VPix & Dos partition (Was: Simple database software for sysV?)

[Brandon S. Allbery KB8JRR]

As quoted from <87004 at unix.cis.pitt.edu> by erast1 at unix.cis.pitt.edu (Evan R Aussenberg):
+---------------
| I've been using pkunzip alot under ISC/VPix lately.  While the
| program seems to work at the same speed as native DOS, writing
| to our Micropolis 320meg scsi is noticably slower than if I access
| the DOS partition via native DOS.  This was true even if I was
| the only login.  In fact, I installed some commercial software
| (about 10megs worth) on the dos partition by booting DOS from
| floppy because disk writing seemed faster to me than doing the
| same from VPix.
+---------------

This depends on the implementation.  If the DOS filesystem is emulated by
VP/ix, then it'll be slow.  If a DOS filesystem type has been added to the
kernel via the File System Switch mechanism (SCO supports this, at least under
SCO UNIX) then you get fast access... and you can mount the DOS partition and
use it from UNIX as well.  (Arguably, a silly thing to do.)  It also depends
on whether the VP/ix code uses the UNIX disk cache (it's not dependent on UNIX
file systems, at least on the systems I've used) or the "raw" device.

++Brandon
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