From: locke AT mcs DOT net (Peter Johnson)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject: Re: Win95 LFN in DOS7/6 (Was: Re: Using Windows95 VFAT .vxd with DJGPP)
Date: Fri, 03 Jan 1997 05:42:24 GMT
Organization: BiLogic
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References: <19970102212904 DOT AAA23602 AT w-r-carr>
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To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
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On Thu, 2 Jan 1997 21:28:47 GMT, "Raymond Carr"
<WRCarr AT worldnet DOT att DOT net> wrote:

>Herewith, I show my _complete_ ignorance of the mysteries of M$ Win95...
>
>DJGPP produces 32-bit PM code.
>
>The Win95 VFAT driver provides PM access to long file names.  It also
>provides this access in DOS-in-Windows boxes.
>
>I surmise that the vfat .vxd loads before the GUI, so it must not require
>the GUI to operate.  Why can't DJGPP-produced code use the read/write
>routines for the VFAT vxd to access long file names _without_ having to
>load Windows95?
You're wrong there.  Ever been in 'vanilla' DOS 7.0?  Notice no long
filenames?  Even command.com doesn't have support for LFN without
Win95 GUI loaded...
>
>I've not seen this question asked before, so it's either incredibly stupid,
>or so obvious that I'm overlooking the answer.  (Unless, of course, the
>answer is that Microsoft won't tell anyone how to access it without the
>"small" purchase of the Win95 developers' SDK. ;-)  )
Actually, there IS a way to access LFN under ANY dos.. I even have a
utility that displays a directory (dir clone) AND displays LFNs, just
like under Win95 GUI.  The secret: Hacking the filesystem itself.
There's no API, just 'straight' access.  Hmm.. perhaps I should take
that code, port it to DJGPP, and write a patch for the DJGPP LFN
functions.. wonder if anyone would be interested in that :)

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Peter Johnson
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locke AT mcs DOT net
http://locke.home.ml.org
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Freelance C/C++/Pascal/Asm programmer
 for DJGPP, Borland, and Watcom compilers
Member of BiLogic demo group
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