[Info-vax] Hard links on VMS ODS5 disks

[Arne Vajhøj]

On 7/15/2023 10:39 AM, Johnny Billquist wrote:
> On 2023-07-14 14:55, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
>> On 7/13/2023 9:25 AM, bill wrote:
>>> Which is yet another example of "throw more hardware at the problem".
>>> A link would save the space, but who cares.
>>
>> We can discuss the optimal choice between:
>> * paying more dollars to get bigger disk
>> * the complexity of programs with multiple behavior depending on name
>>
>> But I don't think that is the case here. I think the case is that
>> the cheapest disk you can buy for new systems are so big that there
>> is enough space, so no money is saved by adding the complexity of
>> multiple behaviors.
> 
> I think you missed the point.
> 
> In this case, the program does deal with the different behaviors 
> depending on under which name it is invoked. It's identical binaries.

I got that.

> The issue is just that you could have had just one copy of the program, 
> but they installed two. For absolutely zero difference except they use 
> up more disk space.

The two cost are hardware and peoples time.

With todays TB disks it is very unlikely that having two copies of some
executables will require buying bigger and more expensive disk(s).

Having developer support the name test logic on multiple platforms
and having sys admins needing to worry about linked stuff
when they clean up is a very small effort but still an
effort greater than zero.

Arne