NTFS in ReactOS: heise online article

[Thomas Mueller]

I saw an article on heise online (German-language website)
http://www.heise.de/newsticker/
on 
ReactOS liest NTFS
http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/ReactOS-liest-NTFS-2442615.html

Date is 05.11.2014, meaning just yesterday.

I subsequently looked on reactos.org and couldn't find any reference to this article.

So far, this is only for reading NTFS on ReactOS; writing ability stil has to be worked
on.

This is the first article I've seen on this subject: looks like progress.

Some ReactOS developers must be familiar with this?

Tom

[Pierre Schweitzer]

Dear Thomas,

This source of such article is a post from reboot.pro
(http://reboot.pro/topic/20149-ntfs-now-supported-in-reactos-livecd/)
where I report this progress and ask for help.

On ReactOS website, you don't have such strong report, but the piece of
information exists, spread in various places. People started talking
about it on boards a few days ago. You have a short report about it in
the latest ReactOS developer meeting minutes
(https://www.reactos.org/node/909). And finally, the commits made on
NTFS where kind of explicit about the progresses (coming along with
pictures:
https://git.reactos.org/?p=reactos.git&a=search&h=HEAD&st=commi…)it&s=[NTFS]).

Note that the 0.3.17 release has initial, but not full (release process
was started before everything could be developed) NTFS support. Testing
from trunk is then the preferred method.

Cheers,

On 06/11/2014 05:57, Thomas Mueller wrote:
>   I saw an article on heise online (German-language
> website)
>  http://www.heise.de/newsticker/
>  on 
>  ReactOS liest NTFS
>  http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/ReactOS-liest-NTFS-2442615.html
>  
>  Date is 05.11.2014, meaning just yesterday.
>  
>  I subsequently looked on reactos.org and couldn't find any reference to this
> article.
>  
>  So far, this is only for reading NTFS on ReactOS; writing ability stil has to be worked
> on.
>  
>  This is the first article I've seen on this subject: looks like progress.
>  
>  Some ReactOS developers must be familiar with this?
>  
>  Tom
>  
>  
>  _______________________________________________
>  Ros-dev mailing list
>  Ros-dev(a)reactos.org
>  http://www.reactos.org/mailman/listinfo/ros-dev
>   

-- 
Pierre Schweitzer <pierre at reactos.org>
System & Network Administrator
Senior Kernel Developer
ReactOS Deutschland e.V.

[Thomas Mueller]

>   Dear Thomas, 
>   This source of such article is a post from reboot.pro
>  (http://reboot.pro/topic/20149-ntfs-now-supported-in-reactos-livecd/)
>  where I report this progress and ask for help. 
>   On ReactOS website, you don't have such strong
> report, but the piece of
>  information exists, spread in various places. People started talking
>  about it on boards a few days ago. You have a short report about it in
>  the latest ReactOS developer meeting minutes
>  (https://www.reactos.org/node/909). And finally, the commits made on
>  NTFS where kind of explicit about the progresses (coming along with
>  pictures:
>
> https://git.reactos.org/?p=reactos.git&a=search&h=HEAD&st=commi…)it&s=[NTFS]).
>   Note that the 0.3.17 release has initial, but not full
> (release process
>  was started before everything could be developed) NTFS support. Testing
>  from trunk is then the preferred method. 
>   Cheers, 
>   Pierre Schweitzer <pierre at reactos.org>
Thanks for the link!

I can see why, in a developing OS or application, following trunk would be the indicated
method.

Problem is I have no hard-drive space (actually I do, but it's GPT-partitioned).

I really would like something readable and writable, like USB stick, as opposed to live
CD.

I have an old IDE hard drive, no IDE on motherboard, use that hard drive in a Sabrent
enclosure with USB 2.0.

Sabrent enclosure also has eSATA, but that works only with SATA hard drive, not IDE.

Tom

[Pierre Schweitzer]

On 07/11/2014 12:05, Thomas Mueller wrote:
> >   Dear Thomas,
>  
> >   This source of such article is a post from
> > reboot.pro
> >  (http://reboot.pro/topic/20149-ntfs-now-supported-in-reactos-livecd/)
> >  where I report this progress and ask for help. 
>  
> >   On ReactOS website, you don't have such
> > strong report, but the piece of
> >  information exists, spread in various places. People started talking
> >  about it on boards a few days ago. You have a short report about it in
> >  the latest ReactOS developer meeting minutes
> >  (https://www.reactos.org/node/909). And finally, the commits made on
> >  NTFS where kind of explicit about the progresses (coming along with
> >  pictures:
> >
> > https://git.reactos.org/?p=reactos.git&a=search&h=HEAD&st=commi…)it&s=[NTFS]).
>  
> >   Note that the 0.3.17 release has initial, but not
> > full (release process
> >  was started before everything could be developed) NTFS support. Testing
> >  from trunk is then the preferred method. 
>  
> >   Cheers, 
>  
> >   Pierre Schweitzer <pierre at reactos.org>
>  
>  Thanks for the link!
>  
>  I can see why, in a developing OS or application, following trunk would be the indicated
> method.
>  
>  Problem is I have no hard-drive space (actually I do, but it's GPT-partitioned).
We indeed so far don't support GPT disks. It would require some changes
to be done in our storage stack.
This is somehow on my todo list, but it's kind of huge ;-).

