Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!usc!ucsd!ucbvax!NISC.SRI.COM!cwilson
From: cwilson@NISC.SRI.COM (Chan Wilson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: FSTs
Message-ID: <17642@fs2.NISC.SRI.COM>
Date: 17 Jun 90 10:18:29 GMT
References: <216@fawlty.towers.oz>
Reply-To: cwilson@NISC.SRI.COM (Chan Wilson)
Organization: Network Info Systems Ctr., SRI Intl., Menlo Park, CA.
Lines: 65

In article <216@fawlty.towers.oz> johnmac@fawlty.towers.oz (John MacLean) writes:
>Has anyone out there dissassembled an FST?

I haven't taken more than a cursory glance at the PRO.FST; at the time I had
just gotten into '816 coding and got lost rather quick.

>Apple will not release docs, and so far have not provided us
>with what we need, so I though it is about time someone went
>and got it.

Yea!

>I had a quick look at PRO.FST the other night.
[...]
>It seems they just add new commands if needed and then change GS/OS.
>This is why they do not want to release docs - so DTS usually responds.

Most likely. Although, I believe the entire concept of going to a system
such as GS/OS is to get away from having to do an entire re-write/update
of everything to incorporate new changes.  

>Anyway, most of these routines are probably relatively simple (given that
>there are so many).
[..]
>Basically all the calls needed to support the GS/OS calls, plus a few
>housekeeping ones.

Right.. sounds appropriate, but what would you classify as housekeeping
routines... INIT, SHUTDOWN, etc?

>Anyone got a start on this yet?
Not me, although I think it's time to take another look at the issue now.

>There is probably also a header on the FST file so it can be recognised,
>apart from its filetype/auxtype. Any ideas?

Nope.  My first thought was that you'd have to get into GS/OS enough to 
decipher the header; what you really need to do is to create an isolated
system (GS w/1 3.5") and go change bytes, and see what happens...

>As a first objective, it would be nice to get a FST file added to the
>system which would not crash the system.

1.5: handle fst calls and determine what they are intended to do,
     also, what they are intended to return.

>Secondly we would want to be able to recognise volumes.
>Thirdly we would want to be able to scan directories and translate
>filenames.
>Finaly you would worry about supporting the file level calls.

I think the first 2 (1 & 1.5) steps are going to be the most difficult.
The other steps have been accomplished already, all that is needed is
integration into the FST.  

>John MacLean.
>-- 
>This net: johnmac@fawlty.towers.oz.au                   Phone: +61 2 427 2999

--Chan
			   ................
    Chan Wilson -- cwilson@nisc.sri.com <!> I don't speak for SRI.
Janitor/Architect of comp.binaries.apple2 archive on wuarchive.wustl.edu
			      "a2fx it!"
			   ................