diff --git a/TESTFS.PAS b/TESTFS.PAS
index 779c497..431a435 100755
--- a/TESTFS.PAS
+++ b/TESTFS.PAS
@@ -192,5 +192,5 @@
   writeln('sizeof(diskSuperBlock): ',sizeof(TdiskSuperBlock));
   writeln('sizeof(ubixfsInode): ',sizeof(TubixfsInode));
   writeln('sizeof(dataStream): ', sizeof(TdataStream));
-  writeln('sizeof(TSmallData): ', sizeof(TSmallData));
+  writeln('sizeof(TSmallData): ', sizeof(TSmallDataNode));
 end.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/UBIXFS.PAS b/UBIXFS.PAS
index 1798580..63cf616 100755
--- a/UBIXFS.PAS
+++ b/UBIXFS.PAS
@@ -207,8 +207,23 @@
     blockCount    : uInt32;
   end; // TDataStream
 
+  PSmallDataNode = ^TSmallDataNode;
+  TSmallDataNode = packed object
+   public
+    nameSize      : uInt16;
+    dataSize      : uInt16;
+    dataType      : treeTypes;
+    reserved      : array[0..2] of uInt8;
+    name          : array[0..0] of char;
+    function    align(size:uInt32):uInt32;
+    function    dataPtr:pointer;
+    function    isEmpty:boolean;
+    function    next:PSmallDataNode;
+  end; // TSmallDataNode
+
   PUbixfsInode = ^TUbixfsInode;
-  TUbixfsInode = packed record
+  TUbixfsInode = packed object
+   public
     magic         : int32;
     inodeNum      : inodeAddr;
     uid           : uInt32;
@@ -224,19 +239,11 @@
     data          : uPtr;         {this was the etc field in bfs}
     blocks        : TDataStream;
     name          : array[0..255] of char;
-    smallData     : array[0..0] of byte;
+    smallData     : TSmallDataNode;
+    function addAttr(attribute:PChar; attrType:treeTypes; buffer:pointer; count:uInt32):PSmallDataNode;
+    function delAttr(attribute:PChar):boolean;
   end; // TUbixfsInode
 
-  PSmallData = ^TSmallData;
-  TSmallData = packed object
-   public
-    nameSize      : uInt16;
-    dataSize      : uInt16;
-    dataType      : treeTypes;
-    reserved      : array[0..2] of uInt8;
-    name          : array[0..0] of char;
-  end; // TSmallData
-
   PCacheNode = ^TCacheNode;
   TCacheNode = object
    public
@@ -247,7 +254,7 @@
     dirty    : boolean;
     locked   : boolean;
     constructor init(_address, _lastUsed:int64; _dataSize:uInt32);
-    destructor done;
+    destructor  done;
   end; // TCacheNode
 
   PVNode = ^TVNode;
@@ -426,7 +433,52 @@
   if (key = NIL) then result := 0 else result := sizeof(TBlockRun);
 end; // keySizeBlockRun
 
+// TSmallDataNode methods
+function TSmallDataNode.align; result := (size+3) and not 3;  // round up to nearest dword address
+function TSmallDataNode.dataPtr; result := @self + align(nameSize) + (sizeof(TSmallDataNode)-sizeof(name));
+function TSmallDataNode.isEmpty; result := (nameSize = 0) and (dataSize = 0);
+function TSmallDataNode.next;  result := @self + align(nameSize) + align(dataSize) + (sizeof(TSmallDataNode)-sizeof(name));
 
+// TUbixfsInode methods
+function TUbixfsInode.addAttr;
+var
+  smallDataNode:PSmallDataNode;
+  attrSize:uInt32;
+  ptr:pointer;
+begin
+  result := NIL;  // failure by default;
+  if (attribute = NIL) or (buffer = NIL) or (count = 0) then exit;
+  smallDataNode := @smallData;
+  while not smallDataNode^.isEmpty() do
+    smallDataNode := smallDataNode^.next();
+  attrSize := strlen(attribute)+1;
+  // double-check that there's enough room to the end of the inode
+  if (dword(smallDataNode - @self) + smallDataNode^.align(attrSize) + smallDataNode^.align(count) + (sizeof(TSmallDataNode)-1) > inodeSize) then exit;
+  // Okay, it'll fit
+  with smallDataNode^ do
+    begin
+      nameSize := attrSize;  // include null
+      dataSize := count;
+      dataType := attrType;
+      fillchar(reserved, sizeof(reserved), 0);
+      fillchar(name, align(nameSize), 0);  // better safe than sorry?
+      move(attribute^, name, nameSize);
+      fillchar(dataPtr^, align(count), 0);  // better safe than sorry
+      move(buffer^, dataPtr^, count);
+    end; // with
+  result := smallDataNode;
+end; // TUbixfsInode.addAttri
+
+function TUbixfsInode.delAttr;
+var 
+  smallDataNode:PSmallDataNode;
+begin
+  result := FALSE;  // failure by default
+  if (attribute = NIL) then exit;
+  
+end; // TUbixfsInode.delAttr
+
+// TCacheNode methods
 constructor TCacheNode.init;
 begin
   address  := _address;
@@ -3315,12 +3367,42 @@
 function TUbixFS.writeAttr;
 var
   inode:PUbixfsInode;
+  dataNode:PSmallDataNode;
+  attrTree:PbTree;
+  found, smallDataArea:boolean;
+
+  u:uPtr;
 begin
   result := -1;
   if (attribute = NIL) or (buffer = NIL) then exit;
   if not isValidIAddr(iAddr) then exit;
   inode := loadBlock(iAddr);
   if (inode = NIL) then exit;
+  dataNode := @inode^.smallData;
+  found := FALSE;
+  writeln('looking for ', attribute);
+  smallDataArea := TRUE;
+  while not found and not dataNode^.isEmpty() do
+    if (strcomp(@dataNode^.name, attribute) = 0) then
+      found := TRUE
+    else      
+      dataNode := dataNode^.next();
+
+  if not found then
+    begin
+      // we looked through the small data area and didn't find it. Check the attr dir (if there is one)
+      if isValidIAddr(inode^.attributes) then
+        begin
+          new(attrTree, open(iAddrToStr(inode^.attributes), new(PUbixBTreeVFS, init(@self))));
+          if (attrTree = NIL) then exit;  // danger will robinson!
+          if (attrTree^.Find(attribute, u)) then
+            begin
+              found := FALSE;
+              smallDataArea := FALSE;
+            end;
+          dispose(attrTree, done);
+        end;
+    end;
 end; // TUbixFS.readAttr
 
 function TUbixFS.writeDataStream;