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| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 80 |
1 files changed, 59 insertions, 21 deletions
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ The VB stands for "Very Basic" :) # Downloads -The current release is _0.56_. +The current release is _0.6_. You can get a recent build from the ready-to-go floppy disk image: [💾 VBADOS.FLP](https://depot.javispedro.com/vbox/vbados/vbados.flp) @@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ For the source code, you can check out [this git repository](..). ## Version history +* _0.6_: Big VBSF revamp, thanks to Eduardo Casino. VBSF now supports long file + names in shared folders, as well as translating host Unicode filenames into the + corresponding characters from the current DOS codepage. + Plus many VBSF compatibility fixes. * _0.56_: VBSF now supports changing file modification dates, and interleaving FindFirst/FindNext calls (used by e.g., recursive xcopy). Small compatibility fixes for both VBMOUSE and VBSF. @@ -46,6 +50,14 @@ For the source code, you can check out [this git repository](..). * _0.52_: this version switches VBMOUSE to using the PS/2 BIOS with 1-byte sized packets, to improve wheel mouse compatibility. +## Acknowledgments + +* Thanks to Eduardo Casino ([VMSMOUNT project](https://vmsmount.sourceforge.io/), for his contributions regarding +internalization and long file name support. + +* NattyNarwhal ([vmwmouse](https://github.com/NattyNarwhal/vmwmouse)) + and stsp ([dosemu2](https://github.com/dosemu2/dosemu2)) for ideas and feedback regarding the Windows 3.x driver. + ## VBMOUSE.EXE - DOS mouse driver VBMOUSE.EXE is a DOS mouse driver as a TSR written in C and compilable using OpenWatcom C. @@ -198,8 +210,8 @@ Most redirector functionality is supported, including write support, except changing file attributes (like setting a file to read-only...). The drives can also be accessed from within Windows 3.x . -It uses around 10KiB of memory, and auto-installs to an UMB if available. -This is still much less memory than a SMB client and network stack! +It uses around 17KiB of memory, and auto-installs to an UMB if available. +This is still less memory than a SMB client and network stack! ### Usage @@ -213,9 +225,8 @@ In the add share dialog (seen above): * Folder Path is the actual host directory you want to mount in the guest. * Folder Name is just a given name for this shared folder, can be anything you want. - When using VBSF, this will become the drive label, so ensure it fits in 8+3 - characters. - + When using VBSF, this will become the volume label. + * Mount point is the drive letter VBSF is going to use for this folder. * Use "Automount" if you want VBSF to automatically mount this folder @@ -231,8 +242,18 @@ The driver will automatically mount all the directories marked as "Automount". The driver supports the following actions, too: * `install` installs the driver (i.e. the same as if you run `vbsf`). - `vbsf install low` can be used to force installation in conventional memory; - by default, it tries to use a DOS UMB block. + This command has several suboptions (multiple may be combined): + * `low` can be used to force installation in conventional memory; + by default, it tries to use a DOS UMB block. + + * `short` uses short filenames directly from the host OS, without any + translations. + This is only useful in host OSes that support storing short + filenames separately, like Windows hosts, and usually only if you expect + to use the same filesystem with a different OS later on. + + * `hash <n>` changes the number of digits reserved for the hash portion + of a short filename to `n`. * `uninstall` uninstalls the driver. @@ -251,15 +272,27 @@ The driver supports the following actions, too: ### File names and timezones -Note that there is NO Long File Name support. This means that all the files -in the shared directory must be 8.3 characters long or shorter. Files with -long files will just not appear in the directory listings and therefore -cause misterious failures (they will be skipped when copying directories, -and DOS will not be able to delete directories containing such files). +DOS expects file names to be 8 characters long, with a 3 characters long extension. -Also, there is absolutely NO support for mapping filenames to a specific codepage. -Please limit yourself to plain ASCII filenames or you will quickly see gibberish in DOS. -No spaces, accents or tildes! +Since version 0.6 there is support for shared folders containing files with +longer filenames. These longer filenames will be "shortened" into an 8.3 filename +by concatenating the first 4 letters of the filename, the `~` character, +and a 3 letter hash of the filename. For example, `LONG FILE NAME.TXT` will +become `LONG~20B.TXT`. These behave like normal files otherwise. + +The use of hashes allow the short file names to be consistent between reboots +of the guest OS, even if the host OS does not have support to store long these +short file names. If your host OS does have support for storing persistent +short file names and want to use those instead of the autogenerated ones, +consider using the option `short` when installing VBSF. +If you have a directory with lots of similarly names files, it may help to reduce +the chances of a hash collision by increase the number of letters dedicated to the +hash portion of the short file names. For that, use the `hash <n>` option. + +In addition, there is support for translation of extended characters from +the host filesystem into the guest DOS' codepage. +The corresponding `CPxxxUNI.TBL` is required (e.g. codepage 850 will require +the file CP850UNI.TBL to exist in the same directory as VBSF.EXE). To see proper modification dates & times in directory listings in DOS, you need to set the TZ (timezone) environment variable _before_ loading VBSF.EXE. @@ -357,6 +390,10 @@ directly in the header files. * [dostsr.h](../tree/dostsr.h), helper functions for loading the resident part into an UMB. + +* [nls.h](../tree/nls.h), locale support (for translating filenames). + +* [lfn.h](../tree/lfn.h), long file name ↔ short (hashed) filename conversion. * [int10vga.h](../tree/int10vga.h) functions for setting/querying video modes using int 10h and generally configuring and getting the state of the VGA. @@ -546,9 +583,10 @@ this shouldn't be a problem either. is not empty. Eventually you'll reach a "Too many open files" error. Closing the DOS program should remove all leaked handles. -* VMware shared folders support is interesting, but there is very little - documentation that I can find, no sample code, and no open source implementation. - Also, unlike VBMOUSE, where most of the code is common to all virtualizers, - it will probably make more sense to make a separate "VMwareSF" TSR since most of - the VBSF code would be not be useful. +* Investigate how to interact with "long file name" API providers like 9x or DOSLFN, + so that compatible programs can list and use long file names. + +* Would it be possible to use a hardware rendered mouse pointer in Windows 3.x, + without having to replace the video driver? + This would also help other emulators. |