From: maspab@gdr.bath.ac.uk (P A Broadbery) Subject: Re: Can I make/mount a filesystem in a file? Date: 10 Nov 1992 12:48:56 GMT
In the referenced article, rick@ee.uwm.edu (Rick Miller, Linux Device Registrar) writes:
>I think I remember this thread coming up before, but I don't remember if
>it was satisfactorily answered...
>
>Can I create a file (maybe with "dd if=/dev/zero of=filename count=$size")
>in which I could make a filesystem ("mkfs filename $size")
>and then mount that filesystem?
Try using the user_dd patches in the ALPHA directory on tsx-11. They
allow you to create block devices which talk to a user level program,
and a supplied client does just what you ask.
There is also a 'ramdisk' program which is a cool way of loading HJ's
{base,gcc,lib}disks without wasting a floppy (or uncompressing the
image). ramdisk in quotes 'cos it spends most its time swapped out...
BTW, is anybody maintaining this program?
Pete
pab@maths.bath.ac.uk