[Info-vax] Is there a way to enabling versioning in Samba

[johnwallace4 at yahoo.co.uk]

On Tuesday, 25 July 2017 03:40:07 UTC+1, Arne Vajhøj  wrote:
> On 7/24/2017 4:28 PM, Stephen Hoffman wrote:
> > On 2017-07-24 19:56:26 +0000, Jan-Erik Soderholm said:
> >> Den 2017-07-24 kl. 21:41, skrev Stephen Hoffman:
> >>>> don.zong at gmail.com wrote:
> >>>>> ...so that whenever there is a change in the file, it will create a 
> >>>>> new file with a new version....
> >>>> ...
> >>> My impression is that the file system is the wrong tool for most 
> >>> sorts of version control.
> >>
> >> Of course. And the file version in VMS has little to do with version 
> >> *control*, of course.
> > 
> > I've worked with a number of folks that do use file versions for exactly 
> > that; for source control.   It's fairly common usage on smaller projects 
> > on OpenVMS.   Many of the developers have been very experienced and 
> > long-time OpenVMS folks, too.    What was asked by the OP has been a 
> > fairly common reason why folks have asked similar questions about 
> > OpenVMS file version creation and overwrites, too. Hence my DVCS-related 
> > comments.  Also why I'd commented on different potential goals that 
> > might be in play here.   Different folks use OpenVMS for different 
> > reasons, and sometimes in vastly different ways,
> 
> Using VMS file versions for VCS is utterly insane.
> 
> A common command PURGE get rid of all older versions.
> 
> No log comments.
> 
> No branches.
> 
> No labels.
> 
> etc.etc.
> 
> Arne

Quite so. 

It's 2017. For those that feel the need for formal version
control, there are plenty of options to choose from, some of
which even come for free.

For the rest, Files-11 style file versions (they existed
before VMS) are handy in a few circumstances, especially
since disk space for ordinary files that ordinary users 
edit (documents, spreasheets, etc) is basically unlimited. 

These circumstances don't just exist on ex-DEC systems; 
they apparently are sufficiently important to MS 
customers that MS finally got around to half-implementing
a file system that implements a (hidden) form of 'file
versions' for those occasional 'oops' moments (which
professional developers never ever have, even with a VCS
in the picture).

Isn't there even an Apple-approved way of achieving the
same basic result? Time Machine, maybe (I don't speak
Apple).

One size does not fit all. Informal file versions seem to 
have some value to some customers, even if the details 
have varied over the years.