home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- DiskSpareDevice 1.6
-
- written and
- by Klaus Deppisch
-
- What is diskspare.device:
-
- It is a completion or replacement of the trackdisk.device.
- It lets you format your disks with 960 kB or 984 kB !!!
-
- How could it be:
-
- I change the track-construction a little bit. In detail I
- leave out the (unused) sector-headers and read/write some
- bytes more than the trackdisk.device.
- The result: I'm able to read/write 12 sectors/track !
-
- By the way, ALL the drives I tested were able to read/write
- more than 12 sectors (at least 12.4 sectors).
- -> There should be no problems.
-
- The device is able to read/write 12*160*512 = 983040 Bytes.
- Or (new for v1.6) 12*164*512 = 1007616 Bytes.
-
- Soon coming: HD-version (24*164*512= 2015232 Bytes (1968K)).
-
- When you mount the device you can use it like any other disk
- or partition. That means you can access it with your favourite
- dir-util, format , diskcopy or whatever you want to do with it.
-
- What do you need:
-
- - Kickstart 2.0 or higher (NO WAY to get it run < KS 2.0 !)
- - diskspare.device (here it is)
- - mountlist-entry (included)
- - a floppy-drive (you should have one)
- - an Amiga (hmm..)
-
- What to do:
-
- - read this doc-file (the WHOLE text !!!)
- - copy the file 'diskspare.device' into your DEVS: directory.
- - append the file 'Mountlist' to your Mountlist (to be found
- in your DEVS: directory) using (for example) Ed.
- - insert the lines 'mount DS0:' and 'addbuffers DS0: >NIL:'
- (or DS1-3) into your 'User-Startup' (can be found in S:)
- - OR if you're using WB 2.1/3.0 copy the File(s) DS0-DS3 in
- your DEVS:DosDrivers directory.
- - reboot your Amiga
-
- Examples:
-
- 1. You've got two drives and want to use 'DF1' as 'DS1' with 960 kB.
- You've copied the file 'diskspare.device' and appended 'Mountlist'
- to your Mountlist (do *** NOT *** simply COPY it to devs: or your
- personal Mountlist will be LOST !!!).
-
- To test whether it work (or not) type in 'mount DS1: <return>' then
- 'dir DS1: <return>'.
- You should see a requester now 'No disk present in device DS1',
- cancel it.
- Insert a blank (or empty) disk into your drive and type:
- 'format drive DS1: name test noicons<return>'.
- The disk should be formatted like any other disk.
- After format type 'info <return>' you should find a line like
- this: 'DS1: 959K 1918 2 0% 0 Read/Write test'
- this means that everything works fine and you're able to use
- this disk like any other disk.
-
- 2. If you've only one drive and want to use it as 'DS0' with 984 kB.
- You've copied the file 'diskspare.device' and appended 'Mountlist'
- to your Mountlist (do *** NOT *** simply COPY it to devs: or your
- personal Mountlist will be LOST !!!).
-
- First you have to modify the mountlist a little:
- - the line 'Flags = 1' must be changed to 'Flags = 3'
- - the line 'HighCyl = 79' must be changed to 'HighCyl = 81'
-
- Follow the test-procedure above.
- After 'info' you should see a line like this:
- 'DS0: 983K 1966 2 0% 0 Read/Write test'.
-
- The line 'addbuffers DSX: >NIL:' is necessary to make the
- device 'visible'. It's better to use this than to modify
- the mountlist with 'Mount = 1' cause then you'll get a
- 'no disk'-requester when mounting.
-
- Problems:
- What problems ?
- Ok, here some possibilities:
-
- - If you modify the icons for WB 2.1/3.0, check if they
- have the right unit-number (use information from the
- icons-menu).
- - Mount returns an error: 'Entry not found' -> check if you
- really appended the mountlist and typed the right name
- - dir returns an error: 'device or directory not mounted' ->
- did you copy the device to devs: or did you try to access
- an invalid drive (if you've got df0: and df1: you can't
- mount ds2:. It's logical, or what !!!)
- - format returns: 'no disk inserted' -> you must wait a
- few seconds after inserting a disk (trackdisk must access
- the disk first)
- - format returns: 'format failed try another disk' -> do so
- - format returns always the above -> it looks like you've
- got a drive that doesn't work -> try another drive or
- curse me and delete all 'diskspare-files'.
-
- NOTES:
-
- -This is NO easy using program! That means, You should know
- what you're doing.
- If you don't know how to use the Shell and how to edit a mountlist
- and user-startup read the manual that came with your machine!
- Or ask a friend to help you.
