[ql-users] QLWA documentation
Hello, does anyone have a synthetic and complete documentation regarding the QLWA filesystem (the one used on Qx0 and QPC). I have found some 'educated'-guess about the value of the first sector, but I wonder about: - a better documentation of that first sector - how the files are organised - what is the content and meaning of the map - how does a (sub)directory work (and what is its contains ?) Or would I have to read the code and figures it out myself ? (Any helps appreciated)
RE: [ql-users] QLWA documentation
http://www.bountiful.demon.co.uk/qdos/qlwa.html That's all I have on the matter - supplied from docs written by Tony Tebby (I am reliably informed). It's not much, but it might be useful. Cheers, Norman. - Norman Dunbar Database/Unix administrator Lynx Financial Systems Ltd. mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Tel: 0113 289 6265 Fax: 0113 289 3146 URL: http://www.Lynx-FS.com - -Original Message- From: Jerome Grimbert [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, February 07, 2003 10:47 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [ql-users] QLWA documentation Hello, does anyone have a synthetic and complete documentation regarding the QLWA filesystem (the one used on Qx0 and QPC). This email is intended only for the use of the addressees named above and may be confidential or legally privileged. If you are not an addressee you must not read it and must not use any information contained in it, nor copy it, nor inform any person other than Lynx Financial Systems or the addressees of its existence or contents. If you have received this email and are not a named addressee, please delete it and notify the Lynx Financial Systems IT Department on 0113 2892990.
Re: [ql-users] QLWA documentation
On Fri, 7 Feb 2003 11:47:10 +0100 (MET), Jerome Grimbert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Hello, does anyone have a synthetic and complete documentation regarding the QLWA filesystem (the one used on Qx0 and QPC). I have found some 'educated'-guess about the value of the first sector, but I wonder about: - a better documentation of that first sector - how the files are organised - what is the content and meaning of the map - how does a (sub)directory work (and what is its contains ?) The QLWA is basically from what I recall, a patchwork of a FAT-12 organization (ie Atari GEMDOS modified partition) with link-lists for FAT (and lacking fat 2). The subdirectories are really pointers to files IIRC... In any case I have notes on everything which I could dig up if needed. Wolfgang with his extensive research on the matter could answer better that question I'd guess How about however scrapping the QLWA and writing either an Ext2FS driver or something else (and new, and better ie. more secure)? Phoebus Or would I have to read the code and figures it out myself ? That ALWAYS helps :-) (Any helps appreciated) -- Using M2, Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/m2/
Re: [ql-users] QLWA documentation
Norman Dunbar makes some magical things to make me read } } http://www.bountiful.demon.co.uk/qdos/qlwa.html } } That's all I have on the matter - supplied from docs written by Tony Tebby } (I am reliably informed). It's not much, but it might be useful. Thanks. At least it clarify a little the structure of the first sector of the file system. (but qwa.pflg for instance lie on the partition list (which I luckily already found and understood) on the first physical sector. It should never appears in the first sector of the filesystem. (BTW: the ICD partitions scheme is good! Atari has performed better than PC for that!) Looks like that all (0 for SCSI) also works for IDE drive without CHS kludge. (Direct sector rules!)
Re: [ql-users] QLWA documentation
Norman Dunbar wrote: > http://www.bountiful.demon.co.uk/qdos/qlwa.html > That's all I have on the matter - supplied from docs written by Tony Tebby > (I am reliably informed). It's not much, but it might be useful. That's the keys_qlwa file of the SMSQ/E sources. Lacking any more written information I had given that out in the pre-open source time. Marcel
Re: [ql-users] QLWA documentation
Phoebus Dokos makes some magical things to make me read } } The QLWA is basically from what I recall, a patchwork of a FAT-12 } organization (ie Atari GEMDOS modified partition) with link-lists for FAT } (and lacking fat 2). That's tell me nothing, because I do not know FAT-12 either! } The subdirectories are really pointers to files } IIRC... In any case I have notes on everything which I could dig up if } needed. If I could at least understand what is the purpose of the map, and how to interpret a directory file (how it grow/shrink/...) In simple term, without holly reference to another format (It looks like the QL5A/B/C formats also have a kind of map...) I believe small examples would work best with me! } Wolfgang with his extensive research on the matter could answer } better that question I'd guess } } How about however scrapping the QLWA and writing either an Ext2FS driver or } something else (and new, and better ie. more secure)? First, I want to understand the current format so far. Then, I will see what I can do... By the way, you're out dated, ext3fs is out! (but I do not believe we need that! Even Ext2fs looks really too complex) } > } > Or would I have to read the code and figures it out myself ? } > } } That ALWAYS helps :-) But finding the meaning and limits of a field from the code is not an easy task. Especially when the structure is used field by field when needed... Synthetic description are easier too understand.
RE: [ql-users] QLWA documentation
to my opinion it never shrinks (except when you delete the directory ;-) -Message d'origine- De : Jerome Grimbert [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Envoye : vendredi 7 fevrier 2003 13:38 A : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Objet : Re: [ql-users] QLWA documentation (...) and how to interpret a directory file (how it grow/shrink/...) (...)