>   
>  I really would like something readable and writable, like USB stick, as opposed to live
> CD. 
There's no easy way to do so.
Even if you'd copy contents of the LiveCD to an USB drive, it wouldn't
be writable, the CDFS driver we use is also read-only.

>   
>  I have an old IDE hard drive, no IDE on motherboard, use that hard drive in a Sabrent
> enclosure with USB 2.0.
>  
>  Sabrent enclosure also has eSATA, but that works only with SATA hard drive, not IDE.
In such case, you may try installing ReactOS on that disk (using FAT).
But then, it involves USB, and I'm not that sure it'd work...

>   
>  Tom
>  
>  
>  _______________________________________________
>  Ros-dev mailing list
>  Ros-dev(a)reactos.org
>  http://www.reactos.org/mailman/listinfo/ros-dev
>   

-- 
Pierre Schweitzer <pierre at reactos.org>
System & Network Administrator
Senior Kernel Developer
ReactOS Deutschland e.V.

[Sven Barth]

On 07.11.2014 13:19, Pierre Schweitzer wrote:
>   On 07/11/2014 12:05, Thomas Mueller wrote:
> > >   Dear
> > > Thomas, 
> > >   This source of such article is a post from
> > > reboot.pro
> > >  (http://reboot.pro/topic/20149-ntfs-now-supported-in-reactos-livecd/)
> > >  where I report this progress and ask for help. 
> > >   On ReactOS website, you don't have such
> > > strong report, but the piece of
> > >  information exists, spread in various places. People started talking
> > >  about it on boards a few days ago. You have a short report about it in
> > >  the latest ReactOS developer meeting minutes
> > >  (https://www.reactos.org/node/909). And finally, the commits made on
> > >  NTFS where kind of explicit about the progresses (coming along with
> > >  pictures:
> > >
> > > https://git.reactos.org/?p=reactos.git&a=search&h=HEAD&st=commi…)it&s=[NTFS]).
> > >   Note that the 0.3.17 release has initial, but not
> > > full (release process
> > >  was started before everything could be developed) NTFS support. Testing
> > >  from trunk is then the preferred method. 
> > >   Cheers, 
> > >   Pierre Schweitzer <pierre at reactos.org>
> >  Thanks for the link!
> >
> >  I can see why, in a developing OS or application, following trunk would be the indicated
> > method.
> >
> >  Problem is I have no hard-drive space (actually I do, but it's GPT-partitioned).
>  We indeed so far don't support GPT disks. It would require some changes
>  to be done in our storage stack.
>  This is somehow on my todo list, but it's kind of huge ;-). 
Out of curiosity: why is it so extensive to implement? From my 
understanding (I'm currently working with partition tables at work) GPT 
should be simpler to handle than MBR. Or is this because it needs to be 
implemented in a Windows compatible way? If so what did they change 
there to make implementing GPT such a "problem"?

Regards,
Sven

[Pierre Schweitzer]

On 07/11/2014 19:52, Sven Barth wrote:
>   On 07.11.2014 13:19, Pierre Schweitzer wrote:
> >   On 07/11/2014 12:05, Thomas Mueller wrote:
> > > >   Dear
> > > > Thomas, 
> > > >   This source of such article is a post from
> > > > reboot.pro
> > > >  (http://reboot.pro/topic/20149-ntfs-now-supported-in-reactos-livecd/)
> > > >  where I report this progress and ask for help. 
> > > >   On ReactOS website, you don't have such
> > > > strong report, but the piece of
> > > >  information exists, spread in various places. People started talking
> > > >  about it on boards a few days ago. You have a short report about it in
> > > >  the latest ReactOS developer meeting minutes
> > > >  (https://www.reactos.org/node/909). And finally, the commits made on
> > > >  NTFS where kind of explicit about the progresses (coming along with
> > > >  pictures:
> > > >
> > > > https://git.reactos.org/?p=reactos.git&a=search&h=HEAD&st=commi…)it&s=[NTFS]).
> > > >  
> > > >   Note that the 0.3.17 release has initial, but not
> > > > full (release process
> > > >  was started before everything could be developed) NTFS support. Testing
> > > >  from trunk is then the preferred method. 
> > > >   Cheers, 
> > > >   Pierre Schweitzer <pierre at reactos.org>
> > >  Thanks for the link!
> > >
> > >  I can see why, in a developing OS or application, following trunk
> > >  would be the indicated method.
> > >
> > >  Problem is I have no hard-drive space (actually I do, but it's
> > >  GPT-partitioned). 
> >  We indeed so far don't support GPT disks. It would require some changes
> >  to be done in our storage stack.
> >  This is somehow on my todo list, but it's kind of huge ;-). 
>  
>  Out of curiosity: why is it so extensive to implement? From my
>  understanding (I'm currently working with partition tables at work) GPT
>  should be simpler to handle than MBR. Or is this because it needs to be
>  implemented in a Windows compatible way? If so what did they change
>  there to make implementing GPT such a "problem"? 
Actually, you've to make all the storage stack GPT aware. Which is
doable ofc, but not immediate.

