UNIX etc has all file access start from /. DOS/Windows has separate trees starting with different letters. I think having it all in one tree structure has some advantages. All paths can be expressed as relative paths, for instance.
Windows kind of does have that. They call it the global catalog or Win32 Device Namespaces.
somehow C: is easier to type than \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolume2\ or \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\Harddisk0\Partition2\ or even \\?\Volume{1ab2d2f9-230f-4c63-bc25-163c085334df}\ though.
I think having one tree is a huge advantage. take the windows registry, on paper it sounds like a great idea. "lets make a single unified database to hold all config values" In reality, it sort of sucks. One of the reasons it is so unpleasant to use. Is that now you have another tree with different special access patterns and programs that are incompatible with your main tree(or trees in the case of windows).
I really like the plan 9 ethos here, which can be summed up as "does it vaguely look like a tree? if yes, put it in the file system". My favorite one was html "Hmmm... An html document is tree structured.... hey guys lets make our web browser a filesystem driver. (enthusiastic clapping)". Having said that, having no mainstream browser on plan9 is what usually keeps me from using it. I keep telling myself that avoiding the web drivel that requires a mainstream browser would make me a happier person, but I keep coming back for more.
jtotheh|1 year ago
Joe_Cool|1 year ago
somehow C: is easier to type than \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolume2\ or \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\Harddisk0\Partition2\ or even \\?\Volume{1ab2d2f9-230f-4c63-bc25-163c085334df}\ though.
wglb|1 year ago
somat|1 year ago
I really like the plan 9 ethos here, which can be summed up as "does it vaguely look like a tree? if yes, put it in the file system". My favorite one was html "Hmmm... An html document is tree structured.... hey guys lets make our web browser a filesystem driver. (enthusiastic clapping)". Having said that, having no mainstream browser on plan9 is what usually keeps me from using it. I keep telling myself that avoiding the web drivel that requires a mainstream browser would make me a happier person, but I keep coming back for more.