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Nomdo Jansonius wrote:
>
> I downloaded abiword from the basiclinux add-on page. 

What software are you using to download it?

> I put it in a DOS drive called temp (a small partition on my HD) 

How small?

> that is mounted in basiclinux as /dos. 

What is the exact command you use to mount it?

> When I start basiclinux and look in /dos then the 
> file is there but its size is marked as 0 bytes. 

We need to back up a step.  Before you leave DOS, have
a look at the file.  Check the size.  Make a copy and
check the size of both.

> Back in DOS, the file indeed has been reduced to 0 bytes. 

Something weird is definitely going on.  It might be 
useful to figure out when exactly the file drops to
zero bytes.

> I did see this problem (i.e. disappearing files in a DOS 
> partition 

Which version of DOS are you using?  What is the history
of that partition?  I suppose it is an extended partition?
Was it created from empty space on the harddrive or did
you have to "steal" space from C: ?   How was it formatted?

> that is mounted in BL) 

What filesystem type?  

> once BL deleted my command.com...

I would be surprise if BasicLinux did that all by itself.
However, I supposed that might be possible if there is
something seriously weird about your C:.

> With abiword, however, it occurs repeatedly and I do 
> not manage to get it in BL at all. 

AbiWord is probably the largest single file you have
worked with.  It could be the size that is triggering
the effect.  However, let me emphasize that what is
happening to you is not normal.  Something is buggy
in your setup.  I frequently move stuff between my DOS
and Linux partitions and have never had the slightest
problem, even with very large files.

> I downloaded it twice, tried both BL 1.7 and 2.1 and I 
> renamed the file in an attempt to bypass the problem. 
> When I put abiword in the DOS partition together with 
> about ten other .tgz files, only abiword disappeared!

I bet if you try that with another large file (DOS or 
Linux), the same thing will happen to that file.

Don't give up on this.  I'm pretty sure we can sort 
this out.  

Cheers,
Steven