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  Frequently Asked Questions about the HFS filesystem for

  Linux

  Paul H. Hargrove, hargrove@sccm.Stanford.EDU

  version 1.0.3, 27 Apr 1997

  This document provides answers to some of the most frequently asked

  questions about the HFS filesystem for Linux.  It is currently pretty

  rough and totally unorganized.  Corrections, additions and clarifica-

  tions are appreciated.  The most current version of this document is

  kept on The HFS for Linux Page 

  grove/HFS/>.

  ______________________________________________________________________

  Table of Contents:

  1.      What is this FAQ about?

  2.      What is HFS?

  3.      How I mount AppleShare volumes?

  4.      What is the current version of the HFS filesystem.

  5.      How stable is the current version?

  6.      Is there a mailing list for discussion of the HFS filesystem?

  7.      What version of Linux do I need to be running?

  8.      Will it run on my (your processor type here)?

  9.      Will it run under (your non-Linux operating system here)?

  10.     Why can I mount some HFS CDROMs but not others?

  11.     What does ``only 1024-char blocks implemented (512)'' mean?

  12.     Why do I get a message about a bad or unknown partition table?

  13.     Can I mount multiple HFS partitions from the same Macintosh

  disk?

  14.     In what ways can I write to HFS filesystems?

  15.     Does the HFS filesystem work with 400 kB or 800 kB Macintosh

  diskettes?

  16.     How can I format an HFS filesystem?

  17.     How can I fsck an HFS filesystem?

  18.     Why do I get ``error -50'' messages from my Mac when using

  netatalk?

  19.     Why does my Macintosh show generic application and document

  icons?

  20.     How owns all the copyrights and trademarks? ;-)

  20.1.   This Document

  20.2.   The Software

  20.3.   Trademarks

  ______________________________________________________________________

  11..  WWhhaatt iiss tthhiiss FFAAQQ aabboouutt??

  This FAQ is about the HFS filesystem for Linux, which is available in

  two forms.  The stand-alone version (called hfs_fs) is a Linux kernel

  loadable module implementing the Macintosh HFS filesystem.  The HFS

  filesystem is also included in some distributions of the Linux kernel

  source (in the directory linux/fs/hfs).  This version can be compiled

  as a loadable module or compiled into the kernel.

  Either version allows a machine running Linux to read and write disks

  from a Macintosh (almost) as though they were native Linux disks.

  22..  WWhhaatt iiss HHFFSS??

  HFS stands for ``Hierarchical File System'' and is the filesystem used

  by the Mac Plus and all later Macintosh models.  Earlier Macintosh

  models used MFS (``Macintosh File System''), which is not supported.

  33..  HHooww II mmoouunntt AApppplleeSShhaarree vvoolluummeess??

  The HFS filesystem is for mounting local filesystems only.  There is

  an experimental afpfs by Ben Hekster heksterb@acm.org available from

  http://www.odyssey.co.il/~heksterb/Software/afpfs/.

  44..  WWhhaatt iiss tthhee ccuurrrreenntt vveerrssiioonn ooff tthhee HHFFSS ffiilleessyysstteemm..

  As of version 1.0.3 of this FAQ, version 0.95 is the most recent.  You

  can always find the most recent version on The HFS for Linux Page

  .  Announcements of new

  versions are made to the comp.os.linux.announce newsgroup.

  55..  HHooww ssttaabbllee iiss tthhee ccuurrrreenntt vveerrssiioonn??

  Version 0.95 is considered to be ``beta'' software, so I recommend

  making backups of anything important before you start playing.  It is

  relatively free of bugs due to lots of testing of the previous

  releases.

  After a suitable period without new bugs the I will consider the

  software to be ``stable'' and the version number will jump to 1.0.

  66..  IIss tthheerree aa mmaaiilliinngg lliisstt ffoorr ddiissccuussssiioonn ooff tthhee HHFFSS ffiilleessyysstteemm??

  There is no mailing list devoted exclusively to the HFS filesystem.

  However, announcements of new versions are posted to the ``linux-

  atalk'' and ``hfs-interest'' lists.  I will see bug reports sent to

  those lists but e-mail is more reliable (hargrove@sccm.Stanford.EDU).

  To subscribe to hfs-interest send e-mail with a body of ``subscribe

  hfs-interest (your e-mail address)'' to majordomo@ccs.neu.edu.

  To subscribe to linux-atalk send e-mail with a body of ``SUBSCRIBE

  LINUX-ATALK (Your full name)'' to listserv@netspace.org.

