mtools.el: Emacs front-end to mtools

[LEE Sau Dan]

'mtools'  (http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/mtools) is  a collection  of utilities
for  accessing MSDOS/MS Windows  FAT file  systems.  This  elisp package
provides a front-end to 'mtools' from within Emacs.

To try it out, load eval elisp file (or eval the enclosed auto-load
definitions file).  Then, C-x C-f /mtools/a: RET.  You'll get a dir-ed
buffer showing the contents of drive a: (just like the command "mdir
a:").  Many dired commands will work (e.g. C, R, M, x) and the 'mtools'
equivalent of those operations will be invoked.  The "s" command will
rotate through 3 directory sorting orders: unsorted, by filename, by
timestamp.  Copying and moving also works across real unix files and
files under /mtools/a:/.  It is also possible to open a file directly
for editingb without going through dir-ed.  Just use /mtools/a:/ as a
path prefix!  Basically, file accesses inside Emacs for paths starting
with /mtools/[a-z]:/ will be intercepted by mtools.el.  Read C-h f
mtools-file-name-handler RET for more details.

Of course, you may use other drive letters instead of "a:".  Just use
the drive letter that you would have used when using 'mtools'.  To
configure which drive letter maps to which drive (unix device), edit
~/.mtoolsrc and read the Info page "(mtools) Configuration".

Why 'mtools'?  I've been using 'mtools' instead of mounting/unmounting
because:

1) no need to mount/unmount.  Mtools opens the device file for
   manipulating with the filesystem image in it, and closes the device
   upon exiting.

2) Because of (1), it is very handy for just browsing and copying a few
   files around (e.g. a PDF file to/from a USB thumb drive).

3) As a consequence of (1), it is easier to set up the unix system for
   users to access removable drives via 'mtools'.  The admin only needs
   to make sure the users allowed to use the drives have enough access
   permissions on the device file.  No need to go through 'sudo' or
   things like that to allow these users (but not others) to
   mount/umount the drives.

Merry Christmas!

mtools.el
Description: application/emacs-lisp

mtools-autoload.el
Description: application/emacs-lisp

-- 
Lee Sau Dan                     李守敦                          address@hidden

E-mail: address@hidden
Home page: http://www.informatik.uni-freiburg.de/~danlee