Kernel though, is already GPT aware.

>   
>  Regards,
>  Sven
>  
>  
>  _______________________________________________
>  Ros-dev mailing list
>  Ros-dev(a)reactos.org
>  http://www.reactos.org/mailman/listinfo/ros-dev 

-- 
Pierre Schweitzer <pierre at reactos.org>
System & Network Administrator
Senior Kernel Developer
ReactOS Deutschland e.V.

[Thomas Mueller]

>   Dear Thomas, 
>   > I really would like something readable and
> writable, like USB stick, as opposed to live CD. 
>   There's no easy way to do so.
>  Even if you'd copy contents of the LiveCD to an USB drive, it wouldn't
>  be writable, the CDFS driver we use is also read-only. 

>   Pierre Schweitzer <pierre at reactos.org>
My idea was to build and use the ROSBE on FreeBSD, NetBSD or Linux to build the trunk,
then install to a USB stick formatted FAT32.

Question is whether that could boot.

Linux, the BSDs and Haiku can be installed on a USB stick, but I believe MS-Windows
can't.

I thought of buying a cheap refurbished SATA hard disk, maybe 80 or 160 GB, and using that
to install ReactOS, FreeDOS and possibly something else (OpenBSD?), but ReactOS and
FreeDOS have the limitation of having to be the first FAT16 or FAT32 partition on the
disk, has to be drive C:

I might set up to boot with Syslinux.

Tom

[Pierre Schweitzer]

On 08/11/2014 07:14, Thomas Mueller wrote:
> >   Dear Thomas,
>  
> >  > I really would like something readable and
> > writable, like USB stick, as opposed to live CD. 
>  
> >   There's no easy way to do so.
> >  Even if you'd copy contents of the LiveCD to an USB drive, it wouldn't
> >  be writable, the CDFS driver we use is also read-only. 
>  
>  
> >   Pierre Schweitzer <pierre at reactos.org>
>  
>  My idea was to build and use the ROSBE on FreeBSD, NetBSD or Linux to build the trunk,
> then install to a USB stick formatted FAT32.
>  
>  Question is whether that could boot. 
In theory, it could. In practice, I'm not that sure, you're really
dependent on USB. And I'm not sure it's in a that good shape,
unfortunately...

>   
>  Linux, the BSDs and Haiku can be installed on a USB stick, but I believe MS-Windows
> can't.
>  
>  I thought of buying a cheap refurbished SATA hard disk, maybe 80 or 160 GB, and using
> that to install ReactOS, FreeDOS and possibly something else (OpenBSD?), but ReactOS and
> FreeDOS have the limitation of having to be the first FAT16 or FAT32 partition on the
> disk, has to be drive C:
>  
>  I might set up to boot with Syslinux.
>  
>  Tom
>  
>  
>  _______________________________________________
>  Ros-dev mailing list
>  Ros-dev(a)reactos.org
>  http://www.reactos.org/mailman/listinfo/ros-dev
>   

-- 
Pierre Schweitzer <pierre at reactos.org>
System & Network Administrator
Senior Kernel Developer
ReactOS Deutschland e.V.

[Thomas Mueller]

>  > My idea was to build and use the ROSBE on FreeBSD,
> NetBSD or Linux to build the trunk, then install to a USB stick formatted FAT32. 
>  > Question is whether that could boot. 
>   In theory, it could. In practice, I'm not that
> sure, you're really
>  dependent on USB. And I'm not sure it's in a that good shape,
>  unfortunately... 

>   Pierre Schweitzer <pierre at reactos.org>
I believe FreeDOS can boot from USB if the BIOS supports USB, but then I suppose ReactOS,
like other non-DOS OSes, does not use the BIOS beyond finding the initial boot code.

New developments make ReactOS more interesting, and I might like to test some MS-Windows
hardware drivers.

I could try to install ReactOS onto a USB stick but might wait until later for
improvements in USB support.

I must remember that ReactOS 0.3.15 iso burned to CD failed to boot on my computers.

If I subsequently want to build application software for ReactOS, I suppose I could use
Wine under Linux or FreeBSD.

Regarding lack of support for GPT in ReactOS, OpenBSD also fails to support GPT.

Tom