FAT file system now licensed by MS ? - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

12 Dec 2003

You know, I just re-read this post after a few days and I noticed that the
project within Microsoft was "Project Commodore". I haven't read "Hard
Drive" or the other Microsoft history books in a few years, but I don't
recall ever seeing a reference to that project name.

Any background on that?

-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk-bounces(a)classiccmp.org
[mailto:cctalk-bounces@classiccmp.org]On Behalf Of Fred Cisin
Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2003 3:46 PM
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Subject: RE: FAT file system now licensed by MS ?

On Thu, 4 Dec 2003, Cini, Richard wrote:
...
  	So, who invented the FAT filesystem we know today?
Microsoft
 (through Stand-Alone Disk BASIC)? Seattle Computer (through 86-DOS)? 
Microsoft.  The "Stand Alone Disk BASIC" was used in Z80 machines.
It used a seek-center DIR (track 17 or 20 of a 35 or 40 track disk,
with a single sector "Granule Allocation Table", usually with 1/2
track for each allocation unit (8 bit entries))
THEN SCP wrote an 8086 system patterned after CP/M, but with a DIR
structure BASED on that idea, but with a track 0 DIR, more sectors
for the "FAT", and smaller allocation units (12 bit entries).
(QDOS, later 86-DOS)
I don't know what became of the 8086 Stand-Alone BASIC.
THEN Microsoft bought rights to that OS for "Project Commodore" (their IBM
contract). (PC-DOS, MS-DOS)

LATER, DRI added FAT support to some of their products,
and Apple based the original Mac DIR structure directly on FAT (MAJOR
shortage of system programmers at the time??)

...
  	To paraphrase Artie Johnson..."Very
interesting". I think so

BTW, Cringely's version is COMPLETELY bogus.
The Kildall eulogy is "accurate", but way too biased (delivery of some
manuals to Oakland required Kildall stand up IBM, and couldn't be
delegated?)

--
Grumpy Ol' Fred     		cisin(a)xenosoft.com