🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <15609357@zl2tnm.gen.nz>, don@zl2tnm.gen.nz (Don Stokes) writes:
> mdchaney@fractal.ucs.indiana.edu (M Darrin Chaney) writes:
>> Actually, I've seen alot of people here call RMS "the file system."  For those
>> of you who still think that RMS is the file system, I'll clue you in: RMS
>> is not the file system.
> 
> Perhaps you'd like to explain why the back of the RMS manual looks like:
> 
> 		V M S
> 		_________________
> 		
> 		*Volume 6B*
> 
> 		*File System*
> 
> 		Record Management
> 		Services (RMS)

Perhaps because the people who designed the doc set didn't ask the right
questions, or thought that this labelling would be more likely to lead people
to the right place than one that was precisely correct. 

To be precisely correct, RMS implements record structure within files.  RMS
does not implement files.  Files are implemented by the Files-11 XQP, 
or (for RSX-compatible volumes) the ODS-1 ACP, or (for tapes) by the 
mag tape ACP.  

You will note that Kirby McCoy's excellent book, _VMS File System Internals_
(Digital Press), says not one word about RMS internals (other than documenting
various data structure fields which Files-11 maintains for RMS's use). 

	--- Jamie Hanrahan, Kernel Mode Consulting, San Diego CA
Chair, Programming and Internals Working Group, U.S. DECUS VMS Systems SIG 
Internet:  jeh@cmkrnl.com, hanrahan@eisner.decus.org, or jeh@crash.cts.com
Uucp:  ...{crash,eisner,uunet}!cmkrnl!jeh