[comp.sys.hp] Problems with HP Unix 7.0

shahryar@eris.berkeley.edu (Persian Nightmare) (01/23/91)

Dear all,

	We have a HP 9000 system running HP Unix 7.0.  Unfortunately
there is only a 11 character limit on filenames, which is bad when
you install products that have long file names in them.  Anyone
know why this is occurring?

Shahryar
<shahryar@sutro.sfsu.edu>

'My words fly up, my thoughts remain below.
Words without thoughts never to heaven go.'
Hamlet--Act III--scene iii

mckee@hpfcdc.HP.COM (Bret McKee) (01/24/91)

>	We have a HP 9000 system running HP Unix 7.0.  Unfortunately
>there is only a 11 character limit on filenames, which is bad when
>you install products that have long file names in them.  Anyone
>know why this is occurring?

For various backward-compatibility reasons, hp-ux supports both short 
and long filename filesystems.  There is an option (-L/-S) which tells
mkfs to make either a long or short name filesystem.  If you want to change
an existing disk from short to long, use the convertfs(1M) utility.  

*** Warning:  This is a one way trip.  Once converted to long, newfs is
	the only way to make it short again


---
Bret Mckee

Hewlett Packard 
HP-UX Development Lab
Phone:(303)229-6116	email: mckee@hpmckee or mckee%hpmckee@hplabs.hp.com
Copyright (c) Bret Mckee 1990.  All Rights Reserved.
 
Of course, these are just my opinions...

jns@hpuerca.HP.COM (Jeff Squires) (01/24/91)

Hi there -- hope this helps --

The filename character limit on a default HP-UX file system is 14 characters
per SVID -- we do support BSD longfilenames (256 characters) -- you must
run a utility called convertfs(1m) to accomplish this -- this is normally
run on unmounted filesystems using the character device file -- special
care must be taken when doing this on your root filesystem -- consult the
convertfs(1m) man page and the appropriate chapter in your HP-UX System
Administration Tasks Manual for details .............

good luck --

diingyu@hpss2.HP.COM (Diing Yu Chen) (01/24/91)

Hi,

By default, HPUX uses the AT&T SYS V filename convention which allows
14 character filenames (why yours is 11 beats me!). However, during
installation, you can specify the file system to behave like a BSD
environment that will accept upto 255 characters for filename. This
conversion from short filename (14 char) to long filename (255 char)
can also be performed through either SAM (System Admin Manager) or
convertfs (1m).
 
Note that the conversion, once done is irreversible and that some
applications behave strangely under the long file name environment.
(However, some application will only run under the long filename
system -- such as Framemaker; you win some, you lose some)

regards
Diing Yu Chen 
Hewlett Packard Singapore

mike@hpwin052.HP.COM (Mike Croom) (01/24/91)

The limit should be 14 characters unless you have severe problems.
The limit comes from AT&T SYS V. There is an option to install long
name file systems ( code from BSD) which may solve your problems. The key
is in your use of newfs to create the file systems. You should beware that
some code which works fine on short FS crash on long but most software
suppliers should be able to say whether it is OK or not.

Mike Croom

timg@hpgnd.grenoble.hp.com (Tim GILL) (01/24/91)

When you create a file system under HP-UX 7.0, the mkfs command has an
option to allow long file names (up to 255 char) or short (14). It defaults
to the size used in the root file system. There is also a command to convert
from short to long: convertfs(1M).

Tim GILL
HP-Grenoble

sartin@hplabsz.HP.COM (Rob Sartin) (01/25/91)

In article <1340015@hpuerca.HP.COM> jns@hpuerca.HP.COM (Jeff Squires) writes:
>The filename character limit on a default HP-UX file system is 14 characters
>per SVID -- we do support BSD longfilenames (256 characters) -- you must

Not quite true.  The "default" file system type is the type of your root
filesystem (from mkfs(1m):  "If neither [-L nor -S] option is specified,
mkfs creates a file system of the same type as the root file system.").
If you are upgrading from an old system (pre 7.0 on the 300) your root
filesystem will be 14 character filenames and you may want to use
convertfs to convert all of your filesystems.  I have run with all my
filesystems using long names ever since the feature was available.

See the sysadmin doc and newfs, mkfs and convertfs manual entries
for details.

Disclaimer: If HP had a net.spokesperson, it wouldn't be me.

Rob Sartin                      internet: sartin@cup.hp.com
Open Systems Software Division     uucp : {hplabs!,uunet!}hpda!sartin
Hewlett-Packard                 voice   : (408) 447-4918

sartin@hplabsz.HP.COM (Rob Sartin) (01/28/91)

In article <1991Jan26.092145.5460@mcs.kent.edu> bailey@mcs.kent.edu writes:
>Not necessarily. I'm not sure about 6.2 but 6.5 definitely had the
>long file name option available. Therefore, pre-7.0 may or may not

Oops, that's what I get for going from my flakey human memory instead of
checking.  I didn't use 6.5 much as I was doing 800 work then.

Rob

cirian@einstein.eds.com (Steve Cirian) (01/29/91)

In article <1991Jan23.011709.6327@agate.berkeley.edu>, shahryar@eris.berkeley.edu (Persian Nightmare) writes:
> 
> 	We have a HP 9000 system running HP Unix 7.0.  Unfortunately
> there is only a 11 character limit on filenames, which is bad when
> you install products that have long file names in them.  Anyone
> know why this is occurring?

Yes.

You can allow long file names on the HP 9000 Series 300 running HP-UX 7.0 by
using the convertfs command.  YOU MUST SHUT THE SYSTEM DOWN TO SINGLE USER
MODE FIRST!!!!  If you do not, very nasty things happen.  Read the doco and
man pages for further information before doing this.

Steve Cirian



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