Large SCSI HD's under OS 3.9

[marcfrick2112]

Hi, I need to get enough storage to back up my HD (lousy 8.5 GB) I am running an A1200T (PowerTower) '060/50MHz, 2MB C, 128MB F, OS 3.9 w/BB2. Can I use very large SCSI HD without problems? e.g. 36GB? Do I have to format several partitions, or could I just format it as e.g. 36 GB? I assume 'hdwrench.library' will take care of things...but, I see weird things with my current 2.1 GB SCSI HD with DirOpus..No disk usage displayed for example. Hoping that large SCSI HD's won't cause probs.
Any Help would be great!  :-D

[doctorq]

When using OS3.9 with BoingBag2 there shouldn't be a problem using a 36 GB partition, but if I were you I would install SFS or PFS on the harddrive.

Are you going to replace the 8.5 GB with the 36 GB, or is it only for backup?

I'm using a 76 GB partition on my own system, and no problems so far. As for the disk usage problem you mention; forget about it, as the program can't handle the large size drives...

[marcfrick2112]

Hi, for now I am only going to use the 36 GB for backup, and some extra for Aminet DL's, etc. I am worried about SFS and/or PFS...I am a little scared to mess with my filesystem, can't afford to have any data loss right now  :crazy: What would I have to do for SFS or PFS??
I don't generally like to mess with filesystems, etc. unless it's absoulutly necessary. I am on my 3rd Amiga system... With no money around, I just need to backup my sys. in case of trouble.
Maybe someday I'll have a 36GB SCSI HD as my boot drive  :-D

Out of curiousity, is there any limit to the size of a SCSI HD partition under OS3.9?? I know that the OS has to be within the   lowest 2GB.... but could I use a 320 GB SCSI drive? Would I have any problems besides (the lame) DirOpus??
Thanks for your help!

[doctorq]

I am worried about SFS and/or PFS...I am a little scared to mess with my filesystem, can't afford to have any data loss right now

And you are still using FFS? SFS for instance is much more stable and reliabel than FFS, and it's free as well.

Out of curiousity, is there any limit to the size of a SCSI HD partition under OS3.9?? I know that the OS has to be within the lowest 2GB.... but could I use a 320 GB SCSI drive?

I believe you can. I'm only using a 160 GB drive here though. The partition size depends on the filesystem IIRC, and for SFS I think it is 2 TB.

[marcfrick2112]

And you are still using FFS? SFS for instance is much more stable and reliabel than FFS, and it's free as well.

Ok, point taken, I have had trouble with FFS DirCache, but straight FFS partitions have served me well for years....

I believe you can. I'm only using a 160 GB drive here though. The partition size depends on the filesystem IIRC, and for SFS I think it is 2 TB.

 :crazy: Wow 2 TB, huh? That's impressive. One last dumb question, can the filesystems be mixed? (i.e. FFS for my IDE HD and SFS for my SCSI? I ask 'cause at this time I don't have space to backup all my IDE HD. I would like to make the change from FFS to SFS in 'baby-steps', if you know what I mean....have had too much hardware trouble on my Amiga's. I am trying to get a Jaz drive or similar, backup everything, then I can go for broke with SFS, or whatever  :-) I could even boot from the Jaz, If I had too... ( I love the 1230 SCSI module!) Thanks much!!

[doctorq]

One last dumb question, can the filesystems be mixed? (i.e. FFS for my IDE HD and SFS for my SCSI?

Yes, no problems with that.

When changing from one filesystem to another, just do it one partition at a time. It involves a lot of copying data from one partition to another and back again, but it can be done quite easily.

Oh, btw, SFS allows long filenames as well; FFS don't. Another reason for switching.

[marcfrick2112]

doctorq wrote:

One last dumb question, can the filesystems be mixed? (i.e. FFS for my IDE HD and SFS for my SCSI?

Yes, no problems with that.

When changing from one filesystem to another, just do it one partition at a time. It involves a lot of copying data from one partition to another and back again, but it can be done quite easily.

Oh, btw, SFS allows long filenames as well; FFS don't. Another reason for switching.[/quote]

Oh Boy, I think you lost me there...  Do I copy a partition over, re-format it as SFS, and then copy it back? Will I have any problems with my lowly DirOpus 4.1 ? Grr, I really don't like doing this type of thing.... For example, can I access both the SFS and FFS partitions at the same time, to make sure everything worked OK? (i.e. in DirOpus)
Finally, I assume that SFS is on Aminet? Sorry if these are dumb questions, just don't like to mess with the 'inner workings' of Amiga's .... :-?

