HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: alistair@microsoft.com (Alistair Banks)
Subject: Re: NFS software under NT?
Date: 09 Nov 92 07:23:22 GMT
Organization: Microsoft Corporation
Distribution: usa

In article <1992Nov5.233851.24349@xvt.com> stevea@xvt.com (Steve Archuleta) writes:
>Is anyone using (or heard of) an NFS package under Windows NT (beta)?
>Need to be able to mount Unix network drives as an NT disk device. 

FTP Software demoed their nfs server "technology" for Interop - it was an
early demo, and no formal product announcement was made, but its a sign! A
number of companies are working in this area (watch comdex!) but I can't
pre-announce other names until they go public themselves -- Alistair
Xref: sparky comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32:1826 comp.protocols.nfs:2707
From: stevea@xvt.com (Steve Archuleta)
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32,comp.protocols.nfs
Subject: NFS software under NT?
Date: 5 Nov 92 23:38:51 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: XVT Software Inc.
X-Disclaimer: The views expressed in this message are those of an
	individual at XVT Software Inc., and do not necessarily
	reflect those of the company.

Is anyone using (or heard of) an NFS package under Windows NT (beta)?
Need to be able to mount Unix network drives as an NT disk device. 

Response via email would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Steve Archuleta
stevea@xvt.com

-- 
sldkfjlskdjflskdfj sdgarbage
From: turabe@gradient.cis.upenn.edu (Toshiyuki Urabe)
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32
Subject: How to print PS File in WintNT CD-ROM?
Date: 9 Nov 92 06:35:12 GMT
Organization: University of Pennsylvania

Hi,

I have problem with printing PS document in WinNT CD-ROM.
What I did is once copy them into school's Unix system and
then, send these to the PS-printer. Hoerver, it print out
huge amount of original PS-file. So, I tried to see these file
by GohstScript. However, it shows only plain paper.
How to print this PS files?

-Toshi,
|-(^_^)-||-(-_-)-||-('_`)-||-("_")-||-(#_#)-||-(~_~)-||-(`_')-|
| Toshiyuki Urabe (turabe@gradient.cis.upenn.edu)             |
| Status     : M.S.E. Candidate on CIS and EE                 |
|            : School of Engineering and Applied Science      |
|            : University of Pennsylvania                     |
|-(`_')-||-(~_~)-||-(#_#)-||-("_")-||-('_`)-||-(-_-)-||-(^_^)-|
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32
From: mconca@boi.hp.com (Mike_Conca)
Subject: Re: DLC Transport and Driver
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 20:29:59 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard / Boise, Idaho
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1.4 PL6]

Tad Marshall (tad@wrq.com) wrote:
: 
: DLC is for Token Ring -- you don't need it if you don't have a Token Ring
: board.

Clarification - DLC and Token Ring are not related.  You need DLC only
if you have an application the requires it.  The transport does not matter
(DLC runs just fine over Ethernet or 802.3).

However, DLC is found mainly in IBM environments which are heavily biased
towards Token Ring, which is why DLC and Token Ring are often found together.

							-Mike
--
     Mike Conca  |  Hewlett-Packard Network Printer Division  |  Boise, ID
          E-Mail: mconca@hpbs987.boi.hp.com      Voice: (208)323-5626
    Disclaimer:  Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 
                 Hewlett-Packard.
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32
From: tad@wrq.com (Tad Marshall)
Subject: Re: Lost SDK Program Group
Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc., Seattle, WA
Distribution: usa
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 00:35:29 GMT

In article <1deo01INNojp@uwm.edu> hardiman@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Paul V Hardiman) writes:
>P.S. How are program groups named under NT?  I can't find any files
>named xxx.grp on my hard disk or on the CD.

They're stored in the registry.  Run RegEdit and look for Program Groups in
one of the sections in HKEY_USERS.  Probably something became hammered in
there somehow.

