using RAD: as memory

[hamtronix]

While I have been waiting for my HD to show up to get my system working again I have been messing about and I discovered something (it's new to me anyway).

When I mount the RAD: device it shows up on the WB as a regular ol' 880k drive icon. I can copy things into it but they do not survive a warm boot.

When I use DMS to create a disk image to it the icon changes to look like a disk was inserted and acts like a disk. With the exception that it retains the data on a warm boot.

Since I am operating on one floppy this is extremely useful (I forgot the amount of swapping!) My question is;

Can I change the regular RAM disk to retain files like the RAD: disk?

Can I increase the size of the RAD: disk and still retain the files? This would allow me to muck about much quicker and would be extremely useful. I have 40 MB of Fast memory so it isnt a problem.

Why does RAD: only retain files when it thinks it is a regular disk and not when it is just plain ol' RAD:

I suppose I can create many RAD: disks.

[hamtronix]

Thanks for the information. I just copied my WB 3.1 to the RAD: now I warm boot into WB at ~ 5 seconds (some slow up due to RAM on accelerator / caches...)

Wow, this is great a virtual HD...

I wonder why RAM: cannot be told to retain like this? Is it some deep hard coded software issue or some thing to do with how MOUNT works?

[hamtronix]

thanks for the quick responses.

I just tried to use the regular format command to get my 2MB RAD: HD up and it tanked my system. Is there a special command or other program I should use to format a non-standard size?

[hamtronix]

on my current one floppy system it is a godsend to not have to swap and to try out programs without screwing things up and having to reboot from floppy and swap swap swap...

It gives me an incredibly fast booting system on top of it.

[hamtronix]

SamuraiCrow wrote:
Just one comment:  Depending on your accelerator or memory card, not all Fast RAM holds the kicktag support.  You may be eating up Chip RAM with your RAD: device.

Luckily the Derringer allows me to map everything to its own Fast RAM so it actually gives me more Chip RAM. Right now I have 990,520 Chip RAM free. Which seems extremely acceptable to me.

[hamtronix]

Thats real automation!

I do it the old fashion way. I have modified my backup of the WB 3.1 disk with the progs for my accelerator and 2 RAD: disks. Then boot with that to WB. And just drag the WB DF0: to the proper RAD: drive. I let it diskcopy and then reboot.