  77..  WWhhaatt vveerrssiioonn ooff LLiinnuuxx ddoo II nneeeedd ttoo bbee rruunnnniinngg??

  To compile and use the stand-alone distribution of the HFS filesystem

  you will need Linux kernel version 2.0.1 or newer compiled with

  modules enabled (CONFIG_MODULES).  To compile you will need the kernel

  headers which match the kernel you are running.  This is covered in

  more detail in the installation instructions in INSTALL.txt.

  If your kernel came with HFS in the kernel source tree then HFS should

  work with your Linux version.  There may be small problems with a few

  of the development kernel releases.  For these releases check the HFS

  for Linux Page  for

  patches.

  88..  WWiillll iitt rruunn oonn mmyy ((yyoouurr pprroocceessssoorr ttyyppee hheerree))??

  The code is carefully written to be independent of your processor's

  word size and byte-order, so if your machine runs Linux it can run the

  HFS filesystem.  However some younger ports don't yet have support for

  loadable modules.

  Note that HFS is tested most extensively on Intel platforms.  So there

  could be subtle compilation problems on other platforms.  If you

  encounter any that are not addressed by the documentation then please

  let me know.

  99..  WWiillll iitt rruunn uunnddeerr ((yyoouurr nnoonn--LLiinnuuxx ooppeerraattiinngg ssyysstteemm hheerree))??

  No.  There is a port in progress to NetBSD.  I know of no other active

  porting attempts.  If you are interested in porting the HFS filesystem

  to another Unix-like operating system, I am interested in providing

  what guidance I can.

  1100..  WWhhyy ccaann II mmoouunntt ssoommee HHFFSS CCDDRROOMMss bbuutt nnoott ootthheerrss??

  In the past there was a known incompatibility with some ``hybrid''

  CDROMs that appear as HFS disks on Macs and as ISO9660 disks on other

  systems.  I think I have fixed the problem.  So, if you encounter this

  particular problem or have problems with specific non-hybrid CDROMs

  please e-mail me with the title and manufacturer of the CD.

  1111..  WWhhaatt ddooeess ````oonnllyy 11002244--cchhaarr bblloocckkss iimmpplleemmeenntteedd ((551122))'''' mmeeaann??

  This message comes from the kernel and indicates that an attempt was

  made to read a 512-byte block from a device that doesn't support

  512-byte blocks.  The HFS filesystem only works with 512-byte blocks,

  and therefore doesn't function with these devices.  Eventually it may

  be able to use 1024-byte (or even 2048-byte) blocks when necessary.

  Ideally the device driver should be enhanced to support 512-byte

  blocks so that the various filesystems which need 512-byte blocks

  don't each need to work around it.

  1122..  WWhhyy ddoo II ggeett aa mmeessssaaggee aabboouutt aa bbaadd oorr uunnkknnoowwnn ppaarrttiittiioonn ttaabbllee??

  If your Linux kernel doesn't understand Macintosh partition tables it

  gives this warning when it can't find a partition table it recognizes.

  To support partitioned media with such kernels, decoding of Mac

  partition tables is done by the HFS filesystem so you should still be

  able to mount the disk.  However, to do so you will need to mount the

  raw device (such as /dev/sdb instead of /dev/sdb4) and use the part

  mount option to indicate which partition you want.

  1133..  CCaann II mmoouunntt mmuullttiippllee HHFFSS ppaarrttiittiioonnss ffrroomm tthhee ssaammee MMaacciinnttoosshh ddiisskk??

  Only if your kernel understands Macintosh partition tables.  It the

  kernel doesn't understand the Macintosh partition table, the HFS

  filesystem must access the raw device.  Therefore, the kernel thinks

  the entire drive is in use and prevents additional mounts on it.

  1144..  IInn wwhhaatt wwaayyss ccaann II wwrriittee ttoo HHFFSS ffiilleessyysstteemmss??

  The HFS filesystem is as capable as the MS-DOS or VFAT filesystems,

  except that certain things can only be done with a file's data fork.

  You ccaann:

  +o  Create, delete and rename directories and data forks of files with

     the caveat that names are case insensitive (so foo and Foo are the

     same file or directory).

  +o  Run Linux executables or shared libraries on an HFS disk if they

     are stored in the data fork of a file.

  +o  Read, write and truncate both forks of files and the Finder's

     metadata of files and directories.

  +o  Mmap data forks of files (and the resource fork if the filesystem

     is mounted with the fork=cap option).

  +o  Toggle the 'w' permission bits (as a group) of data forks.

  +o  Change the i_mtime of files and directories.

