Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!pfratar
From: pfratar@watserv1.waterloo.edu (Paul Frattaroli - DCS)
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
Subject: Re: Need information on an utility for linking files on DOS
Message-ID: <655@watserv1.waterloo.edu>
Date: 17 Jan 90 23:52:14 GMT
References: <1336@cascade.Stanford.EDU> <1990Jan16.223942.2943@uwasa.fi> <2584@jato.Jpl.Nasa.Gov>
Reply-To: pfratar@watserv1.waterloo.edu (Paul Frattaroli - DCS)
Organization: U. of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 35

In article <2584@jato.Jpl.Nasa.Gov> kaleb@mars.UUCP (Kaleb Keithley) writes:
>>In article <1336@cascade.Stanford.EDU> faheem@cascade.ARPA (Faheem Akram) writes:
>>
>>I am looking for an utility to link files under dos.  What I have in mind is
>>something like the ln command on unix, so that I do not have to copy
>>a file into whichever directory I need it but simply have a symbolic link
>>to it.
>
>This is illegal in DOS.  CHKDSK will protest vigorously when it finds links.
>If you really insist on doing this, then Norton's NU, plus a host of other
>disk utility programs will let you edit a directory to create links, but
>I highly advise against it.
>
>Chewey, get us outta here!
>                 
>kaleb@mars.jpl.nasa.gov             (818)354-8771
>Kaleb Keithley

I had CHKDSK complain to me about just this problem only this past
weekend.  It tells you such and such a file is CROSS-LINKED.  The way
it made the warnings sound, I thought a quick CHKDSK /F ( Could you
plaese fix it then? )  would help.  CHKDSK said OK, and proceeded to
wipe 8Megs off of my Hard disk.  I agree with Kaleb, this is probably
not something you want to fool around with in DOS.  The DOS filesystem
just isn't sophisticated enough to handle this.  I doubt that DOS
would move the link should the actual physical location of the file on
the disk ever change.

But, then again I'm not you so you can listen or not.  Hope everything
works out no matter what you decide.

....Paul F

-- 
           Paul Frattaroli - Department of Computing Services                          University of Waterloo  Waterloo, Ontario Canada  N2L-3G1                 < pfratar@watshine.UWaterloo.ca >        < pfratar@watserv1.UWaterloo.ca >     --------------------------------------------------------------------------------