-
- -If you mount the device after 'LoadWB' there will be no Icons
- for unformatted disks or during format,diskcopy etc. that say
- 'DSX:BAD' or 'DSX:BUSY'.
- This isn't a bug of my device but an oddity of the Workbench.
- (It's the same if you mount RAD: or any other device AFTER
- 'LoadWB').
-
- -If you use the device for 984K disks NOTE that it IS a HACK!
- Normally you CAN'T read/write Cyl. 80/81 via trackdisk.device.
- It's only possible due to a PATCH of a PRIVATE device.structure!
- I tried to make it as safe as possible and it works fine with
- KS2.0/KS3.0 but there's NO GUARANTEE that it will work with
- future releases. (Until I fix it). THIS IS THE ONLY HACK OF
- THIS PROGRAM !!! ALL other functions work only with documented
- trackdisk-cmds. That's the reason why it doesn't work with
- KS1.2/1.3 cause the RawRead/RawWrite-cmds don't work
- (reliable) till KS2.0.
- p.s. I use it with 984K (logical!)
-
- -It might be possible that there are drives which aren't able
- to read/write up to Cyl.81 (I've never seen one).
-
- Bonus:
-
- If you use diskspare.device you won't have any problems with
- bootblock-viruses cause they try to write single sectors via
- trackdisk.device. Trackdisk can't read the track so it can't
- write single sectors!
- If there should be a virus which is able to write itself to
- the first blocks of a diskspare-disk then this will be it's
- last activity cause the device can't be made resident ->
- you can't boot from this disk -> the virus won't be executed!
-
- Some details:
-
- 1. Safety:
- I've tested the device since Dec. 1992 on different Amigas
- (A500-A4000) and I've (nearly) copied all my disks to diskspare-
- format. I use the cheapest No-Name-Disks and don't have any
- problems (yet).
- All updates and enchantments made, concerned to the
- device-routines and not to the track-construction.
-
- The only problem could be the floppy-drive. There're so many
- different types (I've got 6 drives of 4 different manufacturers)
- that it might be possible that someone doesn't work.
-
- 2. Speed:
- Diskspare.device is about 5%-15% faster than the trackdisk.device
- (68000 5%, 68020 10%, 68030 15%)
- example: (A2000 with A2630/25MHz/2Meg)
- kB sec speed
-
- format 984 81 -> 12.1 kB/s (it's true!)
- 880 83 -> 10.6 kB/s
-
- 4. Mountlist:
-
- Flags = 0 -> Diskchange works only on DSX:. (X= 0-3)
- (you have to do a diskchange for DFX by
- hand e.g. 'diskchange df0').
- Flags = 1 -> Diskchange works on DSX: AND DFX:.
- (like CrossDOS).
- Flags = 2/3 -> (Bit 1 set) It's now possible to read/
- write up to Cyl. 81.
- You must ALSO change HighCyl to 81 or
- nothing will happen.
- ALL other values are reserved.
-
- These flags may be different for each drive.
-
- You may change BlockSize,BlocksPerTrack and Sectors/Block but
- note that a file of even 1 (ONE) Byte length needs 2 blocks
- (FileHeaderBlock & DataBlock). -> if you use big blocks you
- waste a lot of disk-space!
-
- BE CAREFUL:
- The entry 'Reserved' MUST BE '2' !!! It cost me a lot of time
- and nervs because I set it to '0' to get 1K more capacity.
- The only thing I got were curious error-messages! That's
- obvious a bug of the fastfilesystem.
-
- If you want to waste a lot of speed and capacity you may set
- the 'Buffers < 25' and 'DosType = 0x444f5300'. A good value
- for Buffers is 50 (also for DFx:).
-
- IMPORTANT:
- The device is FreeWare. You may use it with your own
- projects until this doc.file and the Mountlist.files are
- distributed with it. You may also use it for commercial
- programs if you say CLEARLY that this device is FREEWARE!
- You MUSTN'T modify the device itself or this doc.file or
- the MountList.files. Only exception is a translation of
- this file. If you need a modified/enchanted version
- please contact me.
-
- This disk-format MUSTN'T be used for NDOS-Games !!!
-
- MOST IMPORTANT:
- You use the above described software on your OWN RISK.
-
- Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES the author will be liable for any
- direct or indirect damage or data loss resulting from
- the use or missuse of this software.
-
- All rights are reserved by the author.
- Suggestions and (detailed) bug-reports are welcome.
-
- Author:
- Klaus Deppisch
- Beckenwengert 3
- 97246 Eibelstadt
- Germany
-
- Phone: 09303 1579
-
-