Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2006 12:20:49 -0600 From: Eric Anderson <anderson@centtech.com> To: Mark Day <mday@apple.com> Cc: freebsd-fs@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Add a file flag for "hidden" files? Message-ID: <4405E601.7010304@centtech.com> In-Reply-To: <DBD69E00-A9CB-45BA-8398-2A662D18D781@apple.com> References: <DBD69E00-A9CB-45BA-8398-2A662D18D781@apple.com>
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Mark Day wrote: > Hello, > > For an future version of Mac OS X, I'm trying to solve a problem where > certain files and directories on Windows file systems don't normally > appear in the Windows GUI, but currently do appear in the Mac OS X GUI > (but they shouldn't). I'd like to gauge interest in having the change > ported back to FreeBSD (since many of our file systems are derived > from FreeBSD). The approach I'm planning to use is to add a new flag > to the file flags (i.e. the st_flags field from stat(2); settable via > chflags(2)). I'd like to avoid a collision with any flags FreeBSD > would add in the future, so either have FreeBSD adopt the flag, or > start allocating Mac OS X-specific flags from the high order bits > (since FreeBSD has been allocating them from the low order bits). My > current name for this new file flag is UF_HIDDEN. [..snip..] > I could certainly provide patches to FreeBSD for the headers, FAT, > NTFS, and probably HFS. The strtofflags(3) and fflagstostr(3) > functions should also change so you can get at the flag bit via ls(1), > find(1), chflags(1), etc.; I think I could provide that patch, too. > (I've never actually used FreeBSD, so it will take me a bit of time to > get it installed, find my way around the sources, make and test the > changes.) > Wow - about a week ago, I started looking into this same feature for FreeBSD, because I'd like to hide directories and files for UFS2 snapshots. I came to nearly the same conclusion, using chflags, etc, and even the name for the flag. :) Anyhow, this is obviously a feature that would be useful to many people, however don't be discouraged if you get little response about it. It's a 'if you built, they will come' kind of feature anyhow. Eric -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Eric Anderson Sr. Systems Administrator Centaur Technology Anything that works is better than anything that doesn't. ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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