mtools: XDF
2.7.4 XDF
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XDF is a high capacity format used by OS/2. It can hold 1840 K per
disk. That's lower than the best 2m formats, but its main advantage is
that it is fast: 600 milliseconds per track. That's faster than the 21
sector format, and almost as fast as the standard 18 sector format. In
order to access these disks, make sure mtools has been compiled with XDF
support, and set the `use_xdf' variable for the drive in the
DONTPRINTYET configuration file. 
Compiling mtools, and *notemiscellaneous
DONTPRINTYET configuration file. Compiling mtools, and miscellaneous
variables, for details on how to do this. Fast XDF access is only
available for Linux kernels which are more recent than 1.1.34.
Mtools supports this format only on Linux.
*Caution / Attention distributors*: If mtools is compiled on a Linux
kernel more recent than 1.3.34, it won't run on an older kernel.
However, if it has been compiled on an older kernel, it still runs on a
newer kernel, except that XDF access is slower. It is recommended that
distribution authors only include mtools binaries compiled on kernels
older than 1.3.34 until 2.0 comes out. When 2.0 will be out, mtools
binaries compiled on newer kernels may (and should) be distributed.
Mtools binaries compiled on kernels older than 1.3.34 won't run on any
2.1 kernel or later.
Info Catalog
mtools: 2m
mtools: high capacity formats