From: rafetmad@cheshire.oxy.edu (David Giller) Subject: Re: linux on CDROM. Date: 16 Jul 1992 04:50:24 GMT
kevin@nuchat.sccsi.com (Kevin Brown) wrote:
>In article <1992Jul8.170525.8293@morrow.stanford.edu> bir7@leland.Stanford.EDU (Ross Biro) writes:
>> With the ability to mount a regular file as a file system, wouldn't
>>it be possible to use a ISO9660 file system, with a file on it that faked
>>a real filesystem. I.E. in the root directory of the cd-rom have a file
>>called Mountme. When you mount it you get the exact same files as on
>>the cdrom, but with there full names and a reasonable directory layout.
>>It would require putting all the inodes and directories in one file, and
>>perhaps faking out some of the file system code, but I don't think it
>>would be that big of a problem. It would really give Linux the best
>>of both worlds.
>
>Dude, you have a really twisted mind. :-)
>
>I think it's a *great* idea!!!
>
>Along the same lines, though, you could have a single tar file on the file
>system, called Untarme.
>
>If you have the ability to mount a regular file as a file system, and you
>have a tar file system type, you can mount the file (readonly, of course)
>and treat it the way you would treat any other readonly file-system.
>
>And if you *don't* have the ability to mount a regular file, you can still
>manipulate the file with tar.
>
>That way you get maximum flexibility and widest distribution potential.
Well, Eric Youngdale (and I, when I get some time) is coming along quite nicely
on an iso9660 filesystem for UNIX. No, don't mail him, it's not ready yet.
But it's coming.
There is already a system out there (don't know how standard, but a couple
of disks that I have work this way) where each directory has a files.txt
file in it. This has a conversion chart from the 8.3 names to the full
names. You can use a shell script (provided) to make a directory heirarchy
on a place on your hard drive, and make links with the correct name to
the CD-ROM. All you have to do is mount the CD on the same point all the
time, and you're set. (would be nice to be able to make a filesystem
with extra inodes, though).
The hidden advantages to this system are:
-it's not a linux-centric method, and it's already used on some
discs
-you can simulate a read-write device: replace the links with
updated files when you need to.
-Dave
-- David Giller, Box 134 | Q: How many Oregonians does it take to screw in a light Occidental College | bulb? A: Three. One to replace the bulb, and two to 1600 Campus Road | fend off all the Californians trying to share the Los Angeles, CA 90041 | experience. ---------------------------rafetmad@oxy.edu