Doesn't OS 9 Support Long Filenames?

[unknown1]

I thought I read somewhere that the later versions of OS 9 (9.1-9.22) were adapted to 'support long filenames for better compatability with OS X', I can't find it now.

I have never been able to get OS 9+ to use anything but standard 32 character filenames. Is there something I am missing?

A particularly annoying problem is transfering files from PC -> Mac or Mac -> PC. I mainly do this with MP3s over our home network. The file names longer than 32 characters are truncated with strange characters and the file extensions are never in tact. Is there a solution for this?

I use Dave, TransMac, PC MacLAN (all old versions for OS 9 and no longer supported) and Web Sharing but nothing seems to handle this correctly.

 

[harryb2448]

Thirty one characters in OS 9. Have a look at this link:-

http://ez.no/ezpublish/documentation/incoming/problems_on_mac_os_9_and_mac_os_x

 

[Lifeisabeach]

I thought I read somewhere that the later versions of OS 9 (9.1-9.22) were adapted to 'support long filenames for better compatability with OS X', I can't find it now.

Here's what seems to be the definitive answer and explanation:

"the HFS+ file system and mac os 9 support file names of upto 255 unicode characters, previous versions only supported 31 character names. but most applications do not yet support the longer names, the finder doesnt even support them. So, at this time you cant really use names longer than 31 characters, even though the underlying file system supports them."

So basically yes, the OS supports "long" file names, but its own file manager (the Finder) doesn't, nor do "most" apps. You could try finding alternate ones that do... surely there must be something.

 

[unknown1]

There we go...

Jobs and company were busy spending sooo much time on this OS X STUFF that they never FINISHED a good OS that only uses 50 Megs of memory! ;D

I wonder if there is anyone with enough skill (and cares )that they can build an extension to make the long file names work?

While they're at it maybe rebuild OS 9 with protected memory and full preemptive multitasking! Should only take a minor extension or two...

I guess I could just spend $39 on eBay and get the full OS X 10.3.9 install, but what would be the fun in that?

Thanks for the info guys.

 

[Brown Study]

I wish someone would update 9's JavaScript and Flash. 9 is (or at least feels) twice as fast as X on my G4. Mozilla 3.1 certainly is twice as fast as Firefox.

 

[Lifeisabeach]

I wish someone would update 9's JavaScript and Flash. 9 is (or at least feels) twice as fast as X on my G4. Mozilla 3.1 certainly is twice as fast as Firefox.

And Safari 3.1 is nothing less than the fastest browser on the planet.

 

[harryb2448]

Jobs and company were busy spending sooo much time on this OS X STUFF that they never FINISHED a good OS that only uses 50 Megs of memory! ;D

Course they did. Ran OS 7.0.1 on an LC with 10MB RAM and 160MB HDD. Was a great improvement having that hard disc as previously used two x 1.4MB floppy disc drives!

 

[Brown Study]

I had a floppy containing OS 6 and Norton Disk Doctor that I'd use to boot and fix my LC running System 7.

Why, regarding electronics, does everything except software, shrink? OSes and apps seem to follow a reverse Moore's Law.