[comp.os.os2.misc] HPFS on a Floppy ?

s142029@fred.ucdavis.edu (06/06/91)

    I am just wandering, since I haven't read the manual, but is it possible
to format a floppy with HPFS on it ?  I have tried

    FORMAT A:/FS:HPFS

    But it says 

    SYS0530 : You must specify the fixed disk drive

    So, I am wandering if it is possible.  If it is not, why don't IBM
let us have it.  If we can format a floppy with UNIX (on the NeXT), why can't
we do it with OS/2 HPFS.

T. Huynh

Peter Forsberg <peterf@stovm1.vnet.ibm.com> (06/06/91)

s142029@fred.ucdavis.edu writes:

>    I am just wandering, since I haven't read the manual, but is it possible
>to format a floppy with HPFS on it ?  I have tried
>
>    FORMAT A:/FS:HPFS
>
>    But it says
>
>    SYS0530 : You must specify the fixed disk drive
>
>    So, I am wandering if it is possible.  If it is not, why don't IBM
>let us have it.  If we can format a floppy with UNIX (on the NeXT), why can't
>we do it with OS/2 HPFS.
>
>T. Huynh

The HPFS is not currently supported for floppies, and I don't know of any
plans for it either. The only possible advantage with being able to use
HPFS for floppies would be to be able to use long file names. The performance
issues are completely uninteresting, as a floppy is such a slow media anyway.

/ Peter
--
Peter A. Forsberg
Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
IBM Sweden, Banking & Finance Applications.
E-mail:  peterf@stovm1.vnet.ibm.com  or  d88-pfo@nada.kth.se
include <standard.disclaimer>

wbonner@yoda.eecs.wsu.edu (Wim Bonner) (06/07/91)

In article <13201@aggie.ucdavis.edu> s142029@fred.ucdavis.edu writes:
>
>    I am just wandering, since I haven't read the manual, but is it possible
>to format a floppy with HPFS on it ?  I have tried

It is not possible,.  I think That they wanted to keep the Floppies Standard
so that you didn't think that the disks are blank and re-format them when
you are running DOS.  It probably also has something to do with the buffering 
system for HPFS that makes it work well, and the number of buffers used woud
basicly make it read the entore floppy when you first put the disk in and read 
it.   Then you get the fun of dealing with systems that don't properly do the
disk change lead thing.

Wim
-- 
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Andreas.Kaiser@f7014.n244.z2.stgt.sub.org (Andreas Kaiser) (06/07/91)

 >    So, I am wandering if it is possible.  If it is not, why 
 >don't IBM let us have it.  If we can format a floppy with UNIX (on the 
 >NeXT), why can't we do it with OS/2 HPFS.

I heard that HPFS is not allowed on any kind of removable media, no 
matter if floppy, optical disk or whatever. I suppose it is because OS/2 has no

equivalent to the mount and u(n)mount commands of unix and therefore must be 
able to handle unnotified media changes. This enforces write-through caching and

a simple filesystem.

        Gruss, Andreas

 

 * Origin: kaiser@ananke.stgt.sub.org - Stuttgart FRG (2:244/7014)

larrys@watson.ibm.com (06/07/91)

In <13201@aggie.ucdavis.edu>, s142029@fred.ucdavis.edu writes:
>
>
>    I am just wandering, since I haven't read the manual, but is it possible
>to format a floppy with HPFS on it ?  I have tried
>
>    FORMAT A:/FS:HPFS
>
>    But it says
>
>    SYS0530 : You must specify the fixed disk drive
>
>    So, I am wandering if it is possible.  If it is not, why don't IBM
>let us have it.  If we can format a floppy with UNIX (on the NeXT), why can't
>we do it with OS/2 HPFS.

It can't be done.  Many IBMer's griped about this also, but to no avail.
I do not know if this will change in 2.0 .

Cheers,
Larry Salomon, Jr. (aka 'Q')            LARRYS@YKTVMV.BITNET
OS/2 Applications and Tools             larrys@ibmman.watson.ibm.com
IBM T.J. Watson Research Center         larrys@eng.clemson.edu
Yorktown Heights, NY

Disclaimer:  The statements and/or opinions stated above are strictly my
own and do not reflect the views of my employer.  Additionally, I have a
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seriously.