RE: [ql-users] QLWA documentation
Cheers Marcel, I knew it was either you or Per who supplied me, but I wasn't sure. Regards, Norman. - Norman Dunbar Database/Unix administrator Lynx Financial Systems Ltd. mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Tel: 0113 289 6265 Fax: 0113 289 3146 URL: http://www.Lynx-FS.com - -Original Message- From: Marcel Kilgus [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, February 07, 2003 12:31 PM To: ql-users Subject: Re: [ql-users] QLWA documentation Norman Dunbar wrote: > http://www.bountiful.demon.co.uk/qdos/qlwa.html > That's all I have on the matter - supplied from docs written by Tony Tebby > (I am reliably informed). It's not much, but it might be useful. That's the keys_qlwa file of the SMSQ/E sources. Lacking any more written information I had given that out in the pre-open source time. Marcel This email is intended only for the use of the addressees named above and may be confidential or legally privileged. If you are not an addressee you must not read it and must not use any information contained in it, nor copy it, nor inform any person other than Lynx Financial Systems or the addressees of its existence or contents. If you have received this email and are not a named addressee, please delete it and notify the Lynx Financial Systems IT Department on 0113 2892990.
Re: [ql-users] QLWA documentation
Jerome Grimbert writes: > does anyone have a synthetic and complete documentation regarding the QLWA filesystem (the one used on Qx0 and QPC). > > I have found some 'educated'-guess about the value of the first sector, > but I wonder about: > - a better documentation of that first sector > - how the files are organised > - what is the content and meaning of the map > - how does a (sub)directory work (and what is its contains ?) > > Or would I have to read the code and figures it out myself ? > > (Any helps appreciated) You could scan the archives of this list for lots of useful details. Start at 1998! Per
Re: [ql-users] QLWA documentation
On 7 Feb 2003, at 13:26, Jerome Grimbert wrote: > > Thanks. At least it clarify a little the structure of the first sector of the file >system. > (but qwa.pflg for instance lie on the partition list (which I luckily already > found and understood) on the first physical sector. It should never appears in > the first sector of the filesystem. Here is some info I have on the first sector. Do you need info on the "BGM" / GEM/ XGM partitioning scheme (if I can find it)? Wolfgang - www.wlenerz.com Main header of device +00 long"QLWA" +04 wordlenth device name +06 20 bytesASCII device name +1A word ? +1C wordrandom number +1E wordaccess counter +20 word ? +22 wordnumber of sectors (512 bytes) in cluster (4 = 2048 bytes) +24 3 x word ? +2A wordtotal clusters (1) +2C wordfree clusters(1) +2E wordsize of FAT? +30 word0001 ? +32 wordpointer to first free cluster (2) +34 wordpointer to main directory cluster (2) +36 longlenth of main directory +header +3A 3 x word ? +40 words linked cluster pointer map (3) (1) virtual values if device> 33 MB (2) if cluster = 2048 bytes (h800) then pointer x h800 = address (3) Linked cluster pointer map: +0040 word pointer to next cluster or if end +0042 word pointer to next cluster or if end ... + word same until all clusters are pointed Example reading main directory (win about 20M): +0022: 0004 > cluster = h800 +0034: 001A > x800 = address hD000 = DIR now look at (001A x 2 + h40 = 0074) if then main directory has no more clusters else for exemple: +0074: 1939 >; x800 = address hC9C800 more entries now look at (1939 x 2 + h40 = 32B2) +32B2: 2605 >; x800 = adress h01302800 still entries now look at (2605 x 2 + h40 = 4C4A) +4C4A: no more cluster: end of main directory Structure of directories: DIR+00 64 bytesspace for header (not used) DIR+40+00 long lenth of file (+header) DIR+40+04 word filetype (0=data, 1=exe-file, h00FF=subdirectory) DIR+40+06 word generally sometimes 0318 DIR+40+08 word dataspace if exe-file else DIR+40+0A word generally sometimes 0318 if exe-file ? DIR+40+0C word ? DIR+40+0E word file name lenth DIR+40+10 36 bytes ASCII file name DIR+40+34 long date or if subdir DIR+40+38 word file version DIR+40+3A word pointer to first file cluster (4) DIR+40+3C 2 x word ? (4) Structure of file: FILE+00 64 (h40)bytes of space for not used header (only in the first cluster of file) FILE+40 h7C0bytes of data then search next adress through clusterpointer: see example adress+00 h800 bytes of data until pointer = number of sectors = number of clusters * nbr_of_sects in clusters $8C00 space need for FAT = 2 bytes per cluster = 71680 bytes = 140 ($8c) sectors + $40 for header = 141 ($8d) sectors how to find a cluster in absolute positioning: cluster number * 512* nbr_of_sects_in_cluster
Re: [ql-users] QLWA documentation
Wolfgang Lenerz makes some magical things to make me read } On 7 Feb 2003, at 13:26, Jerome Grimbert wrote: } } > } } > Thanks. At least it clarify a little the structure of the first sector of the file system. } > (but qwa.pflg for instance lie on the partition list (which I luckily already } > found and understood) on the first physical sector. It should never appears in } > the first sector of the filesystem. } } Here is some info I have on the first sector. } Do you need info on the "BGM" / GEM/ XGM partitioning scheme } (if I can find it)? No, Thanks you. At least the first (partitionning) sector is well documented on the internet (And I do not want to read BGM/GEM partition). XGM being 'extended' partition, they only hold another partitionning sector. Thanks for the useful data about the directory and file structure as well as the map. Looks like there is a lot of unused data.
