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CRAM.DOC
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1987-12-11
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CRAM.COM
VERSION 1.0 written 6/1/86
This version of CRAM is a preliminary version, released as a test
for some of the features in CRAM. Please be aware that although I
have tested cram, I have only tested it on my system and have not
been able to assure that it will work at 100% on all systems.
CRAM is a Compressed RAM disk. It takes an existing diskette and
compresses it down into a dos file and then this compressed disk can
be loaded into memory as a ram disk. Many times a ram disk is used to
hold utilities and applications, but is never written to. CRAM is a
a read only ram disk.
The procedure for using CRAM is:
1: Prepare a diskette that you would like to have as a ram disk.
CRAM will allow the ram disk to be drive A: and therefore, if you like,
you can boot off of the CRAM disk. If the disk is a word processing
disk or other application you may not want to boot off of the CRAM disk
and will not have to put a system on it. Use a freshly formatted
diskette, and put all files directly onto the diskette. Avoid erasing
files from the diskette as erasing leaves the data on the diskette,
which makes your CRAM disk larger.
2: CRAM the diskette. Enter the CRAM command and choose the option
for cramming the diskette into a dos file (option 1). Then answer
the questions about where the disk to be crammed is located and where
the dos file is located. DO NOT PUT THE DOS FILE ON THE DISKETTE BEING
CRAMMED. When you are done you will have a dos file with the crammed
diskette in it. It will be anywhere from 10% to 30% smaller than than
a whole diskette. Make sure your target diskette will have enough room.
3: Diskettes can be uncrammed onto another diskette. CRAM will
even format the diskette for you, but remember CRAM is like DISKCOPY
and will destroy any old data on the diskette that you are using
to uncram the file to.
4: Load the CRAM disk into a RAM disk. This is option 3 on the
options menu. You can also load the CRAM disk from a batch file
by entering CRAM FILENAME N
where filename is the disk,path and filename of the crammed disk file
and n is the disk that the CRAM disk is to identified as.
If you load a CRAM disk into memory the CRAM file goes into high memory
and the system will reboot. This is not a complete reboot, so if you use
any other memory resident programs, like Side Kick in memory then
the system will hang. CRAM should only be used to install ram disk
on a virgin system, one with no memory resident programs.
If you select A as the disk for CRAM then the system will reboot off
of the CRAM disk. This has certain advantages such as COMMAND.COM
reloading at ramdisk speed and the AUTOEXEC executing like lightning.
You can also load any disk that copies with DISKCOPY into memory as
the boot disk. This includes "fixed" infocom games and some versions
of flight simulator.
This is version 1.0 of CRAM disk which means other versions are
coming down the pike. I have used only a run-length compression
scheme for now so the compression is not too good. Preliminary
observations show that I will be able to get up to 60% compression
on the next release. I have the specs for loading CRAM into JRAM
extended memory as well as EMS and protected memory, but have no way
to test these until venture capital comes up with the boards or an
AT.
If you have questions concerning CRAM please address them to
me at:
PC-ROCKLAND BBS
(914) 353-2176
Thanks,
Keith P. Graham