RFC: Disk-On-Chip filesystem.

[David Woodhouse]

>From looking at the data stored in the 4Mb device I've got here, it doesn't 
look like M-Systems' latest 'TrueFFS' is in fact a form of FTL.

So I'm a little lost as to what to do with the device. Offhand, I can identify 
two options:

1. Reformat the device with FTL.
 Pros:	It works immediately (well, as soon as I work out how to physically
		write to the device, anyway).

 Cons:	FTL is patented in some legally-backward parts of the world.
	The built-in BIOS code stops working -> we have to write our own
		bootloader that runs from the flash.


2. Try to decipher the format that's actually used.
 Pros:	Data will be interchangeable between DOS and Linux on the devices.
	Standard bootloaders will work, via the BIOS.

 Cons:	It may prove difficult and slow to reverse-engineer the filesystem.
	It may turn out to be a FAT-specific hack, rather than the general
		block-device that FTL provides.


Comments / Suggestions / Enlightenment?

----                                 ----                                 ----
David Woodhouse        David.Woodhouse at mvhi.com       Office: (+44) 1223 810302
 Project Leader,     Process Information Systems      Mobile: (+44) 976 658355
    Axiom (Cambridge) Ltd., Swaffham Bulbeck, Cambridge, CB5 0NA, UK.
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