Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!umich!yale!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!munnari.oz.au!murdu!ucsvc!wehi!baxter_a
From: BAXTER_A@wehi.dn.mu.oz
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Re: file name *
Message-ID: <9133@wehi.dn.mu.oz>
Date: 17 Jun 90 11:17:38 GMT
References: <1636@raybed2.msd.ray.com> <30770@cup.portal.com> <36805@sequent.UUCP>
Organization: Walter & Eliza Hall Institute
Lines: 32

In article <36805@sequent.UUCP>, cseaman@sequent.UUCP (Chris "I'm Outta Here, Man!" Seaman) writes:
> phorgan@cup.portal.com (Patrick John Horgan) writes:
> < Wish I could help you, this used to happen to me as well, and when it
> < did the ls that comes with Manx wouldn't list anyfiles!  I found that
> < delete ? would get rid of it since the only other 1 character things 
> < in my root were directories and they wouldn't delete.
> < If you find out, please email me.
> < 
> < Patrick Horgan                      phorgan@cup.portal.com
> 
> If my memory serves, the '*' file is a byproduct of the player program
> from The Director.  I recall noticing the problem after I ran the
> 'Walker II' demo, and was able to repeat it consistently (i.e., run
> 'ls dh0:', no '*' file, run Walker II demo, run ls again, erase '*' file).
> If I remember right, the problem only occurs when running from the
> Workbench.
> 
> There may be other programs which have this same problem, but The Director
> is the one that comes to mind.
> 
> -- 
> Chris (Insert phrase here) Seaman |  /o  -- -- --
> cseaman@sequent <or>              |||    -- -- -     I'm Outta Here, Man!
> ...!uunet!sequent!cseaman         |vvvv/  -- -- -
> The Home of the Killer Smiley     |___/  -- -- --


My understanding is that it is a temporary file written when a batch file
is executed when a T: directory has not been assigned or exist on the boot
disk root directory. I think you'll find the * file always appears in the
root directory of your boot disk.
Regards Alan