From 393bd6a4e0de11ab6bd03337e207fa28a0c39dcf Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Nathaniel Beaver Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2015 10:55:09 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] Rewording and clarifying. --- README.rst | 86 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++----------------- 1 file changed, 60 insertions(+), 26 deletions(-) diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst index 47a10b2..461d48c 100644 --- a/README.rst +++ b/README.rst @@ -591,9 +591,9 @@ For example, the Linux port of the `Unity engine`_ has `issues with case-sensiti https://archive.org/stream/Intro_to_CPM_Feat_and_Facilities/Intro_to_CPM_Feat_and_Facilities_djvu.txt ---------------------- -Filename restrictions ---------------------- +---------------------- +Filename restrictions. +---------------------- In Linux and other Unix-derived operating systems, the only `characters that cannot appear`_ @@ -712,7 +712,7 @@ up-and-coming filesystems like `Btrfs`_. Unlike FAT and NTFS filesystems, ext3 and Btrfs `do not require defragmentation`_ to maintain good performance. -Realistically, though, `defragmentation isn't that important for NTFS`_, either. +(Realistically, though, `defragmentation isn't that important for NTFS`_, either.) .. _Btrfs: https://btrfs.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Main_Page .. _NTFS and FAT: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/2007.11.desktopfiles.aspx @@ -827,12 +827,12 @@ it is sometimes desirable to set old files as read-only, so that they are still easily accessible, but are less likely to be accidentally deleted, moved, or modified. -Unfortunately, while the contents of read-only files on Windows cannot be changed, -the files themselves `can be moved, renamed, or deleted`_, -because `folders cannot have a read-only status`_. +On Windows, the content of a read-only file cannot be altered, +but the file itself `can be moved, renamed, or deleted`_, +because the `folder it is in cannot have a read-only status`_. .. _can be moved, renamed, or deleted: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/prevent-changes-to-a-file-by-setting-it-to-read-only -.. _folders cannot have a read-only status: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/prevent-changes-to-a-file-or-folder-read-only +.. _folder it is in cannot have a read-only status: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/prevent-changes-to-a-file-or-folder-read-only In Linux, by contrast, a read-only directory cannot have files added to it, and files in such a directory cannot be moved, renamed, or deleted @@ -856,8 +856,8 @@ Limitations on access to external volumes ----------------------------------------- When accessing external volumes such as flash drives, -Windows assigns different capital letters to each volume -each corresponding to a different absolute path root. +Windows assigns different capital letters to each volume, +each letter corresponding to a different absolute path root. This is necessary for backwards compatibility with MS-DOS, but it is not without drawbacks. @@ -865,9 +865,10 @@ Perhaps the most obvious problem is that there are only 26 letters in the English alphabet. But what does this mean in practice? -One result is that the assigned drive letter may be different -when a drive is reconnected, -but applications that track recently used files +One consequence is that the assigned drive letter +may be different when a drive is reconnected. +This means that, for example, +applications that track recently used files will look for files under the old drive letter, and be unable to find the files. @@ -891,11 +892,26 @@ Fortunately, there is a solution: NTFS mount points. https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/Cc938934.aspx + If you're running out of drive letters, one trick is to use a mount point + for each logical drive that you are going to bring into Windows; this way, + performance can be contained to a logical drive and still conform to your + drive letter standards. + + [ . . . ] + + There are many scenarios in which you would want a large number of drives, + such as multiple databases for Microsoft SQL Server or Exchange Server + installations. Exchange databases are notorious for needing their own + drives per mailbox store and, if you provision out well, you will quickly + run out of drive letters. + + --- Rick Vanover + +http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/the-enterprise-cloud/use-mount-points-if-you-run-out-of-windows-drive-letters/ + Unfortunately, Windows doesn't use mount points by default for external hard drives or flash drives, -possibly because mount points can behave differently than a user might expect. -For example, the recycle bin does not work as expected -on files accessed through mount points. +possibly because mount points behave slightly differently than drive letters. The problem is the recycle bin. This "undo" option is maintained with a hidden system file that is on the partition that holds the files being deleted. @@ -909,24 +925,41 @@ on files accessed through mount points. http://getyouriton.blogspot.com/2009/08/serious-gotchas-with-mounted-drives-or.html -Not all of this behavior is because of backwards compatibility; -some of it is due to a design choice of the Windows operating system: -the NTFS filesystem has a root directory, -but Windows itself has no single root directory. +While NTFS filesystems have a root directory, +Windows has no unique root directory; +instead, each drive has its own root. -(*My Computer* roughly corresponds to a root directory in concept, +https://stackoverflow.com/questions/151860/root-folder-equivalent-in-windows + +*My Computer* roughly corresponds to a root directory in concept, and looks like a folder when viewed in Windows Explorer, -but there is no actual *My Computer* folder anywhere on the filesystem.) +but there is no *My Computer* folder anywhere on the filesystem. +Instead, *My Computer* is a virtual folder. -http://www.zdnet.com/article/dear-microsoft-its-time-to-stop-using-drive-letters-and-whacks/ + Unlike file system folders, users cannot create new virtual folders + themselves. They can only install ones created by non-Microsoft + developers. The number of virtual folders is thus normally much fewer than + the number of file system folders. + + [ . . . ] + + The file systems of the various disk drives can be seen to be subsets of + the larger namespace hierarchy. The roots of these file systems are + subfolders of the My Computer folder. My Computer also includes the roots + of any mapped network drives. + +https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc144090%28VS.85%29.aspx Unix, on the other hand, has a unique root directory called ``/`` -and mounts drives (including removable media)_ -as directories under the root. [#disk_location]_ +and mounts drives (including removable media) +as directories anywhere on the hierarchy. [#disk_location]_ +This provides uniform access and permission controls to storage volumes +without requiring new syntax or knowledge of the underlying hardware. https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/93960/why-is-linuxs-filesystem-designed-as-a-single-directory-tree + On Linux, flash drives are mounted under ``/media/`` and are assigned a directory based on their label. If the drive is removed and re-mounted again, @@ -945,9 +978,10 @@ https://superuser.com/questions/169980/what-is-trash-and-trash-1000 Multics, the predecessor to Unix, appears to be the first operating system with a root directory + (called ``>`` instead of ``/``) and a hierarchical filesystem underneath it. - .. TODO: source + http://www.multicians.org/mgr.html#root However, the motivations for such a scheme go back further. One of the most influential time-sharing systems,