Date   : Sun, 09 Aug 2009 17:30:09 +0200
From   : rick@... (Rick Murray)
Subject: Level 4 FS Y2K query

Johan Heuseveldt wrote:

> interpretation: If the highest three nibbles are &FFF then the
> whole is regarded as: (in hexa-dec and two 32 bit fields)

Gee, that's something of a waste, setting three bytes to &F.


> The 8 bit platform is dealing in local time.

While the 32 bit is dealing with UTC.

But we cannot complain. Take a look at what 
http://www.heyrick.co.uk/software/webscan/ does. Now consider it worked 
just fine under Win98SE.
Under XP? The existent long-time-used API is broken in that DIFFERENT 
times are returned according to whether or not you are in summer time! 
Stupid! I had to code in to revert every time to UTC. The API oughta 
have done that in the beginning...


> If both 32 bit fields (load and exec) are the same, then RISC OS
> assumes the two addresses are indeed the load- and exec addresses.

...but in PROPER application, these are more or irrelevant. Apps start 
at &8000 with a header. Modules start anywhere with a header. Utilities 
start wherever without a header but with conditions... Using load/save 
under RISC OS is possible, but a bit evil.


> Saving an empty BASIC file on FileStore from a Master128, the
> file's *INFO/*EX details are (on the Master):
> 
>     TEST       FFFF0E00 FFFF8023   000002   WR/        09/08/09
> 
> Copying to a RISC OS system, the Filer shows:
> 
>     TEST       WR/       2  &F0E        04:22:25 13May 1901

1901?!? I'm surprised that works, for NetFS (A3000, RISC OS 3.11) seems 
to really dislike dates before 1981!

I guess it is damn near impossible under RISC OS to hold both the 
load/exec AND the date - so I think perhaps rather than "abandoning" the 
eight bitters as was suggested elsewhere, they may have either:
   1. Been too lazy to think about it much.
   2. Felt that a RISC OS fileserver is likely to be of direct use to
      a RISC OS network, so concentrated on making that work best, even
      to the unfortunate detriment of 8 bit stations.


> If RISC OS was in control, a year of 1901 should be displayed. It
> seems L4 does something? Cuurently I have no L4 running on a A5000
> e.g., to check this out. So I can't reproduce this.

Is that possible over Econet? 1901 isn't a valid date.


Best wishes,


Rick.

-- 
Rick Murray, irregular internet access at local library.
BBC B: DNFS, 2 x 5.25" floppies, EPROM prog, Acorn TTX
E01S FileStore, A3000/A5000/RiscPC/various PCs/blahblah...