-- Tad
From: julien@sdc.boeing.com (William Julien)
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32
Subject: ATI ultra pro drivers
Keywords: drivers
Date: 10 Nov 92 02:23:31 GMT
Organization: Boeing Computer Services (ESP), Seattle, WA

I just placed an order or a Gateway 4dx2-66 computer with comes
with a VESA local buss ATI ultra pro video driver. Although other
Gateway computers are listing in the Microsoft compatability list,
I see no reference to the ATI video card. Anyone have experience
instaling the October NT beta with this system? Which supplied drivers
work best with the ATI ultra pro local bus card?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        /\_/\  
   /\  / o o \		     William Julien
  //\\ \~(*)~/		Boeing Computer Services	julien@sdc.boeing.com
  `  \/   ^ /	   	     (206) 865-5511		
     | \|| ||						     Grin and
     \ '|| ||		   Performance Analysis		      ignore
      \)()-())          #include <std disclaimer>		it
=============================================================================
Xref: sparky comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32:1948 comp.os.ms-windows.misc:4561 comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.misc:3402 misc.forsale.computers:40106
From: arnie@IASTATE.EDU (Arnold R Cowan)
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32,comp.os.ms-windows.misc,comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.misc,misc.forsale.computers
Subject: Re: Anyone had experience with Gateway computer company & shipping?
Date: 12 Nov 92 22:13:47 GMT
Article-I.D.: IASTATE.1992Nov12.161347
Reply-To: arnie@IASTATE.EDU (Arnold R Cowan)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Iowa State University

In article <1992Nov4.160103.27714@cs.wayne.edu>, pbh@pandora.cs.wayne.edu
(Patrick B. Haggood) writes:
> 
> Anyone had any bad experiece with Gateway and their not actually having in 
> stock the items they advertise?   I'm not terribly interested in Gateway's 
> ISA 486 since I can get a local bus machine for much cheaper elsewhere;
> but I really want that sound board.  If they don't have the card, I'd
> rather cancel the order and wait (forever) for one of the local 
> retail outlets to carry the thing.  Any experience with Gateway?
> -- 
> Kadidjri Lahab
> 

   Yes, I had such an experience with their Telepath modem. I ordered in it
March with a computer, and with the understanding that it would come installed.
The computer arrived when promised, but no modem, and not even a note saying
that the modem was backordered. And they billed my credit card for the modem
too.

   The modem arrived in August and it works great. Despite the trouble I had, I
would buy another computer from Gateway. I don't think you are likely to get the
same combination of features, quality and discounts on software upgrades and
hardware add-ons at a much lower price elsewhere. But their advertising is very
aggressive -- they seem to advertise a new product when they get the idea for
it, not when they have it to sell.

Arnie
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32
From: alistair@microsoft.com (Alistair Banks)
Subject: Re: NT console mode?
Date: 09 Nov 92 07:16:39 GMT
Organization: Microsoft Corporation

In article <1992Nov5.055216.22305@emr1.emr.ca> jagrant@emr1.emr.ca (John Grant) writes:
>I don't have NT and will wait until it's released, but I've been listening
>in on all of the (interesting) conversations here.  I've overheard some
>discussion of console mode.  Could someone give me a brief description of
>this console mode? Is it initiated much like a DOS session is initiated from
>Windows 3.1 or is it an option for booting, i.e. can you just boot up in
>console mode and later run the GUI if you wish.  Is it a suitable environment
>for porting large FORTRAN character-based apps from systems like VAXes?

I wouldn't so much describe this as console "mode" - The Win32 API includes
both graphical functions, and a set of APIs for pure-text app. A single
application can open many windows, some using the console APIs, and some
using the GUI APIs - Hence its not a "mode" rather an handy API set
for apps which don't want to both with graphics, and might not even
want a message loop.

As such, the console APIs may be ideal for those old fortran apps!

