LE> It'd also be nice if OS/2 could "borrow" a trick from Netware. Netware
 LE> creates an 8.3 "alias" so that DOS programs *can* access such files.
 LE> The problem is that the name is neither predictable nor "settable"
 LE> (at least in my version of Netware). 

I disagree.  The better way to fix this problem would be for OS/2's VDM kernel 
and the VDOS VDD to support the new DOS API calls that were created for MS-DOS 
version 7.  They mirror various existing DOS API calls, such as "open file",
but allow the use of long filenames as parameters.

With this done, DOS programs that used the standard DOS API would be
restricted to using 8.3 filenames and would be only able to see those files
that had filenames that fit into the 8.3 form, as is the case now, and DOS
programs that used the long filename DOS API extensions would be able to use
and to see all filenames.

On the gripping hand, of course, the best way is to use native OS/2 programs
and not DOS programs in the first place.  Then one doesn't have the overhead
of having to run a Virtual DOS Machine in order to run the program.

 ¯ JdeBP ®

--- FleetStreet 1.22 NR
633/260
2501/209