L:fat95 or L:CrossDOSFileSystem

Gilloo · 06 July 2022, 10:54

I continue my tests on the different file systems usable in AmigaOS.
No problem encountered for FFS and PFS3, but I encounter questions when using FAT...

I thought that by making an MBR on block 0 with a valid partition, these filesystems were able to format something

format drive usbkey0: name fatty quick
Format failure: object is not of required type

And usbkey0: remains "Not a DOS disk"

Is there a specific tool to format FAT with AmigaOS ?
Thanks

AMIGASYSTEM · 06 July 2022, 12:02

Floppies you can format in FAT, HD/HardFiles you should do it through MS-DOS emulation or if you have the built-in Bridgeboard Card on Amiga.

Daedalus · 06 July 2022, 13:24

There isn't a specific tool, no. The format command will format any filesystem on any valid device. For whatever reason, your USB drive isn't recognised as suitable - perhaps the USB stack isn't able to read the geometry, or the partition size or geometry isn't suitable for the relevant filesystem to recognise.

Fat95 is better able to handle large drives since it supports FAT32 - CrossDOS from older versions of AmigaOS (e.g. before 3.2) doesn't support FAT32, so the size of volumes it can handle is quite limited (IIRC it only supports FAT12, which I think is limited to ~100MB).

Matt_H · 06 July 2022, 15:42

The commercial version of CrossDOS came with some additional tools to assist with formatting hard drives. Version 7 is the only version to support long file names (not sure which version of FAT that is). The older versions - commercial and those shipped with the OS prior to 3.2 (or 3.1.4?) - are limited to the old DOS 8.3 naming convention.

Thomas Richter · 06 July 2022, 17:03

Cough. CrossDos as it came with 3.1.4 surely has support for long file names, and can be easily formatted through "Format". However, it does not create partitions for you, in the same sense "Format" neither creates partitions for FFS.

Unfortunately, there is a mix-up between the partition logic (RDB on the Amiga, MBR on the PC) and the file system, and due to this mix-up, CrossDos has to handle the partitions as well, but it does not create them.

What's missing in the system is an instance which interprets partitions on large drives. That's currently the job of the host-adapter firmware, though such firmware typically only speaks RDB.

Matt_H · 07 July 2022, 05:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thomas Richter

Cough. CrossDos as it came with 3.1.4 surely has support for long file names

Indeed, pardon my lack of clarity in my prior post. What I meant was that Version 7 was the only commercial version with long file name support, and only the commercial versions included additional drive prep tools.

Gilloo · 07 July 2022, 11:25

Thanks for your replies.

I found this on aminet
http://aminet.net/package/disk/misc/FormatZIP

For the moment, on 3.1.4.1, only L:CrossDosFileSystem seems to be happy and mount the device.
Long names are supported with the L:CrossDosFileSystem delivered with 3.1.4

There is source code so... let's go

Gilloo · 25 July 2022, 10:01

I think I've understood how it works for CrossDOSFileSystem 3.1.4 and up.

If the block 0 is a
MBR (Master Boot Record) => MSH\0
BPB (BIOS Parameter Block) => MSD\0

Now the question is what about fat95 ? FAT\0 don't work for a BPB, but FAT\1 is doing well with a MBR.

The CrossDOSFileSystem delivered with 3.1.4 is working well on a 3.1, and perhaps on a 2.04 (not tested yet)

06 July 2022, 10:54	#1
Gilloo Registered User Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Grenoble, Isère, Rhône-Alpes, France, Europe, Earth Posts: 287	L:fat95 or L:CrossDOSFileSystem I continue my tests on the different file systems usable in AmigaOS. No problem encountered for FFS and PFS3, but I encounter questions when using FAT... I thought that by making an MBR on block 0 with a valid partition, these filesystems were able to format something format drive usbkey0: name fatty quick Format failure: object is not of required type And usbkey0: remains "Not a DOS disk" Is there a specific tool to format FAT with AmigaOS ? Thanks

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06 July 2022, 12:02	#2
AMIGASYSTEM Registered User Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Brindisi (Italy) Age: 70 Posts: 8,248	Floppies you can format in FAT, HD/HardFiles you should do it through MS-DOS emulation or if you have the built-in Bridgeboard Card on Amiga.

06 July 2022, 13:24	#3
Daedalus Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Dublin, then Glasgow Posts: 6,334	There isn't a specific tool, no. The format command will format any filesystem on any valid device. For whatever reason, your USB drive isn't recognised as suitable - perhaps the USB stack isn't able to read the geometry, or the partition size or geometry isn't suitable for the relevant filesystem to recognise. Fat95 is better able to handle large drives since it supports FAT32 - CrossDOS from older versions of AmigaOS (e.g. before 3.2) doesn't support FAT32, so the size of volumes it can handle is quite limited (IIRC it only supports FAT12, which I think is limited to ~100MB).

06 July 2022, 15:42	#4
Matt_H Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 943	The commercial version of CrossDOS came with some additional tools to assist with formatting hard drives. Version 7 is the only version to support long file names (not sure which version of FAT that is). The older versions - commercial and those shipped with the OS prior to 3.2 (or 3.1.4?) - are limited to the old DOS 8.3 naming convention.

06 July 2022, 17:03	#5
Thomas Richter Registered User Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Germany Posts: 3,216	Cough. CrossDos as it came with 3.1.4 surely has support for long file names, and can be easily formatted through "Format". However, it does not create partitions for you, in the same sense "Format" neither creates partitions for FFS. Unfortunately, there is a mix-up between the partition logic (RDB on the Amiga, MBR on the PC) and the file system, and due to this mix-up, CrossDos has to handle the partitions as well, but it does not create them. What's missing in the system is an instance which interprets partitions on large drives. That's currently the job of the host-adapter firmware, though such firmware typically only speaks RDB.

07 July 2022, 11:25	#7
Gilloo Registered User Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Grenoble, Isère, Rhône-Alpes, France, Europe, Earth Posts: 287	Thanks for your replies. I found this on aminet http://aminet.net/package/disk/misc/FormatZIP For the moment, on 3.1.4.1, only L:CrossDosFileSystem seems to be happy and mount the device. Long names are supported with the L:CrossDosFileSystem delivered with 3.1.4 There is source code so... let's go

25 July 2022, 10:01	#8
Gilloo Registered User Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Grenoble, Isère, Rhône-Alpes, France, Europe, Earth Posts: 287	I think I've understood how it works for CrossDOSFileSystem 3.1.4 and up. If the block 0 is a MBR (Master Boot Record) => MSH\0 BPB (BIOS Parameter Block) => MSD\0 Now the question is what about fat95 ? FAT\0 don't work for a BPB, but FAT\1 is doing well with a MBR. The CrossDOSFileSystem delivered with 3.1.4 is working well on a 3.1, and perhaps on a 2.04 (not tested yet)

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