
>  Does the journal need to be rebuilt (either partially or fully)?  FAT
>  support would mainly be for compatibility with another OS, so it is pretty
>  much certain that another OS would be writing files onto the file system.
>
>   
>
>  Also, are there really any compelling reasons to add a ReactOS-only feature
>  to a file system that later will be supported mainly only for compatibility?
>
>   
>
>  -ShadowFlare
>
>  On Thu, Jul 30, 2009 at 2:36 AM, Aleksey Bragin <aleksey(a)reactos.org> wrote:
>
>  I'll explain the FAT journalling part, it's the idea I had for quite a
>  while, and mainly it's just an experimental, fun idea.
>
>  So far FAT provides no consistency of neither metadata nor actual data. In
>  order to maintain consistency, the filesystem's integrity has to be verified
>  and fixed at every boot if not clean shutdown is detected.
>
>   
>
>  Now, if we add a special file, let's say our driver knows its placement for
>  sure, and that file doesn't change size and is not movable, we can implement
>  transactional writing of metadata to the FAT directory entries using this
>  file as a journal.
>
>  Advantages:
>
>  - Compatibility with original FAT drivers (without journalling of course)
>
>  - Metadata is always consistent (no need for a checkdisk).
>
>  Disadvantages:
>
>  - Please name them.
>
>   
>
>  I suppose that's how ext3 was done from ext2. Why making the same from FAT
>  would be a bad idea?
>
>   
>
>  WBR,
>
>  Aleksey Bragin.
>
>   
>
>  On Jul 30, 2009, at 1:52 AM, Pierre SCHWEITZER wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>  Hi,
>
>  "I'm still at a loss as to why you are all ignoring the free, open source,
>  FastFAT driver in the Microsoft WDK.". Wasn't it some kind a license
>  problem? EULA, or something like that? The question rose when ARM ninjas
>  imported CDFS driver from the Microsoft WDK. They finally had to remove it.
>  Anyway, that's not exactly the point.
>
>  Regarding your initial question, for FSD an important part is missing in
>  ReactOS: FsRTL package. Moreover, you may (or, you will?) have problems
>  using CC package. But, that's a good point in fact. That way, we'll be able
>  to implement/debug the needed functions, with test case.
>
>  Finally, I'd like to come back on that idea: "During the conversation we
>  also discussed implementing a special journaling extension to FullFAT via
>  the windows driver.". I've to admit I don't see how it can be a good idea.
>  IF everything goes well, ReactOS will be able to handle two journalised FS:
>  NTFS and ext3. Those are known, and used FS. Why should we create a "super"
>  FAT instead of using those FS? What about compatibilty?
>  A better idea would to handle exFAT...
>
>  Best regards,
>  P. Schweitzer
>
>    _____  
>
>  From: ionucu(a)videotron.ca
>  To: ros-dev(a)reactos.org
>  Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:00:08 -0700
>  Subject: Re: [ros-dev] FullFAT replacement for Fastfat.sys
>
>  I'm still at a loss as to why you are all ignoring the free, open source,
>  FastFAT driver in the Microsoft WDK.
>
>   
>
>  On 29-Jul-09, at 10:56 AM, Gabriel ilardi wrote:
>
>   
>
>  Hi James,
>
>  Welcome to the team!
>  ReactOS kernel aims to be compatible with W2k3's, meanwhile Win32 subsystem
>  aims atm Vista.
>  You'll come across missing stuff, just search for UNIMPLEMENTED throughout
>  the code. Encoded started a page with missing functionality
>  here:http://www.reactos.org/wiki/Missing_ReactOS_Functionality 
>  Hope you have fun with ReactOS as much as we do...
>
>  Gabriel ilardi.
>
>    
> >   Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:59:42 +0200
> >  From: james(a)worm.me.uk
> >  To: ros-dev(a)reactos.org
> >  Subject: [ros-dev] FullFAT replacement for Fastfat.sys
> >
> >  Hi Everyone,
> >
> >  I just thought I'd introduce myself. I am the author of a new FAT
> >  implementation that was really designed for embedded systems. As such
> >  it provides very good performance. (See www.fullfat-fs.co.uk).
> >
> >  Fireball contacted me a few days ago to discuss the current
> >  development of FullFAT, and since I have agreed to implement an IFS
> >  driver based on FullFAT with a view to replacing the current
> >  fastfat.sys implementation. During the conversation we also discussed
> >  implementing a special journaling extension to FullFAT via the windows
> >  driver.
> >
> >  I hope to start work on this project in the next few weeks, and
> >  further to this I would also like to help in some other areas of
> >  ReactOS. I shall be taking a closer look at the ReactOS code over the
> >  coming weeks, and will probably post some questions about various
> >  aspects. I have just bought the Windows Internals, fifth edition
> >  co-authored by Alex Ionescu, hopefully this will provide me with a
> >  good overview of the Windows architecture etc.
> >
> >  For complete Windows XP compatibility, just how much of the
> >  implementation is currently missing from ReactOS?
> >
> >  Nice to meet you all, and I hope to provide some good contributions to
> >  ReactOS in the near future.
> >
> >  James
> >
> >  --
> >  James Walmsley
> >  ----------------------------------------
> >  james(a)worm.me.uk
> >
> >  _______________________________________________
> >  Ros-dev mailing list
> >  Ros-dev(a)reactos.org
> >  http://www.reactos.org/mailman/listinfo/ros-dev
> >       
>
>    _____  
>
>
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>   
>
>  Best regards,
>
>  Alex Ionescu
>
>   
>
>   
>
>   
>
>
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