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(mtools.info)mkmanifest

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Mkmanifest
==========

   The `mkmanifest' command is used to create a shell script (packing
list) to restore Unix filenames. Its syntax is:

   `mkmanifest' [ FILES ]

   `Mkmanifest' creates a shell script that aids in the restoration of
Unix filenames that got clobbered by the MS-DOS filename restrictions.
MS-DOS filenames are restricted to 8 character names, 3 character
extensions, upper case only, no device names, and no illegal characters.

   The mkmanifest program is compatible with the methods used in
`pcomm, arc,' and `mtools' to change perfectly good Unix filenames to
fit the MS-DOS restrictions. This command is only useful if the target
system which will read the diskette cannot handle vfat long names.

Example
-------

   You want to copy the following Unix files to a MS-DOS diskette
(using the `mcopy' command).

       very_long_name
       2.many.dots
       illegal:
       good.c
       prn.dev
       Capital

   `Mcopy' converts the names to:

       very_lon
       2xmany.dot
       illegalx
       good.c
       xprn.dev
       capital

   The command:
     mkmanifest very_long_name 2.many.dots illegal: good.c prn.dev Capital >manifest
   would produce the following:
       mv very_lon very_long_name
       mv 2xmany.dot 2.many.dots
       mv illegalx illegal:
       mv xprn.dev prn.dev
       mv capital Capital

   Notice that "good.c" did not require any conversion, so it did not
appear in the output.

   Suppose I've copied these files from the diskette to another Unix
system, and I now want the files back to their original names.  If the
file "manifest" (the output captured above) was sent along with those
files, it could be used to convert the filenames.

Bugs
----

   The short names generated by `mkmanifest' follow the old convention
(from mtools-2.0.7) and not the one from Windows 95 and mtools-3.0.