Long filenames?

[jamjamason]

Does FreeBasic DOS require long filename support? Because it doesn't seem to want to even unzip correctly on my DOS 6.2 machines. Too many long file and directory names in the tree...

Thanks,
Jerry

[angros47]

Does FreeBasic DOS require long filename support?

No, it shouldn't.
At least, it works well in dosbox (that doesn't support long filenames)

[marcov]

Does FreeBasic DOS require long filename support?

No, it shouldn't.
At least, it works well in dosbox (that doesn't support long filenames)

Developing WITH Free Basic, or developing Free Basic ? :_)

If he needs source it might be the latter.

[dkl]

Some files in the FB-dos (binaries) package have long file names, but it's only rather unimportant things like .bas example programs. The important *.exe, lib*.a, and most if not all FB header files for the DOS port are using 8.3-compatible file names.

(The FB source code itself does use long filenames all over the place, but I don't think that's what was meant)

[jamjamason]

Thanks for the responses. I hope I can continue using MSDOS 6.2.

When I try to compile a program using FreeBasic unzipped on a MSDOS 6.2 machine, I get the error:

C:\frebasic\bin\dos\ld.exe: cannot find -lfb

But on a FreeDOS machine, after unzipping FreeBasic the code compiles fine.

Any thoughts?

[rugxulo]

Hi, sorry for delay in responding,

When I try to compile a program using FreeBasic unzipped on a MSDOS 6.2 machine, I get the error:

C:\frebasic\bin\dos\ld.exe: cannot find -lfb

But on a FreeDOS machine, after unzipping FreeBasic the code compiles fine.

I can think of no obvious reason why it shouldn't work fine on native MSDOS 6.2 for you. So no worries, it's probably something totally trivial. But I'm at a loss for ideas right now (without a working MSDOS 6.2 machine ... unless I want to reconnect my old mostly-dead 486, ugh).

Try loading ye olde KGB TSR (e.g. "kgb /dc" for drive c:\), then try compiling with fbc.exe, then unload ("kgb /u"), and see what C:\HISTORY.DAT reveals. It's not much, but it might help.

Maybe reinstall FreeBASIC, e.g. "unzip FreeBASIC-0.24.0-dos.zip -x *.bas". Your "libfb.a" (etc.) should be under "lib/dos/".

[jamjamason]

Just stumbled on the answer to my own question in the list of DOS requirements:

"Long filename support is not required to use the compiler; however, care must be taken in unpacking the distribution, for example, with a Windows program which creates short names with numeric tails (FREEBA~1) instead of truncating to 8 characters (FREEBASI). The filenames of all files in the distribution should be truncated to 8.3 if the compiler is to be used without long filename support. "

[DOS386]

Does FreeBasic DOS require long filename support?

No (if your source doesn't).

When I try to compile a program using FreeBasic unzipped on a MSDOS 6.2 machine, I get the error

But on a FreeDOS machine, after unzipping FreeBasic the code compiles fine

Works for me with FreeDOS. Anyway, FreeDOS DOESN'T support LFN :-) Any special reason not to use FreeDOS? I have no clue why the error.

> Try loading ye olde KGB

Or newer UI21DEB

[jamjamason]

Any special reason not to use FreeDOS?

Yes; while FreeDOS appears to be stable on my older PATA drive systems, it produces frequent lockups on file access attempts on my newer SATA hardware.

[DOS386]

> while FreeDOS appears to be stable on my older PATA drive systems,
> it produces frequent lockups on file access attempts on my newer SATA hardware

Please place a BUG report into the FreeDOS Tracker at SF or Mailing list.

BTW, EDR-DOS works for me with FreeBASIC too (and doesn't support LFN).