I’ve been asked to create a program for some version of MSWindows to read
QNX 4 floppies. Actually a disk copier - read a QNX disk and write a
DOS/Windows floppy. Of course it would make more sense to do this on QNX
(or Linux), but I don’t have that option. I’m a Unix guy since 1978, so I’m
tempted to do this with Cygwin/gcc instead of VisC++, but Cygwin requires
installation of a new dll, so…
It seems I’ve got to figure out two main things - how to do the raw open and
reads of the QNX floppy from Windows, and then how to pull apart the QNX
filesystem format. The structure of the QNX filesystem is Unix-like (see
http://support.qnx.com/support/docs/neutrino/technotes/qnx4fs.html), but
I’ve not yet found details, declarations, etc. that would let me actually
implement a program.
I strongly suspect there are useful things out there - hopefully even code -
and that some of you know what and where. Can you give me any hints or
direct me to any good resources?
(At present I seem to be stuck accessing newsgroups via MS Outlook Express,
so I’d very much appreciate copies of any responses via e-mail -
dr.pub@synthesis.com)
Thanks very much.
-David
www.synthesis.com
“David Reisner” <dr.pub@synthesis.com> wrote in message
news:9n5opr$cot$1@inn.qnx.com…
I’ve been asked to create a program for some version of MSWindows to read
QNX 4 floppies. Actually a disk copier - read a QNX disk and write a
DOS/Windows floppy. Of course it would make more sense to do this on QNX
(or Linux), but I don’t have that option. I’m a Unix guy since 1978, so
I’m
tempted to do this with Cygwin/gcc instead of VisC++, but Cygwin requires
installation of a new dll, so…
It seems I’ve got to figure out two main things - how to do the raw open
and
reads of the QNX floppy from Windows, and then how to pull apart the QNX
filesystem format. The structure of the QNX filesystem is Unix-like (see
http://support.qnx.com/support/docs/neutrino/technotes/qnx4fs.html> ), but
I’ve not yet found details, declarations, etc. that would let me actually
implement a program.
I strongly suspect there are useful things out there - hopefully even
code -
and that some of you know what and where. Can you give me any hints or
direct me to any good resources?
Reading the QNX file system shouldn’t be that hard as it’s well documented
(although
header files might be unavailable).
However reading the disk under Windows (worse for NT/W2K) might prove
more challenging.
I myself have been thinking about doing a Windows program to access
QNX4 harddisk partition but windows is a big turn off for me.
(At present I seem to be stuck accessing newsgroups via MS Outlook
Express,
so I’d very much appreciate copies of any responses via e-mail -
dr.pub@synthesis.com> )
Thanks very much.
-David
www.synthesis.com
David Reisner <dr.pub@synthesis.com> wrote:
I’ve been asked to create a program for some version of MSWindows to read
QNX 4 floppies. Actually a disk copier - read a QNX disk and write a
DOS/Windows floppy. Of course it would make more sense to do this on QNX
(or Linux), but I don’t have that option. I’m a Unix guy since 1978, so I’m
tempted to do this with Cygwin/gcc instead of VisC++, but Cygwin requires
installation of a new dll, so…
It seems I’ve got to figure out two main things - how to do the raw open and
reads of the QNX floppy from Windows, and then how to pull apart the QNX
filesystem format. The structure of the QNX filesystem is Unix-like (see
http://support.qnx.com/support/docs/neutrino/technotes/qnx4fs.html> ), but
I’ve not yet found details, declarations, etc. that would let me actually
implement a program.
Do you have a QNX4 development system available to you? Without such,
it will be difficult to do this.
The system architecture guide for QNX 4, as well as the technotes you
pointed out above give some good information – but for the header files
that actually describe what you want – they are included in a QNX 4
development system.
The most important one would be /usr/include/sys/fsys.h
Hm… this is probably also available for QNX 6, as:
/usr/include/sys/fs_qnx4.h.
-David
QNX Training Services
dagibbs@qnx.com
Since 1978 ? yikes… do you know Dennis Ritchie personally ? (I thought
I was an old-timer 
I don’t have much to tell you other than that Linux (at one point) had a
QNX4 filesystem available, and I think it worked OK for reading (which
is all you need - writing never worked I don’t think). You should be
able to find that code somewhere (deep in the bowels of a cvs server).
