Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!usc!jarthur!uci-ics!ucla-cs!smcnet!byoder
From: byoder@smcnet.smc.edu (Brian Yoder)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.i386
Subject: Re: Norton Utilities
Summary: Norton Disk Explorer
Keywords: norton utilities, disk explorer
Message-ID: <1990May25.224043.29340@smcnet.smc.edu>
Date: 25 May 90 22:40:43 GMT
References: <979@s8.Morgan.COM> <1990May24.224704.7557@smcnet.smc.edu> <1990May25.032711.1725@esegue.segue.boston.ma.us>
Organization: Peter Norton Computing
Lines: 31

In article <1990May25.032711.1725@esegue.segue.boston.ma.us> johnl@esegue.segue.boston.ma.us (John R. Levine) writes:
>In article <1990May24.224704.7557@smcnet.smc.edu> byoder@smcnet.smc.edu (Brian Yoder) writes:
>>Clearly the Disk Explorer is a guru only tool (that's BRAVE guru only).

>Not so fast, I didn't write it just for brave gurus.  The disk explorer has
>a read-only mode (it's the default, in fact) which is quite handy for looking
>around the disk to understand better how the partition tables, superblocks,
>inodes, and other disk structures are laid out and relate to each other.  It
>is an excellent way to learn about the mysteries of the Unix file system
>without having to destroy a disk in the process.

OK, OK, OK.  I guess I should have put a smiley after that one.  Sorry.

Indeed, DIsk Explorer can be used safely to fiddle around with files, and to
look around the file system (it's worthwhile just as an educational tool
to show how the disk structures really work).

>It is also quite usable on plain old files, in which case it is a nice
>screen oriented binary editor, something Unix has lacked for a long time.

Good point.

>Like any good tool, each of the Norton programs has uses that are not
>immediately obvious and that neither we nor our users have thought of yet.

Brian Yoder
-- 
-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-
| Brian Yoder           | "Somehow I don't feel like killing anymore."        |
| byoder@smcnet.smc.edu |                          -- Crusty the Clown        |
-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-