diff --git a/mrw/file.hpp b/mrw/file.hpp
index 98e7885..96b6be0 100644
--- a/mrw/file.hpp
+++ b/mrw/file.hpp
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 /** @file
 
     $Id$
@@ -10,6 +9,9 @@
     @license LGPL, see file <a href="license.html">COPYING</a>
 
     $Log$
+    Revision 1.4  2005/02/28 07:17:24  marc
+    Dir is now usable and compilable, also added fixes for Solaris
+
     Revision 1.3  2005/02/18 15:52:20  marc
     correection in documentation
 
@@ -27,6 +29,7 @@
 #define __MRW_FILE_HPP__
 
 #include <mrw/exception.hpp>
+#include <mrw/errno.hpp>
 #include <string>
 #include <fstream>
 #include <sys/types.h>
@@ -154,15 +157,42 @@ namespace mrw {
                                       +filename+"'");
         return sz;
       }
+
+      /** @brief Remove a file
+
+          Remove a file
+
+          @throw mrw::unix_error in case of failure,
+                                 i.e. if the file does not exist
+          @param file the file name
+          */
+      static void remove(const std::string& file) throw(std::exception) {
+        if (unlink(file.c_str()))
+          throw mrw::unix_error("Cannot remove file "+file);
+      }
   };
 
   //============================================================================
+  /** @brief Directory access
+
+      Parse through directories:
+      
+      @code
+      mrw::Dir dir(mrw::ifelse(getenv("HOME"), ""));
+      while (dir) {
+        std::cout<<"Found ["<<dir().typestr()<<"] "<<dir().name()<<std::endl;
+      }
+      @endcode
+      */
   class Dir {
 
       //............................................................... typedefs
     public:
       
       //------------------------------------------------------------------ Entry
+      /** @brief a directory entry
+
+          A Directory Entry. */
       class Entry {
 
           //........................................................... typedefs
@@ -173,9 +203,11 @@ namespace mrw {
               The type of the actual file.
               
               @note On some systems UNKNOWN is the only
-                    value returned.
+                    value returned. This is i.e. true on
+                    LINUX...
               */
           enum FileType {
+#ifdef _DIRENT_HAVE_D_TYPE
             UNKNOWN = DT_UNKNOWN, ///< The type is unknown.
             REGULAR = DT_REG,     ///< A regular file.
             DIR     = DT_DIR,     ///< A directory.
@@ -183,6 +215,9 @@ namespace mrw {
             SOCKET  = DT_SOCK,    ///< A local-domain socket.
             CHAR    = DT_CHR,     ///< A character device.
             BLOCK   = DT_BLK      ///< A block device.
+#else
+            UNKNOWN, REGULAR, DIR, FIFO, SOCKET, CHAR, BLOCK // dummy
+#endif
           };
 
           //............................................................ methods
@@ -191,7 +226,16 @@ namespace mrw {
           Entry(): _new(true) {}
 
           /// Get the name of the actual file.
-          operator const std::string&() throw(std::bad_exception) {
+          operator const std::string&() const throw(std::bad_exception) {
+            if (_new) { // only convert to string once
+              _new = false;
+              _name = _dirent.d.d_name;
+            }
+            return _name;
+          }
+
+          /// Get the name of the actual file.
+          const std::string& name() const throw(std::bad_exception) {
             if (_new) { // only convert to string once
               _new = false;
               _name = _dirent.d.d_name;
@@ -205,22 +249,57 @@ namespace mrw {
           }
 
           /// Get the type of the actual file.
-          operator FileType() const throw() {
+          FileType type() const throw() {
+#ifdef _DIRENT_HAVE_D_TYPE
             return FileType(_dirent.d.d_type);
+#else
+            return UNKNOWN:
+#endif
           }
 
+          /// Get the type of the actual file as string.
+          const std::string& typestr() const throw() {
+#ifdef _DIRENT_HAVE_D_TYPE
+            static const std::string UNKNOWN_("UNKNOWN");
+            static const std::string REGULAR_("REGULAR");
+            static const std::string DIR_("DIR");
+            static const std::string FIFO_("FIFO");
+            static const std::string SOCKET_("SOCKET");
+            static const std::string CHAR_("CHAR");
+            static const std::string BLOCK_("BLOCK");
+            switch (_dirent.d.d_type) {
+              case UNKNOWN: return UNKNOWN_;
+              case REGULAR: return REGULAR_;
+              case DIR: return DIR_;
+              case FIFO: return FIFO_;
+              case SOCKET: return SOCKET_;
+              case CHAR: return CHAR_;
+              case BLOCK: return BLOCK_;
+            }
+            abort(); // this line is never reached
+#else
+            return "UNKNOWN";
+#endif
+          }
           //.......................................................... variables
         private:
 
           friend class Dir;
 
+#ifdef NAME_MAX
           union { // for portability reasons, see "info readdir_r"
               dirent d;
               char b[offsetof (struct dirent, d_name) + NAME_MAX + 1];
           } _dirent;
+#else
+          union { // for portability reasons, see "info readdir_r"
+              dirent d;
+              char b[offsetof (struct dirent, d_name) + 1000 + 1];
+          } _dirent;
+#endif
 
-          bool _new;
-          std::string _name;
+          mutable bool _new;
+          mutable std::string _name;
 
           //............................................................ methods
         private:
@@ -241,7 +320,7 @@ namespace mrw {
 
           @throw mrw::invalid_argument if directory cannot be opened
           @param dir name of the directory to open
-          @param ignoreDots ignore directories <code>.<code> and
+          @param ignoreDots ignore directories <code>.</code> and
                             <code>..</code> (self anf top)
           */
       Dir(const std::string& dir, bool ignoreDots=true) throw(std::exception):
@@ -275,8 +354,10 @@ namespace mrw {
       operator bool() throw() {
         static const std::string D("."), DD("..");
         static dirent* fake;
-        if (readdir_r(_dir, &_entry.entry(), &fake)) return false;
-        if (_ignoreDots && _entry==Entry::DIR && (D==_entry() || D==_entry()))
+        if (readdir_r(_dir, &_entry.entry(), &fake) || !fake) return false;
+        if (_ignoreDots
+            && (_entry.type()==Entry::UNKNOWN || _entry.type()==Entry::DIR)
+            && (D==_entry() || DD==_entry()))
           return operator bool();
         return true;
       }