  You ccaannnnoott:

  +o  Create, delete or rename resource forks of files or the Finder's

     metadata.  Note, however, that they are created (with defaults

     values), deleted and renamed along with the corresponding data fork

     or directory.

  +o  Run Linux executables or shared libraries on an HFS disk if they

     are stored in the resource fork of a file.

  +o  Mmap the Finder's metadata (when fork=cap) or AppleDouble header

     files (when fork=double or fork=netatalk).

  +o  Change permissions on directories.

  +o  Change the uid or gid of files or directories.

  +o  Set the set-uid, set-gid or sticky permission bits.

  +o  Create multiple links to files.

  +o  Create symlinks, device files, sockets or FIFOs.

  1155..  DDooeess tthhee HHFFSS ffiilleessyysstteemm wwoorrkk wwiitthh 440000kk oorr 880000kk MMaacciinnttoosshh

  ddiisskkeetttteess??

  Yes and no.  The software is fully capable of dealing with HFS disks

  of any size.  However, the 400k and 800k diskettes are written in a

  physical format that is incompatible with most non-Macintosh floppy

  drives.  Note also that almost all 400k Macintosh diskettes are MFS,

  not HFS.

  1166..  HHooww ccaann II ffoorrmmaatt aann HHFFSS ffiilleessyysstteemm??

  Robert Leslie (rob@mars.org) has written a package for working with

  HFS filesystems (like mtools plus a graphical interface).  One program

  in the package is hformat which can format HFS filesystems.  The

  latest version can be found on the HFS Utilities home page

  .

  1177..  HHooww ccaann II ffsscckk aann HHFFSS ffiilleessyysstteemm??

  Right now you'll have to use a Macintosh to do this.  However, Rob

  Leslie is working on an fsck for HFS filesystems.

  1188..  WWhhyy ddoo II ggeett ````eerrrroorr --5500'''' mmeessssaaggeess ffrroomm mmyy MMaacc wwhheenn uussiinngg

  nneettaattaallkk??

  To be compatible with netatalk's afpd you will need to use netatalk

  version 1.4b1 or newer and mount the HFS filesystem with the ``afpd''

  mount option.  More information is provided in the ``afpd'' subsection

  of the ``Mount Options'' section of the HFS documentation (HFS.txt if

  you have the stand-alone HFS distribution or

  linux/Documentation/filesystems/hfs.txt if HFS is in your kernel

  source tree.)

  1199..  WWhhyy ddooeess mmyy MMaacciinnttoosshh sshhooww ggeenneerriicc aapppplliiccaattiioonn aanndd ddooccuummeenntt

  iiccoonnss??

  When using the ``afpd'' mount option the Desktop database on the disk

  is not made available to Netatalk's afpd.  Because of this mounting an

  HFS filesystem across the network to a Macintosh may result in the

  Finder showing generic application and document icons.  Additionally

  double clicking on a document will fail to start the correct

  application.

  If the disk is writable you can make Netatalk build a new Desktop

  database in its own format by holding down the Option key while

  selecting the volume in the Chooser.  If the disk is not writable then

  these problems can be worked around by copying the application to a

  local disk on the Macintosh.

  2200..  HHooww oowwnnss aallll tthhee ccooppyyrriigghhttss aanndd ttrraaddeemmaarrkkss?? ;;--))

  2200..11..  TThhiiss DDooccuummeenntt

  This document is Copyright (c) 1996, 1997 by Paul H. Hargrove.

  Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this

  document provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are

  preserved on all copies.

  Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this

  document under the conditions for verbatim copies above, provided a

  notice clearly stating that the document is a modified version is also

  included in the modified document.

  Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this

  document into another language, under the conditions specified above

  for modified versions.

  Permission is granted to convert this document into another media

  under the conditions specified above for modified versions provided

  the requirement to acknowledge the source document is fulfilled by

  inclusion of an obvious reference to the source document in the new

  media. Where there is any doubt as to what defines ``obvious'' the

  copyright owner reserves the right to decide.

  2200..22..  TThhee SSooffttwwaarree

  The HFS filesystem software is Copyright (c) 1994-1997 by Paul H.

  Hargrove.

  The software is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify

  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by

  the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option)

  any later version.

  The software is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but

  WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of

  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU

  General Public License for more details.

  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License

  along with the software in the file ``COPYING''; if not, write to the

  Free Software Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139,

  USA.

  2200..33..  TTrraaddeemmaarrkkss

  +o  ``Finder'' is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.

  +o  ``Apple'', ``AppleShare'', and ``Macintosh'' are registered

     trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.

  +o  ``MS-DOS'' is a registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

  +o  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.