[ros-kernel] Re: ReactOS GPL vs. proprietary drivers - NTFSDriverunder Linux + WINE

[Jan Kratochvil]

Hi,

On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 12:03:31 +0200, Valentin wrote:
...
> ReactOS doesn't   aim to be  a copy of  clumsy MS NT (It means only
> compatibility)
> Why do you think that original MS Ntfs .sys is the best?
> We have to create own Ntfs source to enable in  future  the performance
> improvement and related development.

NTFS filesystem data structures are too complex to have clear meaning just from
the disk structures themselves (such as in the case of VFAT). Therefore driver
with compatible filesystem data structures needs to implemented on the basis of
original NTFS driver reverse engineering. There is high probability (read
"certainity") the compatibility will not be 100% as you would also have to copy
all the driver bug-to-bug compatibility.

Using original ntfs.sys can give just better compatibility than any other 3rd
party GPLed reimplementation could ever have.

NTFS has no meaning as a standalone filesystem - there are better GPL high
performance mature filesystems such as ext3 and Reiserfs. NTFS for GNU/Linux OS
has its only meaning as a temporary compatibility hack.



Regards,
Lace