vfat: why is shortname=lower the default?

vfat: why is shortname=lower the default?

[Xuân Baldauf]

Hi Hirofumi,

Why is shortname=lower the default mount option for vfat filesystems? 
Because, with "shortname=lower", copying one FAT32 filesystem tree to 
another FAT32 filesystem tree using Liux results in semantically 
different filesystems. (E.g.: Filenames which were once "all uppercase" 
are now "all lowercase").

With "shortname=mixed", such semantic changes would not occur. That's 
why I'd consider "shortname=lower" as default mount option as a bug. I'd 
propose "shortname=mixed" as default as a fix for this bug.

What do you think?

ciao,
Xuân.


P.S.: "man mount" says:

       shortname=[lower|win95|winnt|mixed]

              Defines the behaviour for creation and display of 
filenames which fit into 8.3 characters. If a long name for a file 
exists, it will always be preferred display. There are four modes:

              lower  Force the short name to lower case upon display; 
store a long name when the short name is not all upper case.

              win95  Force the short name to upper case upon display; 
store a long name when the short name is not all upper case.

              winnt  Display the shortname as is; store a long name when 
the short name is not all lower case or all upper case.

              mixed  Display the short name as is; store a long name 
when the short name is not all upper case.

       The default is "lower".

Re: vfat: why is shortname=lower the default?

[OGAWA Hirofumi]

Xuân Baldauf <xuan--2004.03.29--linux-kernel--vger.kernel.org@baldauf.org> writes:

> Why is shortname=lower the default mount option for vfat filesystems?
> Because, with "shortname=lower", copying one FAT32 filesystem tree to
> another FAT32 filesystem tree using Liux results in semantically
> different filesystems. (E.g.: Filenames which were once "all
> uppercase" are now "all lowercase").

The reason is only it's very long-standing behavior.  When this
behavior was changed before, it seems an one user was confused at
least.

    http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?t=97041869500002&r=1&w=2

Personally I agree that "winnt" or "mixed" is proper.

However, if we want to change the default behavior, it would need to
be tested for some months, and if anyone has no objection it can
change I think.

Thanks.
-- 
OGAWA Hirofumi <hirofumi@mail.parknet.co.jp>

Re: vfat: why is shortname=lower the default?

[Xuân Baldauf]

OGAWA Hirofumi wrote:

>Xuân Baldauf <xuan--2004.03.29--linux-kernel--vger.kernel.org@baldauf.org> writes:
>
>  
>
>>Why is shortname=lower the default mount option for vfat filesystems?
>>Because, with "shortname=lower", copying one FAT32 filesystem tree to
>>another FAT32 filesystem tree using Liux results in semantically
>>different filesystems. (E.g.: Filenames which were once "all
>>uppercase" are now "all lowercase").
>>    
>>
>
>The reason is only it's very long-standing behavior.  When this
>behavior was changed before, it seems an one user was confused at
>least.
>
>    http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?t=97041869500002&r=1&w=2
>
>Personally I agree that "winnt" or "mixed" is proper.
>
>However, if we want to change the default behavior, it would need to
>be tested for some months, and if anyone has no objection it can
>change I think.
>  
>
One could make a slow transition, starting now with a warning like 
"vfat: warning: You are using "shortname=lower" as default. This may not 
be what you want. This default will change to "shortname=mixed" after 
2005-07-01." if the shortname behaviour is not explicitly selected.

>Thanks.
>  
>
ciao,
Xuân. :-)

P.S.: I'm now trying to recover about 4M files from "lost case"...

Re: vfat: why is shortname=lower the default?

[OGAWA Hirofumi]

Xuân Baldauf <xuan--2004.03.29--linux-kernel--vger.kernel.org@baldauf.org> writes:

> One could make a slow transition, starting now with a warning like
> "vfat: warning: You are using "shortname=lower" as default. This may
> not be what you want. This default will change to "shortname=mixed"
> after 2005-07-01." if the shortname behaviour is not explicitly
> selected.

Yes. But it is easy ignored. So, maybe peoples doesn't complain until
it is changed in fact.

Probably you can post the patch for -mm tree.

And it is tested in -mm tree. And at starting of dev-cycle of 2.6.13
or 2.6.14, it will be merged to Linus's tree if anyone has no objection.
-- 
OGAWA Hirofumi <hirofumi@mail.parknet.co.jp>