From: Werner Almesberger (almesber@nessie.cs.id.ethz.ch)
Date: 09/05/92


From: almesber@nessie.cs.id.ethz.ch (Werner Almesberger)
Subject: Re: Mtools documentation (was Re: Clue?)
Date: 5 Sep 1992 18:52:28 GMT

In article <1992Sep4.030734.17440@utdallas.edu> yuanyin@utdallas.edu (Yuan-Yin Wu) writes:
> With all the fuss about mtools, I'm wodering what's the point? With
> DOS fs, should mtools be obsolete? (except perhaps, mformat).

Well, partially, yes. But there are a few cases where you still might want
to have Mtools around (besides mformat):

  - it's a backup if you hit a bug in the MS-DOS FS.
  - handling is slightly easier if you only want to perform one or two
    operations on a disk.
  - some operations are faster than with the MS-DOS FS.
  - mattrib can change all attribute bits, including "sys" and "hidden".
  - mlabel can't be emulated by the MS-DOS FS.

But for starters who only want to get at their downloaded files, the
MS-DOS FS should be all that's needed.

- Werner

-- 
   _________________________________________________________________________
  / Werner Almesberger, ETH Zuerich, CH      almesber@nessie.cs.id.ethz.ch /
 / IFW A44  Tel. +41 1 254 7213                 almesberger@rzvax.ethz.ch /
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