Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!bionet!agate!ucbvax!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!osu-cis!att!alberta!ubc-cs!van-bc!root
From: ubc-cs!mtsg.ubc.ca!Paul-Andre_Panon@van-bc.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: 1.3 Format (and earlier)
Message-ID: <2344@van-bc.UUCP>
Date: 3 Apr 89 22:28:33 GMT
Sender: root@van-bc.UUCP
Lines: 43


 
  I just got bit by what I consider to be a serious bug in the 1.3 Format
command. What is the one thing a format command should never do? Format
without confirmation of course!
 
  Hypothetical situation. Joe User has a 1 Meg 2000 (or a 500) with only
one floppy (or two floppies but one is being used for a download). He realizes
he needs a new formatted disk. He's got a CLI/Shell open but is worried that
he may run low on memory and would like to still have access to the system.
So Mr. User puts his Workbench disk in df0: and types
 
  run format drive df0: name Blank 
 
So he can still have access to that CLI/SHELL although it might get messy on
the screen if he needs it since format constantly prints to that window. Now
because it's being run, format can't get input from the window. So does it
halt with an error message? Does it pop up a simple Auto requester asking 
whether the correct disk is in the drive? NO! It starts formatting Joe User's
Workbench Disk (It wasn't write protected because he'd just recently edited
some script files). But Joe User is half asleep. He doesn't realize what
happened and thinks, "Hmm. must have pressed CR twice accidentally." So he
uses his quadmate's startup disk (The same way) and trashes it. At this point
light dawns and Joe User is seriously P.O.'d. Somebody at Commodore (R&D and
Q&A) seriously FUBAR'd when they let that one through.
 
  Now, I don't know whether this bug was present in older versions of AmigaDOS
but it sure had better be gone by 1.4. The last thing we need now is for
Commodore to get a reputation for having a Format command that doesn't
prompt for user confirmation.
 
  I don't have any bug report forms. Could some developer with the appropriate
form please fill it out?
 
  In case you haven't guessed I found myself in the position of Joe User and
I don't enjoy spending >2hrs. to rebuild my (and my quadmate's) boot disks
the day before an exam.
 
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