-- Alistair
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32
From: n276ae@tamuts.tamu.edu (Mark Radulovich)
Subject: Re: Fatal Sytem Error 0x0000A - help
Organization: Texas A&M University, College Station
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1992 04:15:52 GMT

In article <1992Oct31.191346.29829@fcom.cc.utah.edu> brian@jaguar.cs.utah.edu (Brian Sturgill) writes:
>In article <Bx0105.I4n@csn.org> altia@teal.csn.org (Thomas Batcha) writes:
>>
>>I get Fatal System Error 0x0000000A
>>IRQL expected to be less or equal
>>
>>When I try to open a file in MicroSoft word for windows or when I have
>>all the networking servers running.  I imagine that I need to change
>>the irq level of someone but I don't know who.  I have the October
>>release of windows nt and an AST 486/33 with a SCSI adaptor and a 
>>network card.
>>
>>Thanks for any help or clues.
>>
>>Tom Batcha
>
>I get this error too, but NOT when using word, but rather when I reboot
>a system.  A hard reset always seems to "fix" the problem.  I had
>suspected that I had a device that was not resetting properly.
>Anybody know what the message really means?
>
>>Altia, Inc.
>>altia@csn.org
>
>Brian
>-- 
>C. Brian Sturgill                I strongly encourage you to read Ross Perot's
>University of Utah                             United We Stand
>Center for Software Science             How we can take back our country.
>brian@cs.utah.edu; CIS: 70363,1373  (It's more important than OS/2 vs NT! :-))


I get the same error, but rather when I try to INSTALL Win NT. Just for
the info, I have a vega 486dx/50EISA motherboard, with AMI bios,
16Mb RAM, a 340Mb Maxtor scsi 2 hooked up to an Ultrastor 24F. I'm using
an NEC 84M CD-Rom, have an Aview 2E video board, and a generic I/O board.
Now, the wierd thing:
	This worked with te July NT as per instructions, and this wont do
anything, and I have tried EVERYTHING. I put about 30 hours into this, and
finally gave up. By the way, it works on a generic 486/33 with and IDE
drive, and I tried using a different video card on my system as well as 
playing with the IRQ's, etc....

HELP!!! I have no acces to CompuServe....


Mark


Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32
From: dave@rsd0.rsd.dl.nec.com (Dave Rogers)
Subject: Re: GCC
Organization: NEC America
Distribution: comp
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 10:34:57 GMT


Microsoft mailed out a package of flyers from third party developers
recently which had one from some outfit that had port the entire GNU
suite (including GCC) to NT and was offering it on CD-ROM for ~$200. I
don't have the flyer here at home but I will post the name of the
company later if anyone wants it.

dave

===============================================================================
Dave Rogers                    				       
M & R Software, Inc.
Internet:   dave@rsd.dl.nec.com
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32
From: moncrg@aix.rpi.edu (Gregory Donald Moncreaff)
Subject: setting escape for terminal telnet
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 08:57:22 GMT

is there any known way to change the default escape key
for telnet sessions using terminal. the defualt seems
to be ^C which is rather odd as everyone else seems to
use ^]

btw, i've searched through the terminal help file as well
as doing a key search on "escape" in regedit without
mananging to locate it...

thanks,
g
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32
From: sinyaw@starbright.smsc.sony.com (Sin-Yaw Wang)
Subject: Re: LINK: out of memory
Organization: Sony Microsystems
Distribution: comp
Date: 12 Nov 92 09:49:30

In article <BxLyzu.LzH@unx.sas.com> sasdxk@skyhawk.unx.sas.com (Dave Kolb) writes:

   |> I did it on a DOS-PROMPT window, with "nmake".   The linker refused to
   |> link, complaining "out of memory".
   |>
   |> It is a 486DX/33 with 16MB of memory I was using.
   |>
   |> Any insight, anybody?

   Does it help to do "control pannel/systems/virtual memory" and increase
   your page space?


No, it didn't help.  I increased it to absurdly large number.  No help.

