touch(1) not working on directories in an msdosfs(5) envirement

[Vadim Goncharov]

Hi Rick Macklem! 

On Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:40:31 -0400 (EDT); Rick Macklem wrote about 'Re: touch(1) not working on directories in an msdosfs(5) envirement':

> Yes, FAT file systems do not maintain a directory modify
> time. (The original FAT12,16 structure didn't even have a
> modify time for the root dir.)

> Just like Windows.

> This causes issues when a FAT fs is exported via NFS and
> someone was going to experiment with an "in memory only"
> modify time for dirs, to minimize caching issues, but I
> haven't heard back from them lately.

> Apparently Mac OS X chooses to update the modify time that
> exists on FAT32 file systems, but that isn't Windows compatible.

What? I've just now created a test directory and changed it's modify time
in Far Manager on Windows 2000, in a FAT32 partition. In fact it allows to
change all three directory times, creation and access, too. So, I conclude,
the FAT supports it.

-- 
WBR, Vadim Goncharov. ICQ#166852181       mailto:vadim_nuclight at mail.ru
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