What command is used to create an ISO9660 filesystem that can be properly accessed from a Windows 95/98 machine?

Question

Options

• Amkisofs -l -o backup.iso /home/joe
• Bmkisofs -J -T -r -o backup.iso /home/joe
• Cmkisofs -D -T -o backup.iso /home/joe
• Dmkisofs -j -T -o backup.iso /home/joe
• Emkisofs -d -T -o backup.iso /home/joe

• A
  2% (1)
• B
  78% (40)
• C
  6% (3)
• D
  2% (1)
• E
  12% (6)

Explanation

Option B is correct because it includes -J, which enables Joliet extensions - the filesystem extensions Microsoft developed specifically for Windows 9x to support long filenames and deep directory structures on CD-ROMs. Without -J, Windows 95/98 falls back to plain ISO9660, which limits filenames to 8.3 format and may not properly display directory contents. The -r flag adds Rock Ridge extensions (Unix compatibility), and -T generates translation tables, making the disc readable across multiple platforms.

Why the distractors fail:

• A (-l): Allows 31-character ISO9660 filenames (Level 2), but no Joliet - Windows 95/98 still won't handle it correctly.
• C (-D): Disables deep directory relocation - a structural tweak with no Windows compatibility benefit; -J is absent.
• D (-j): Lowercase -j performs filename case conversion, not Joliet; it's easy to confuse with uppercase -J but does something entirely different.
• E (-d): Omits trailing periods from filenames - a minor formatting option, not a Windows compatibility solution.

Memory tip: Think J for Joliet, J for just-what-Windows-needs. Whenever a question mentions Windows 9x ISO compatibility, look for the uppercase -J flag - its absence means the answer is wrong.

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