    Sin-Yaw Wang, sinyaw@smsc.sony.com
    
    Sony Microsystems Company
    651 River Oaks Pkwy
    San Jose, CA 95134
    TEL: (408)-944-4076
    FAX: (408)-954-0849
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32
From: ctjones@bnr.ca (Clifton Jones)
Subject: Device Driver Questions
Organization: BNR
Date: Thu, 05 Nov 1992 22:23:15 GMT

I have installed Windows NT on my system and there seems to be problems with
NT drivers installing themselves.  Here is my current setup:
Micronics 386-33 w/ 12MB RAM (PRT: =IRQ5)
Future Domain TMC-1660 SCSI controller (IRQ14)
Logitec Bus Mouse (IRQ2)
Soundblaster 2.0 (IRQ7)
Genoa 5400 SVGA (No IRQ)

When I start NT, the printer never sends data. It seems to be waiting forever.
(I think that its looking on IRQ7.)
The soundblaster driver will not install on IRQ7 because it says its already
in use.  (Thats why I think that the print driver is on IRQ7).
I have no mouse pointer so I have to use the keyboard for everything.  The
event viewer gives the following info on the mouse driver:
	EventID: 3
	Source: Mouclass
	Type: Error
	Category: None
	Desc: Driver or device is incorrectly configured
	Data bytes: 0000: 00 00 00 00 01 00 52 00
	            0008: 00 00 00 00 03 00 04 00
	            0010: 2a 4e 00 00 34 00 00 c0
	            0018: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
	            0020: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

This setup is a result of soundblaster needing IRQ7 for historical
compatibility.  This setup works for SCO Unix, MSDOS 5.0, OS/2 2.0.

What I want to know is why can't NT's drivers find the correct IRQ's
(if that's the problem), and is there a way of manually setting the
IRQ's.  Windows 3.1 has resource variables that can be set for port
addresses, etc?  I have no documentation of these for NT as far as I
know.  Also, of what use is the "Data bytes" field in the Event Log?
I would really appreciate any help that I could get.  Thanks in advance.
Please email me with your response, I don't get on the news server every
day.

-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clifton Jones
Bell Northern Research
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
Email: ctjones@bnr.ca
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: sasdxk@skyhawk.unx.sas.com (Dave Kolb)
Subject: Re: Windows NT internal algorithms - Questions...
Originator: sasdxk@skyhawk.unx.sas.com
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1992 14:25:26 GMT
Organization: SAS Institute Inc.
Keywords: NT internals


In article <matwesx.720921911@gsusgi1.gsu.edu>, matwesx@gsusgi2.gsu.edu (William E. Sadler) writes:
...
|> Several people recommended a book called Inside NT, I was wondering, does it
|> have this kind of detail?

It's certainly got enough stuff on this sort of thing for a class.

Perhaps not some specific details but lots nonetheless.


-- 
Dave Kolb                     Opinions are mine not SAS'
SAS Institute, Inc.           EMAIL:      sasdxk@unx.sas.com
SAS Campus Drive - J206       Phone:      (919) 677-8000 x6827
Cary, NC  27513-2414 USA      FAX:        (919) 677-8123
From: sasdxk@skyhawk.unx.sas.com (Dave Kolb)
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32
Subject: Re: Newish IBM PS/2 scsi adapters
Date: 10 Nov 92 21:09:13 GMT
Article-I.D.: unx.BxIqrD.1Hx
Distribution: comp
Organization: SAS Institute Inc.
Originator: sasdxk@skyhawk.unx.sas.com


In article <DAN.92Nov10143647@dan.watson.ibm.com>, dan@watson.ibm.com (Walt Daniels) writes:
|> Sorry to repeat the question but the information has scrolled off our
|> archives. I remember seeing a post here that there are bad troubles
|> with some levels of microcode on some IBM scsi adapters. I think I
|> have one. The symptoms are that I get through the first batch of
|> copying from the CD and it then says "read error - install a new disk"
|> or some similar remark. I had the July release installed and am
|> successfully restoring it but I cannot get the October release to
|> install.
|>
|> What is the temporary fix?
|>
|> Is there a permanent fix?
|>
|> Some data about my scsi card:
|> Part number: 85F0063
|> Single ROM: 10G4890  0501  copyright 1991
|> Double ROM: 92F2244  1072  copyright 1991
|>             92F2245  x092  copyright 1991
|> --
|>
|>
|> Walt Daniels         (IBM)<dan@watson.ibm.com>      914 784-6736
|>                      (Internet)<dan@watson.ibm.com>

