Files as files

From: Doug Yowza <yowza_at_yowza.com>
Date: Thu Jun 11 16:06:39 1998

On Thu, 11 Jun 1998, Max Eskin wrote:

> In general, file systems seem to fit into several simple categories.
> Let's say UNIX-like, DOS-like, simple (just data), and that's about it
> I've looked at Apple manuals, and the Apple ][ format is kinda like
> DOS in terms of having an array of blocks and stuff. Except Apple's
> is quite a bit more elegant. Since some people here are fond of
> praising the VAX, how does its file system work (typically)?

The Newton "soup" is an object store rather than a directory hierarchy,
and you'll probably see that paradigm more often in the future. I think
Microsoft's "Cairo" road-map included turning the filesystem into an
object store.

"VAX" is a hardware architecture. Lots of people run Unix on VAXen.
But the VAX-philopsophy was extreme CISC, and that extended to the VAX/VMS
filesystem as well: record-based, with a zillion different file
attributes, built-in file versioning, etc. It was hierarchial, but mixed
with a clunky "volume" concept (something like DOS "C:", but with longer
names).

-- Doug
Received on Thu Jun 11 1998 - 16:06:39 BST