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From: jesup@cbmvax.commodore.com (Randell Jesup)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Re: Hidden AmigaDOS files?
Message-ID: <15915@cbmvax.commodore.com>
Date: 16 Nov 90 21:10:15 GMT
References: <1990Nov13.182903.20247@qut.edu.au> <18621@ultima.socs.uts.edu.au>
Reply-To: jesup@cbmvax.commodore.com (Randell Jesup)
Organization: Commodore, West Chester, PA
Lines: 34

In article <18621@ultima.socs.uts.edu.au> colin@ultima.socs.uts.edu.au (Colin Panisset) writes:
>-Does anybody know how to make files invisible in AmigaDOS?
>
>-I have seen hidden directories created on a floppy which you can CD into but
>-don't show up in a DIR listing, but is it possible under FFS?  HOW?
>
>  Roight. This has happened to me. At least once. I'm annoyed, coz the standard
>dox provided by Commodore (what little there is), mention it not at all. I
>have one dir on my HD (A Quantum Prodrive 40Mb, with Trumpcard), under FFS,
>and it's NOT THERE under any dir listing. From ANY application/shell/cli/
>whatever. I can CD into it, or get into it by specifically naming it in the
>file requester. Oh, I'm using 1.3.2 by the way.
>
>  Can anyone give me an idea of what the hell is going on? I dont remember
>setting any hidden bit on the dir, and nothing I've tried (protect, etc) has
>had any effect. 

	This is caused by a pre-release version of the FFS (from the 1.3
Gamma/Omega days).  There was a change in whether ordering of hash chains
was required (that tied into the faster ExNext scheme).  This means that
a few files/dirs written under earlier versions of FFS cannot be seen by
ExNext.  The solution is to rename the directory something different and
back (causing it to get reinserted in the right place).  However, it might
be safer to backup and restore, in case there are any other version-
related problems lurking.

	It's not a "hidden bit" issue.  That bit is defined, but not
implemented at this time.  There may be other filesystem problems which might
also result in misordered hash chains, but the reason given seems most likely.

-- 
Randell Jesup, Keeper of AmigaDos, Commodore Engineering.
{uunet|rutgers}!cbmvax!jesup, jesup@cbmvax.cbm.commodore.com  BIX: rjesup  
Common phrase heard at Amiga Devcon '89: "It's in there!"