-----Original Message-----
From: David Reisner [mailto:dr.pub@synthesis.com]
Posted At: Wednesday, September 05, 2001 10:56 AM
Posted To: qnx4
Conversation: Reading QNX floppies on Windows
Subject: Reading QNX floppies on Windows
I’ve been asked to create a program for some version of MSWindows to
read
QNX 4 floppies. Actually a disk copier - read a QNX disk and write a
DOS/Windows floppy. Of course it would make more sense to do this on
QNX
(or Linux), but I don’t have that option. I’m a Unix guy since 1978, so
I’m
tempted to do this with Cygwin/gcc instead of VisC++, but Cygwin
requires
installation of a new dll, so…
It seems I’ve got to figure out two main things - how to do the raw open
and
reads of the QNX floppy from Windows, and then how to pull apart the QNX
filesystem format. The structure of the QNX filesystem is Unix-like
(see
http://support.qnx.com/support/docs/neutrino/technotes/qnx4fs.html), but
I’ve not yet found details, declarations, etc. that would let me
actually
implement a program.
I strongly suspect there are useful things out there - hopefully even
code -
and that some of you know what and where. Can you give me any hints or
direct me to any good resources?
(At present I seem to be stuck accessing newsgroups via MS Outlook
Express,
so I’d very much appreciate copies of any responses via e-mail -
dr.pub@synthesis.com)
Thanks very much.
-David
www.synthesis.com
Well since we’re showing our age . . . I grew up in New Providence, NJ, the
next town over from Murry Hill, NJ. The (then) Murry Hill, AT&T Bell
Labartories used to sponser a boy scout explorer post in computer science
that I belonged to for 4 years (and another one in physics that I did not
belong to).
I watched C and UNIX grow up from a hobby to something that had to be taken
seriously. We frequently had Dennis Ritchie, Ken Thompson and Brian
Kerrigan come in to do guest lectures. Years later I also sat in on a
lecture from Bjorn S. (I’m not even going to guess at spelling his name
without the book in front of me).
Those years at Bell Labs were very beneficial to me. I have often tried to
start a similiar explorer post at other employers. But for whatever reason
no one every thought it was a worth while goal. I disagree.
Bill Caroselli
“Rennie Allen” <RAllen@csical.com> wrote in message
news:64F00D816A85D51198390050046F80C9AD8E@exchangecal.hq.csical.com…
Since 1978 ? yikes… do you know Dennis Ritchie personally ? (I thought
I was an old-timer >
I don’t have much to tell you other than that Linux (at one point) had a
QNX4 filesystem available, and I think it worked OK for reading (which
is all you need - writing never worked I don’t think). You should be
able to find that code somewhere (deep in the bowels of a cvs server).
-----Original Message-----
From: David Reisner [mailto:> dr.pub@synthesis.com> ]
Posted At: Wednesday, September 05, 2001 10:56 AM
Posted To: qnx4
Conversation: Reading QNX floppies on Windows
Subject: Reading QNX floppies on Windows
I’ve been asked to create a program for some version of MSWindows to
read
QNX 4 floppies. Actually a disk copier - read a QNX disk and write a
DOS/Windows floppy. Of course it would make more sense to do this on
QNX
(or Linux), but I don’t have that option. I’m a Unix guy since 1978, so
I’m
tempted to do this with Cygwin/gcc instead of VisC++, but Cygwin
requires
installation of a new dll, so…
It seems I’ve got to figure out two main things - how to do the raw open
and
reads of the QNX floppy from Windows, and then how to pull apart the QNX
filesystem format. The structure of the QNX filesystem is Unix-like
(see
http://support.qnx.com/support/docs/neutrino/technotes/qnx4fs.html> ), but
I’ve not yet found details, declarations, etc. that would let me
actually
implement a program.
I strongly suspect there are useful things out there - hopefully even
code -
and that some of you know what and where. Can you give me any hints or
direct me to any good resources?
(At present I seem to be stuck accessing newsgroups via MS Outlook
Express,
so I’d very much appreciate copies of any responses via e-mail -
dr.pub@synthesis.com> )
Thanks very much.
-David
www.synthesis.com