14 character limitation in filenames

[Ken Seefried iii]

In article <290 at sps.com> arm at sps.com (Annette Myjak) writes:
>can anyone explain why there's the 14 character limitation in filenames
>(11 + 3 for extension) in interactive unix?

Cause AT&T is brain dead?  Most all Version 7, System III and System V
based Unixes have a 14 character filename limit (11+3?  Where'd you
get that?).  Posix has also followed this silliness...

>is this common for all 386 based unices?

Yes, save Mach/386 (and OSF/1) and BSD 4.x/386.

>is this limitation likely to be overcome anytime soon?

Overcome in System V release 4.  It *can* be done in System V.3.2
(Tektronix UTek V for the 88000 has flex-names and is 3.2 based).
Noone has done it for the 386 that I know of.

>enquiring minds want to know!  (this limitation is making it difficult
>to port a fairly extensive software system.)

Yea...join the club...

--
	ken seefried iii	"A sneer, a snarl, a whip that
	ken at dali.cc.gatech.edu	 stings...these are a few of
				 my favorite things..."