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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!mcnc!rti-sel!rtp47!meissner
From: meissner@rtp47.UUCP (Michael Meissner)
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards
Subject: Re: Changing Filesystem
Message-ID: <226@rtp47.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 18-Oct-85 16:05:24 EDT
Article-I.D.: rtp47.226
Posted: Fri Oct 18 16:05:24 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 20-Oct-85 06:00:54 EDT
References: <172@plx.UUCP>
Reply-To: meissner@rtp47.UUCP (Michael Meissner)
Distribution: net
Organization: Data General, RTP, NC
Lines: 20
Keywords: inode tar cpio du
Summary: Don't remove inodes

In article <172@plx.UUCP> jk@plx.UUCP (John Kullmann) writes:
>I am thinking about changing the UN*X filesystem.
>If I did away with inodes, for example, how badly
>would that screw user level programs. I am concerned
>because calls like stat() return things like dev number
>and inode number to the user, although I am not sure
>what he would do with them...
>

Inodes and device numbers are used by knowledgable programs to determine
whether two filenames actually point to the same file via a hard link.
Also, the device field can be used to determine if two files are on the
same device, and one can be linked to the other.

Some programs which use inode #/device # to keep track of links are:
	tar
	cpio
	du

	Michael Meissner, Data General
	...{ihnp4,decvax}!mcnc!rti-sel!rtp47!meissner