Seems to be a problem with 1991 IBM scsi adapters.  We've gotten things
running using 1990 version and I've heard 1992 is OK.  Except the
model PS/2 8590-OLF seems to fail even without the 1991 adapter.

MSFT says they have a fix and will post it to Compuserve soon but
I've seen nothing yet nor heard what the problem actually was.

What model PS/2 do you have?

We've gotten WNT running on models OKF and OJ9 so far with 1990 scsi
rom's.


-- 
Dave Kolb                     Opinions are mine not SAS'
SAS Institute, Inc.           EMAIL:      sasdxk@unx.sas.com
SAS Campus Drive - J206       Phone:      (919) 677-8000 x6827
Cary, NC  27513-2414 USA      FAX:        (919) 677-8123
From: cparker@centerline.com (Charles Parker)
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32
Subject: Re: SLIP/PPP Software
Date: 9 Nov 1992 17:47:36 GMT
Organization: CenterLine Software
Distribution: world
Reply-To: cparker@centerline.com
NNTP-Posting-Host: 140.239.2.37

In article ekyuTB1w165w@underg.ucf.org, max@underg.ucf.org (Max Cray) writes:
>Anybody working on SLIP or PPP software for Windows NT? If so, please
>send me mail. Thanks.
>
>                                          -= Max =-
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------------
> I try to be my own moderator...

No, I am not, and I do not think that anyone is. I am interested in
finding out how one would go about implementing SLIP, or, more 
accurately, whether not it would be possible for a non-Device Driver 
writer like me to attempt such a feat. BTW, SLIP source code is readily
available at ftp.uu.net in networking/ip, i think. 

What does the net think ?

	cparker


---
---------------------------------------------------------
                                       cyberspace
momma, don't let yer children grow up to be ^ cowboys ...
---------------------------------------------------------

Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32
From: sasdxk@skyhawk.unx.sas.com (Dave Kolb)
Subject: Re: Uploads available
Originator: sasdxk@skyhawk.unx.sas.com
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 14:29:08 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: SAS Institute Inc.


In article <1992Nov10.233022.15018@microsoft.com>, johnhall@microsoft.com (John Hall) writes:
|> On ftp.uu.net, ~ftp/vendor/microsoft/OS2toWindows

What versions of OS/2 API's does this support?

Thanks,
-- 
Dave Kolb                     Opinions are mine not SAS'
SAS Institute, Inc.           EMAIL:      sasdxk@unx.sas.com
SAS Campus Drive - J206       Phone:      (919) 677-8000 x6827
Cary, NC  27513-2414 USA      FAX:        (919) 677-8123
From: tad@wrq.com (Tad Marshall)
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32
Subject: Re: Getting DOS TCP/IP software to work with NT
Date: 6 Nov 92 03:09:04 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Nov6.030904.2122
Organization: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc., Seattle, WA

In article <EBROWN.92Nov5161748@bud_light.kodak.com> ebrown@tap.kodak.com writes:
>In article <1992Nov5.031150.12271@ucsu.Colorado.EDU> ushomirs@spot.Colorado.EDU (USHOMIRSKIY GRIGORIY) writes:
>
>   I remeber reading here that Win NT's network drivers are similar to NDIS.
>   In this case it seems to be easy to get any dos TCP/IP software that uses
>   packet drivers or NDIS to work with NT.

>I was under the impression that Microsoft and a couple other vendors
>(Sun and FTP Software notably) had come up with the Windows Socket
>specification and that that was to be the new TCP/IP standard interface
>rather than packet drivers.

