ISO9660 CD-ROMs - truncated file names
Tore Bjoerkeli
Why won't Windows NT (or Windows 95 for that matter) support the long
file names in an ISO9660 CD-ROM? (They both claim long file name support).
This is a bit annoying, as I have CD-ROMs with documentation (HTML with
links) that I can (effectively) only view on our UNIX systems.
Tore
John Mills
to...@online.no (Tore Bjoerkeli) wrote:
>Tore
Hi Tore,
If I remember rightly ISO9660 is the lowest common denominator... i.e.
file names are 8.3 ONLY... (or is it 8.3;2) where appendix is a
version number...
There are various methods of supporting long file names... Some Unix
systems (not HPUX for some reason ), uses RockRidge extensions... so
you linux disks can see REAL long file names...
Win95 introduced the Joilet extension... where long UNICODE file names
are also available for Win95 and NT...
In theory a CD-ROM can be mastered so that it will have long file
names EVERYwhere... but so far, I've seen working long file names on
Linux (LDR from InfoMagic)...
For Win95, I've seen a MSoft distributed disk that ONLY works on win95
(not NT!)... and winsite.com (again from infomagic) which correctly
does long file names on windows 95 and NT...
Again someone COULD write a third party rock ridge driver for windows
95 and Windows NT...
lee
John Mills wrote:
>
> to...@online.no (Tore Bjoerkeli) wrote:
>
> >Why won't Windows NT (or Windows 95 for that matter) support the long
> >file names in an ISO9660 CD-ROM? (They both claim long file name support).
>
> >This is a bit annoying, as I have CD-ROMs with documentation (HTML with
> >links) that I can (effectively) only view on our UNIX systems.
>
> >Tore
>
> Hi Tore,
> If I remember rightly ISO9660 is the lowest common denominator... i.e.
> file names are 8.3 ONLY... (or is it 8.3;2) where appendix is a
> version number...
ISSO 9660 level 1 is restricted to 8.3, but you can write long filenames that are compatible with all
platforms: Mac, Unix, Win95, and NT. I have done this using GEAR software. I tried, and failed to do this
with Incat EASY CD Pro for Win95. So, it matters what software you have. The incat software uses Romeo and
Joliet schemes (which aren't intercompatible even between 95 and NT--let alone Unix or Mac).
Try to write cd's using ISO 9660 (without restricting yourself to level 1). Unix, Mac, Win95, and WinNT 4.0
computers will be able to read this CD without problems. If you're reading the disk on NT3.51, you'll need
to convert all the filenames to uppercase before you write them to the disk. NT 3.51 can't access cd
rom files that have small letters in their name. GEAR software has a provision for capitalizing filenames
and for writing ISO 9660 unrestricted long filenames.
>
> There are various methods of supporting long file names... Some Unix
> systems (not HPUX for some reason ), uses RockRidge extensions... so
> you linux disks can see REAL long file names...
The GEAR software I mentioned above does not write using Rockridge extensions. Still SunOS can read a disk
created by the GEAR software with ISO 9660 long filenames. I'm not sure what the limit on filename size is,
but I haven't hit it yet. Rockridge would give you even longer names I'm sure.
>
> Win95 introduced the Joilet extension... where long UNICODE file names
> are also available for Win95 and NT...
I tried writing a Joliet disk with EasyCD Pro and NT3.51 couldn't see the long filenames. Maybe I did
something wrong. NT 4.0 could probably handle it.
I strongly recommend the GEAR software. It just works and it uses the standards the rest of the computer
industry uses. Plus, the GEAR software is cheap.
-->LC
Myles Wakeham
In article <4o1k50$7...@nms.telepost.no>, to...@online.no says...
>
>Why won't Windows NT (or Windows 95 for that matter) support the long
>file names in an ISO9660 CD-ROM? (They both claim long file name support).
>
The ISO9660 standard only supports 8.3 file names and limited numbers of
nested subdirectory levels. You need an extension to the standard to handle
longer file names, etc.
Myles Wakeham
Los Angeles (310) 239-7246
Australia +618-342-0903
(I travel a lot...)