No Fragments Archive 10: Diskmags/nf_archive_10.iso/MAGS/ST_USER/1990/USERNV90.MSA/TEXT_TURTLE.DOC

Text File | 1990-05-24 | 10KB | 182 lines

                              TURTLE V2.15


               A hard disk backup utility by George R. Woodside


Hard disk drives are normally extremely reliable storage devices, but
occassionally they do develop faults. Therefore it is essential to regularly
make backups of your data, and about once a week should be sufficient. It's a
chore, but just imagine losing 30 or 40Mb of programs, utilities and data files
that you spent months building up.
    Turtle is an unusual backup system that working by creating a RAM disk in
memory, copying files from the hard disk to the RAM disk then writing each
track of the RAM disk to floppies. To get started without reading any more of
the documentation:

1) Copy TURTLE.PRG, TURTLE.RSC, TTLEXEC.TTP and the proper RAM disk into the
same directory. The RAM disks are:
    TRDNSS.PRG - Single sided disks, normal format
    TRDNDS.PRG - Double sided disks, normal format
    TRDTSS.PRG - Single sided disks, twister format
    TRDTDS.PRG - Double sided disks, twister format
2) Change the file type of any accessories to something other than .ACC to
   prevent them loading.
3) Remove all programs from your AUTO folder except the hard disk boot
   program.
4) Power off your system and wait 10 seconds to insure a clean boot
   (especially if you have a reset-proof RAM disk).
5) Restart your system and open the directory with TURTLE.PRG and the other
   files.
6) Double click on TURTLE.PRG to start.
7) Select the necessary options (they are all described in their dialog boxes,
   and again under the HELP menu).
8) Select BACKUP under the FILE menu to begin writing disks.

Notes that only the RAM disks supplied with TURTLE will work. Do not attempt to
use any other RAM disk. The keyboard is scanned between files so you may cancel
Turtle at any time by pressing CONTROL-C, or press A or B to indicate a new
disk is ready at any time.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

                            TECHNICAL DETAILS

Turtle is a fast hard disk backup utility program. It requires no special
hardware and the floppies written are standard TOS disks. To accomplish this
speed, certain simple steps must be taken. Turtle requires just about all the
RAM you have (for double sided disks), so you should disable any accessories
and remove any unnecessary programs from your AUTO folder.
    How can it be so fast, and still write standard floppies? Turtle creates a
RAM disk that has exactly the same characteristics as a standard floppy. It
copies files from the hard disk to the RAM disk, writing as many files as it
can. When the RAM disk is full, it dumps it as a track-by-track image to a
floppy. It writes as many copies as you have requested, with or without
formatting the floppies.
    The result is identical to a floppy that was written directly, except that
no time was wasted moving back and forth to the directory and file allocation
tables, or waiting for the proper sectors to be available during disk
rotation.
    Why call it Turtle? Well, backing up hard disks is always a slow task, so
the name fits. Since there are already several programs available with the name
Backup, I had intended to call this one Hardback. Since turtles have hard backs
anyway...

              *                     *                        *

    Turtle runs from the standard GEM Desktop and can be executed by
double-clicking on the TURTLE.PRG file. You must have at least 1Mb of RAM to
run Turtle. The resource file TURTLE.RSC must be in the same directory, as must
be the backup utility TTLEXEC.TTP and the RAM disk:
    TRDNSS.PRG - Single sided disks, normal format
    TRDNDS.PRG - Double sided disks, normal format
    TRDTSS.PRG - Single sided disks, twister format
    TRDTDS.PRG - Double sided disks, twister format

     Turtle uses standard GEM menus for entering options. There is a HELP menu
item for each OPTION item to provide information at any time.

ARCHIVE: When a file is copied Turtle will set the bit unless the ARCHIVE
option has been used to disable the facility. This bit can be used to instruct
subsequent backups to copy only the files which have changed since the last
time Turtle (or some other backup utility which set the archive bit) was
executed.

??? COPIES: This option is used to generate extra copies of any disk written
during backup. Normally, only one copy of each disk is written. To request
additional copies, enter the number of copies desired.