Windows NT uses WinSock as an API for talking to the TCP/IP stack.  NT also
uses NDIS 3.0 as an API for talking to a network driver.

Since NT has TCP/IP built-in, you probably don't want to run another TCP/IP
stack in a DOS box, even if you could make it work.  But protocols that are
not based on TCP/IP (such as DEC's LAT) can't use WinSock, and must instead
write directly to the network board driver using NDIS.

-- Tad
From: yuanchie@eve.usc.edu (Yuan-chie Hsu)
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32
Subject: Test
Date: 12 Nov 1992 13:45:26 -0800
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: eve.usc.edu

Test!
From: jerry@marin.uucp (Jerry C. Hudgins)
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32
Subject: Re: Recommendation for SCSI CD-ROM needed
Distribution: world
X-NewsSoftware: GRn 1.16f (10.17.92) by Mike Schwartz & Michael B. Smith
Date: 7 Nov 92 11:44:46 EST
Organization: Private UUCP Node

In article <1992Nov7.010501.26743@netcom.com> shark@netcom.com (Stefan M. Sharkansky) writes:
> 
> I just received my October release of Win32 SDK.  Now I need to get a
> CD-ROM drive.  I have the Microsoft Hardware Compatibility list, but I'd
> like an actual recommendation from an actual user for a cost-effective and
> quality CD-ROM/SCSI interface combination.  My system is a Northgate ZXP
> 486 DX2/50 with a standard AT bus and available internal slots.
> 
> Thanks,
> Stefan
> shark@netcom.com

Please post your responses; I'm interested in such recommendations, as well.

-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jerry C. Hudgins                   Internet: jerry%marin.uucp@seq.uncwil.edu
125 Cherokee Trail                 UUCP    : uunet!marin!jerry
Wilmington, NC 28409-3407 (USA)    Voice   : (919) 392-2358
From: guy@Auspex.COM (Guy Harris)
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32
Subject: Re: NT console mode?
Date: 5 Nov 92 23:49:59 GMT
Organization: Auspex Systems, Santa Clara

>NT comes up in GUI mode,

Even on a Sequent?  I didn't think Sequents *had* frame buffers....
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32
From: baker@westsd.dco.dec.com (Art Baker)
Subject: Re: Info on NTFS internals ?
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1992 15:52:04 GMT

In article <1992Nov04.053326.643@microsoft.com> alistair@microsoft.com (Alistair Banks) writes:
>
>Please will you be much more specific about what things in NTFS
>you are trying to learn
>
>Features? These are surfaced in the published Win32 API (though I
>could summarise them again, as I have done before on this forum)
>
No, not just its features.  As you point out, these are well documented
in the Win32 API publications.

>On-Disk sector layout? This is not publicly available at this time
>
Yes, the way space on a physical disk is allocated and managed would be
very helpful.

>Mechanisms involved in implementing its features? These live in the
>code of the OS, and as such are competitive advantage for the OS, and
>like other parts of the source code, are only available to licensees
>
It would be possible, I believe to desribe the algorithms/methods used
by the NTFS driver without revealing anything that would put Microsoft
at a competitive disadvantage.

My own employer, Digital Equipment, has published an entire book
describing both the on-disk block structure *and* the interaction of the
Files-11 XQP for VMS. Similar documentation exists for OSF/1 and most
other flavors of UNIX.

As to why:  Because it's nearly impossible to write high-performance
code that treats the entire disk-subsystem as a black box. This is going
to be particularly true if/when WNT becomes the OS of choice on large
server-machines.  In these kinds of disk-intensive environments,
information about the disk-subsystem's allocation strategies, locking
policies, buffering schemes, etc, becomes crucial to squeezing the greatest 
number of I/O's out of the system.  A simple list of file-system features
does not meet this need.

Regards,

-- 
	***********************************************************
	* Art Baker			| Joy and fierceness...	  *
	* baker@westsd.dco.dec.com	|  			  *
	***********************************************************