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What is VFS?
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Topic: What is VFS?    
forzadeaconi
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Registered: Apr 2001
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 11

 Question

I see a lot of talk about the MemPlug and compatibility with something called VFS. I can't tell whether this is an API, a file system like FAT16, or what?

Can anyone enlighten me as to what it is and why it is significant? I have a VDX with OS 3.1H and am thinking about getting the CF Memplug if PiDirect works with it.
forzadeaconi is offline Old Post 06-06-2001 05:36 PM
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bookrats
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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 501

quote:
Originally posted by forzadeaconi
I see a lot of talk about the MemPlug and compatibility with something called VFS. I can't tell whether this is an API, a file system like FAT16, or what?


I don't know for sure, but after looking over a collection of slides about VFS programming (PDF format), I believe VFS is:

  • An API (to the VFS Manager component)
  • A directory structure on the CF/SM card where apps can be found (slide 21)
  • A floor wax and a dessert topping!
However, you should probably get this from an expert, not just a wandering programmer like myself.

quote:
Can anyone enlighten me as to what it is and why it is significant? I have a VDX with OS 3.1H and am thinking about getting the CF Memplug if PiDirect works with it.


Well, first, sounds like PiDirect isn't going to work (at least initially) for those of us with OS 3.1H. Maybe down the road, according to the Pi person who posts to VisorCentral.

There are apps similar to PiDirect that work using VFS-enabled memory card readers (I forget the name of the one that works with the Clie.) However, all the ones I know of require OS 3.5 at a minimum, as well.

The significance of VFS is, as I understand it, that many Palm applications (particularly apps that deal with lots of memory, like BackupBuddy and Noah dictionary) can be written to use the VFS API for reading and writing data on CF/SM cards. It's a standard supported by Palm, and implemented in the new Palm m50x series PDAs.

However, the VFS API must be available to do that, and (I believe) supported by any CF/SM Springboard module you plan to use it with. (I don't know whether having Palm OS 4.0 on a Visor would eliminate this requirement; it's moot at the moment, since no Visor has 4.0.)

----
Again, to anyone knowledgable on the subject, please whack me over the head for any mistakes I've made above.

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bookrats is offline Old Post 06-06-2001 06:17 PM
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Euxx
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Registered: Mar 2001
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Posts: 67

 MSMount

MSMount is a VFSbased app. Initially developed for CLIE and now supports m500 series devices from Palm.

I belive that VFS api implementation it's just several shared libraries (MemPlug has own API in shared lib's too) and it's not necessary to have PalmOS 4 (the included in there by default).

In theory it's possible to implement VFS API on top of MemPlug API but because of design of MemPlug API it's not going to be easy (it's really difficult).

By the way. There are another nice app called Filez. In 3.0beta they added support of memory cards (VFS based) and now Filez may see content for MemPlug flash.
Euxx is offline Old Post 06-06-2001 09:04 PM
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Yorick
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Registered: Mar 2001
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I was wondering about the same thing as forzadeaconi.

In addition, what does the acronym "VFS" mean?

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Yorick is offline Old Post 06-06-2001 09:11 PM
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bookrats
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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 501

quote:
Originally posted by Yorick
In addition, what does the acronym "VFS" mean?


Virtual File System.

(Or Vibrantly Flaunting Storage -- your call.)

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Jeff Meyer

"And he died like he lived: with his mouth wide open."
bookrats is offline Old Post 06-06-2001 09:18 PM
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bookrats
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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 501

 Re: MSMount

quote:
Originally posted by Euxx
MSMount is a VFSbased app. Initially developed for CLIE and now supports m500 series devices from Palm.


MSMount -- thanks, that's the "Clie app" I was thinking of. Am I correct that it requires Palm OS 3.5 or higher?

quote:
I belive that VFS api implementation it's just several shared libraries (MemPlug has own API in shared lib's too) and it's not necessary to have PalmOS 4 (the included in there by default).


Thank you! Apologies -- I should have clarified that.

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Jeff Meyer

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bookrats is offline Old Post 06-06-2001 09:22 PM
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Euxx
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Registered: Mar 2001
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 MSMount

This CLIE's app (I mean MSMount) working fine on m500 and m505...
Euxx is offline Old Post 06-07-2001 06:44 PM
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bookrats
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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 501

 Question VFS and MemoryStick

quote:
Originally posted by Euxx
MSMount is a VFSbased app. Initially developed for CLIE and now supports m500 series devices from Palm.

I belive that VFS api implementation it's just several shared libraries (MemPlug has own API in shared lib's too) and it's not necessary to have PalmOS 4 (the included in there by default).


Apologies for a pedantic question, but I assume this means that the Clie supports VFS for the MemoryStick?

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Jeff Meyer

"And he died like he lived: with his mouth wide open."
bookrats is offline Old Post 06-08-2001 08:39 PM
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bookrats
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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 501

 Re: VFS and MemoryStick

quote:
Originally posted by bookrats


Apologies for a pedantic question, but I assume this means that the Clie supports VFS for the MemoryStick?


Never mind -- I answered my own question. VFS definitely is supported on the Clie -- Blue Nomad says so. (And if you can't trust Blue Nomad, who can you trust?)

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Jeff Meyer

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bookrats is offline Old Post 06-08-2001 09:15 PM
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