Linux/Mac/Windows File Name Friction

lessthan0 writes "In 1995, Microsoft added long file name support to Windows, allowing more descriptive names than the limited 8.3 DOS format. Mac users scoffed, having had long file names for a decade and because Windows still stored a DOS file name in the background. Linux was born with long file name support four years before it showed up in Windows. Today, long file names are well supported by all three operating systems though key differences remain. "

Long filename horror story

[suso]

Long filenames aren't all they are cracked up to be. I got made fun of once for using one. I can remember it so clearly now, we were in music theory class in high school and we had to use Finale on a Mac (OS 7 at the time) for our composition projects. I named one of my projects something like "Suso's Music Theory assignment number 4 for Mr. Becker 1993-9-24.mus" and saved it. A week later I was on the same Mac and noticed a file that wasn't mine called "Making fun of people who use really long filenames for their music theory assignments.mus". Nobody was admit to doing it but I knew who it was. I was devastated and never felt comfortable again in that class.

Now I'm scarred for life. I should have listened to my parents and gone with 8.3.

Re:Long filename horror story

[Anonymous Coward]

You = total pussy.

Re:I RTFA

[rtyall]

I've just heard that all 3 Operating Systems support reading CDRoms? Is this true, can anyone confirm this revelation?

Re:Long filename horror story

[Jesus_666]

Of course you meant "You = totalpu.ssy" or "You = total~1".

Re:c:\progra~1\Micros~1\Powerp~1

[kripkenstein]

Of course - this is a feature, not a bug.

Henderson_Presentation_2005.doc is HENDER~1.doc,
Henderson_Presentation_2006.doc is HENDER~2.doc,
Henderson_Presentation_2006 (unedited).doc is HENDER~3.doc.

Clearly, we are reaping the benefits of a well-thought-out platform here.

Re:Long filename horror story

[suso]

MacOS was limited to 31 character names, so you're misremembering things.

I have a bumper sticker on my car that says:

"I waste my jokes on the accuracy nazis on slashdot."

It_s not as if

[Anonymous Coward]

Using only 8.3 filena~1 restri~1 is not that big a deal. Even if we had to write ordina~1 english that way_ it would still be compre~1.

In honor of DOS_ or maybe CP_M_ we should have an 8.3 day. All posts must be MS-DOS 8.3 filena~1 compli~1. Maybe someon~1 could write a filter for slashc~1_

Best 8.3 filename mockery

[thatguywhoiam]

The ad that Apple ran, back when Windows 95 launched:

C:ONGRTLNS.W95

Re:Unusual characters in filenames

[mjm1231]

That reminds me of the story about the time I learned to specify the path to the file I was deleting, such as:

rm /home/someuser/-file

Or even

rm ./-file.

Re:Several things missing

[kernelfoobar]

*nix is much longer and able to go much deeper in the path.

I know there's a joke in there somewhere...

Re:I RTFA

[admdrew]

Windows supports them, but you'll get frustrated and eventually give up trying to use a CD due to the annoying Autorun 'feature.' MacOS supports them, but calls them iCD-Roms, and only allows the reading of U2 CDs purchased from iTunes. And yes, for chrissake, Linux supports them; all you have to do is write your own driver... didn't you RTFM at http://forums.linuxcdroms.com/cgi-bin/form.php?cat =drivers&topic=writingcdromdriversforn00bs [linuxcdroms.com]?!

Re:Bah - OS Vendor support of long filenames

[Anonymous Coward]

I proclaim the parent shall languish in obscurity! How dare you point out flaws in Linux?! Begone, blasphemer!

Re:Unusual characters in filenames

[14erCleaner]

Of course, the funny characters are usually expanded by the shell, not rm, so it still won't work in many cases. Unix rules sometimes, doesn't it?

My favorite shell-expansion moment: when I was a new Unix user long, long ago (freshly coming over from VMS), I wanted to remove one funny-named file in a directory. I discovered that rm had this cool switch "-i" that would prompt for removal on each file. Great! I'd just say "yes" to the file named *, or whatever I'd accidentally created. So, being a VMS user (and thus used to switches that went anywhere on the command line), I typed this:

$ rm * -i

...and got the message "-i: No such file or directory". Ooops.... I learned a lot that day...

Re:If this had been fark...

[Winckle]

Bring on the modding, my karma can take it.

Ah the magic words for +5

Re:I RTFA

[ArsonSmith]

Sweet, 10.4 is much better than the old 8.3 that DOS used. MACs really are cooler all around.

Re:Long filename horror story

[deathy_epl+ccs]

Man, it is a slow news day when a flame war errupts over exactly how long a long filename was on a classic Mac.

It's pretty bad when y'all have another geek tellin' ya to get lives.

Re:Long filename horror story

[OldManAndTheC++]

I have a bumper sticker on my car that says:

"I waste my jokes on the accuracy nazis on slashdot."

There's no way that would fit on a bumper sticker.

Re:Long filename horror story

[ksheff]

nah, we just want someone else to get one of these Life things and then report back. Saves us the trouble of trying to get one ourselves if it sucks.