FORMAT: Turtle assumes that the disks to be written to are already formatted,
unless this option is used to force formatting. When twister disks are used,
they must already be formatted. Formatting while backing up causes the program
to run a bit slower.

FULL BACKUP: This option is used to indicate whether the backup should be full
(all files in all the named directories) or incremental (only the files in the
named directories which have been altered since the last backup). The default
is to backup all the files in the paths entered.

DOUBLE SIDED: This is used to indicate that the backup will be on double-sided
disks, rather than single sided ones. The default is to write double sided
disks.

DISK NUMBERS: This defines the number assigned to the first disk written. The
default is to start 1.

PATH: This specifies the disk path to read. All files (or all non-archived
files if INCREMENTAL is set) in the named path will be read and copied to the
disk. The default is the path from which Turtle was initiated.

FILES ONLY: This is used to limit the path following option of Turtle.
Normally, Turtle will begin at the path named, and follow all folders in that
path, copying all files in all folders (unless INCREMENTAL is set). Then, after
all folders in the path have been copied, all the files in the named path are
copied. Using the FILES ONLY option will prevent Turtle from opening any of the
folders in the path. Only the files in the named path will be copied. The
default for this option is to open the folders, and back up all the files in
the folders as well as those in the path.

VERIFY: Turtle writes disks as direct images of disk tracks built in memory on
the RAM disk. When the RAM disk is full, it is copied track-by-track to a
floppy disk. If you wish to re-read the data after it is written to the floppy,
select the Verify option. The default is to write the floppy without re-reading
it.

                        *             *              *

                                  EXECUTION

Once Turtle begins it will start copying files even though there are no disks
ready. Don't worry. Turtle will be establishing the RAM disk images and no
floppies are required until the RAM disk is full. Then it will be dumped to the
floppies, and will post messages to identify which disk is which in sequence.
If you do not stay ahead of Turtle in keeping disks ready, it will start
ringing the console bell until you return, and provide more diskettes.
    Turtle will keep all the files in a folder together, in an identically
named folder on the floppy disk. Of course, a single hard disk folder may be
split across several floppies. The sequence of the files in the folder will be
the largest file that fits first. This allows Turtle to use the floppies as
efficiently as possible. Turtle will not attempt to copy a file that is too
large to fit on a blank floppy.
    Turtle is good at recovering from disk errors. Since the entire image of
the floppy is in the RAM disk, just insert a new floppy in the drive, press
RETURN and Turtle will re-writing that copy.
    While the backup is running, Turtle keeps checking the keyboard. You can
type in commands at any time and Turtle will see them within one or two
seconds, as soon as the current disk I/O operation is completed. All commands
are a single letter and you don't need to press the RETURN key. The following
commands are active at any time, except during disk I/O:

     A - A floppy disk has been inserted in drive A and is ready for use.
     B - A floppy disk has been inserted in drive B, and is ready for use.
     T - Terminate the program after the current floppy disk. All copies
         requested will be written before termination. If the ARCHIVE option
         was requested, only the files backed up are marked as archived.
Ctrl+C - Cancel the program immediately. Files copied into the RAM disk are
         not copied to a floppy.


    Turtle works quite well and with amazing speed. It is even smart enough to
not copy unused tracks at the end of a disk, but it will format them if
formatting has been requested (who needs a partially formatted disk?). The most
important thing is to be sure you free enough memory to build the RAM disk and
run the program before beginning.
    Turtle is fairly bullet proof and is very informative while running. You
can kill it at most any time by pressing Control-C, and it will stop almost
immediately. You can request that it stop at the end of all copies of the
current disk by pressing T. You do not have to wait for it to need disks to
make them ready, you may press the appropriate keys whenever you have inserted
the disks.
    If Turtle gives you any trouble, or you have any suggestions, please feel
free to contact:
George R. Woodside
Compuserve 76537,1342
5219 San Feliciano Dr. GEnie G.WOODSIDE
Woodland Hills, Ca. 91364

USENET: ..!{trwrb|philabs|csun|psivax}!ttidca!woodside


Turtle - Copyright 1987 by George R. Woodside.
License granted for unlimited use, copying, and distribution. Not for sale.