Another item that we should point out is that there is a difference between how an operating system
represents a file and how it
resolves it. For example, if you've used Windows 95/98/NT, you have likely run across a file called
README.TXT. The file can be represented by the operating system entirely in uppercase letters. However, if you open an MS-DOS prompt and enter the command
edit
readme.txt, the all-caps file is loaded into the editing program, even though you typed the name in lowercase letters!
This is because the Windows 95/98/NT family of operating systems resolves files in a case-insensitive manner, even though the files are represented it in a case-sensitive manner. Unix-based operating systems, on the other hand, always resolve files in a case-sensitive manner; if you try to edit
README.TXT with the command
vi
readme.txt, you will likely be editing the empty buffer of a new file.
Here is how Samba handles case: if the
preserve
case is set to
yes, Samba will always use the case provided by the operating system for representing (not resolving) filenames. If it is set to
no, it will use the case specified by the
default
case option. The same is true for
short
preserve
case. If this option is set to
yes, Samba will use the default case of the operating system for representing 8.3 filenames; otherwise it will use the case specified by the
default
case option. Finally, Samba will always resolve filenames in its shares based on the value of the
case
sensitive option.