[Thomas]

There is not much you can do wrong. After you unpacked the archive, there is a file called SmartFileSystem. This is the only file needed. There is no specific place where it should be copied to, a good place is the L directory. But it is not needed there, you can as well delete it after you installed it using HDToolbox.

Next you fire up HDToolbox, go to "Partition drive" and click on "Add/Update". You should see a list of installed file systems, probably FastFileSystem is the only one for you. Just click on Add, choose the SmartFileSystem file and make sure you overtype the suggested DosType of 43465300 by the one which belongs to SFS (53465300). That's the "installation" of SFS so far. To create a checkpoint you could save changes and leave HDToolbox now. Nothing should have changed.

Now you choose one partition you want to change first. Create a backup of all contents. Run HDToolbox, go to "Partition drive" again. Select the partition you want to change and click on "Change". On the top there is a button which lets you choose different file systems. Currently it should read "DOS\3" or "FFS (intl)". Click on it and choose "SFS\0". Click on ok, save changes and leave HDToolbox. It will tell you that all data on the partition will be lost and that you have to reboot. Commit both questions.

After the reboot the partition you changed appears as unformatted. If you now recognise that it was the wrong partition, you can just run HDToolbox again and change it back to FFS. Then all data will come back magically. So nothing to fear yet.

Given that you chose the right partition, you now do a quick-format and copy all data back. From then on you can work with it as you did before. The only difference is that low-level programs like ReOrg and DiskSalv no longer work with this partition. There are SFS-specific programs for these tasks instead.

It's a little bit tricky to change the boot partition, because you have to have another drive to boot from while the boot partition appears to be unformatted. E.g. the OS3.9 emergency disk, the OS3.1 install disk or another bootable partition on the HDD.

Bye,
Thomas

[marcfrick2112]

Wow, thanks Thomas, for the very detailed instructions!

t's a little bit tricky to change the boot partition, because you have to have another drive to boot from while the boot partition appears to be unformatted. E.g. the OS3.9 emergency disk, the OS3.1 install disk or another bootable partition on the HDD.

Hmm, I am glad that I made one other partition bootable when I set up my A1200 PowerTower...(was because of installing OS3.5.. I got scared!) glad that the 1230 SCSI can boot off of anything, it gives me an option as well...
A question: Is there an 'Undelete' util. for SFS?

As I said earlier, I have to wait until I have a viable backup otion for my sys. , preferably a Jaz drive or equivalent. I just can't afford to screw this up, if something goes wrong, I don't have the money to fix it  :-o

Thanks again, everyone...

[Thomas]

Is there an 'Undelete' util. for SFS?

SFS maintains a directory which contains all deleted files, so you don't need a special utility for that. I don't remember how it's called. With PFS3 it's called ".deldir".

I just can't afford to screw this up

Well, as I said before, it is not so easy to screw *everything* up. Usually you touch only one partition at a time and up to the point when you format the changed partition, changes can be reverted quite easily. However, before you format anything you should be quite sure what you do. Because after the format it is difficult to get anything back. Even if it's quick-format.

if something goes wrong, I don't have the money to fix it

IMHO, money probably won't help you. AFAIK there are no professional data recoverers in the Amiga market. And if you ask general data recovery comanies, you probably have to sell your car or your house to afford the job.

Better ask me, I'll help for free :-)

Bye,
Thomas

[mpiva]

   If you're just using the 36Gb drive for backup there is ABSOLUTELY nothing to worry about.  Just format the 36Gb drive with SFS and leave your other drive alone.  Backup everything to the 36Gb drive and leave it at that.

...But I'm sure once you use SFS on the 36Gb drive you'll realize that all your fears are unfounded and want to switch your SYS partition to it as well.

And don't worry about having a spare "bootable" partition.  Any partition can be made bootable at any time.  Just go into HDToolBox and select "bootable".  It doesn't change any data on your drive.

What I would do is:
Say you make a 36Gb SFS partition called BU0: and SYS: is on a partition called Workbench:

Copy Workbench:#? BUO: all

Go into HDToolbox and make BUO: bootable with a higher priority than SYS:

change Workbench: to SFS

reboot (you Amiga should automatically boot off BUO: and everything will look EXACTLY like it did before)

reformat the Workbench: partition

copy BU0:#? Workbench: all

go into HDToolbox and deselect "bootable" for BU0:

simple as that.