On Sun, 25 May 2008 09:30:03 UTC, Victor Bien wrote:

> Hello folks I have been absent for ages because things have been going well and have had no questions which I couldn't work out on my own.
>
> However, today I thought I had better take a fresh backup of all my partitions. I came across these problems:
> * LVM could not process an NTFS disk. I had to use Partition Magic to delete all the partitions before LVM
> could create a volume;

LVM, wisely, refuses to do anything with anything that it doesn't,
completely, understand. Rather than using Partition Magic (which knows
NOTHING about LVM, and will destroy LVM information, if it exists), it
is recommended to use DFSEE, which does know about such things:

> http://www.dfsee.com/dfsee/

Note, that Windows VISTA has a tool to resize it's own partitions (and
that too will, likely, destry LVM information), if you use VISTA.

> * Both Zip v 2.31 and BackAgain WorkStation 2000 could not produce a backup file greater than about 2 GB.

Of course. Neither one know anything about files larger than 2 GiB
(input, or output). The only answer is to configure them to create
files less than 2 GiB, and make multiple backups to include
everything. Another option, is to use RAR, or ARJ, which can split
output files into multiple files, of a given size. I usually use
output files of 1.5 GiB, so that three of them will fit, nicely, onto
a DVD.

> This made backing up my large drive E: partition awkward - having to break up the job into three parts.
> With my large drive F: I just copied the files straight across;
> * the 120 GB backup hard disk is currently attached via an USB port. The IDE disk is adapted to USB with one
> of those small adapters you can buy now. I noticed somewhere that the eject command may leave or leaves
> the disk marked "dirty". Is that right? Is there a proper way to detach the disk?

Using Eject (either the command, or the menu item on the drives
object), will leave the disk clean, BUT, you must WAIT for the drive
icon to go away, before you disconnect the drive. That can take some
time, depending on a number of things.

> Everything is getting gigantic relative to when these software were written and it's becoming hard to handle large volumes of data

Yes, it is...

> I wonder whether there are solutions to handle big data sizes?

There are, but, so far, none of them are really adapted for doing
backups, easily. I have played with ARJ, which seems to be designed
for things like backups, but, as is usual for *NIX programs, there are
a few hundred, totally useless, parameters, which hide the two, or
three, useful ones.

> http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/pub/os2/util/...r/arj2_310.exe

I am also using DSYNC, which makes a mirror image of whatever I
define, onto my 200 GiB USB drive (formatted as JFS, so it can handle
files larger than 2 GiB). DSYNC doesn't handle files larger than 2
GiB, so I copy them, from the command line, when needed. DSYNC does a
"smart", straight across, copy.

There is also RSYNC, but I have never been able to get it working
properly (I just haven't played with it enough).

> http://www.os2site.com/sw/util/backup/dsync016z.zip

> Time moves on and hard disks have move onto the SATA interface. My mainboard an Asus K8V Deluxe is getting dated. I want to install a new mainboard with SATA disks. What is the driver situation wrt SATA?

Don't try RAID, unless you know that the setup will work (one, or two,
do work, but most do not). I have been using SATA disks, for a couple
of years now, with no trouble. You, probably, will need the latest
Dani driver, for the latest drives, and controlers to work.

> http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/pub/os2/syste...nis506r185.zip

> With a new mainboard I can probably continue to use my existing ATI video card (I'm assuming I can get a board with the matching AGP socket). I can probably use the other cards. But I'm not sure I would get a built-in NIC with the same chip. What is the status with NIC drivers?

You may find it difficult to find a new board with AGP. Most have PCI
express, with a 16 bit express socket for the video adapter. NIC
drivers can be a problem, but many are now supported by the GENMAC
wrapper driver.

> http://genmac.netlabs.org/en/site/index.xml

but that is still very experimental, although it works pretty good,
when it works. Only a few devices are actually supported, and some of
them don't always work. Before you decide to actually BUY a new board,
it is best to ask if anyone is having success with it. I, for
instance, am using an ASUS A8N-E motherboard, but that is now a few
years old, and may not be available. Others have reported that the
Asus M2N-E board works well. I think that one is still available.

It is very likely, that you will also need, at least eCS 1.2R, to be
able to install to new hardware, and eCS 2.0 RC4 is better, but it
is still in development, although it is available, as long as you have
a Software Subscription, from Serenity Systems. You may also be wise
to actually get a new system from one of the builders who specialize
in eCS support, so it is more likely that you will get something that
will work. Many new systems just don't work properly.

> Thanks for you people's continuing interest in OS/2,
>
> Victor Bien

Hope this helps...
--
From the eComStation 2.0 RC2 of Doug Bissett
dougb007 at telus dot net
(Please make the obvious changes, to e-mail me)

Doug Bissett wrote:
> On Sun, 25 May 2008 09:30:03 UTC, Victor Bien wrote:
>
>> Hello folks I have been absent for ages because things have been going well and have had no questions which I couldn't work out on my own.
>>
>> However, today I thought I had better take a fresh backup of all my partitions. I came across these problems:
>> * LVM could not process an NTFS disk. I had to use Partition Magic to delete all the partitions before LVM
>> could create a volume;
>
> LVM, wisely, refuses to do anything with anything that it doesn't,
> completely, understand. Rather than using Partition Magic (which knows
> NOTHING about LVM, and will destroy LVM information, if it exists), it
> is recommended to use DFSEE, which does know about such things:
>
>> http://www.dfsee.com/dfsee/
>
> Note, that Windows VISTA has a tool to resize it's own partitions (and
> that too will, likely, destry LVM information), if you use VISTA.

Umh, I keep my OS/2 disks _away_ from Windows stuff _after_ they have been put to such use. I have a range of customers I support which of course are all Windows (and two Mac) users. The disk I put to use as a backup disk was a cast off disk from a customer and of course it had NTFS on it. I'm flat out all the time and I wanted to get the backup done in one day, a Sunday and I had to be practical so I just used a convenient Window tool to wipe the disk for LVM to be able to process.

>
>> * Both Zip v 2.31 and BackAgain WorkStation 2000 could not produce a backup file greater than about 2 GB.
>
> Of course. Neither one know anything about files larger than 2 GiB
> (input, or output). The only answer is to configure them to create
> files less than 2 GiB, and make multiple backups to include
> everything. Another option, is to use RAR, or ARJ, which can split
> output files into multiple files, of a given size. I usually use
> output files of 1.5 GiB, so that three of them will fit, nicely, onto
> a DVD.
>

I use Acronis True Image these days to backup Windows partitions. Being in a rush and wanting to be sure I could actually get a backup in one day I did not try to use it. Acronis probably could handle my HPFS partition for my working OS/2 ver 4.52 but not knowing whether it could handle my JFS partitions I gave it a miss. If I could've been sure Acronis would do the job I could have used it and captured everything in one fell swoop.

If you or someone here knows that Acronis _can_ handle JFS well maybe that's how I'll approach the task next time...

>> This made backing up my large drive E: partition awkward - having to break up the job into three parts.
>> With my large drive F: I just copied the files straight across;
>> * the 120 GB backup hard disk is currently attached via an USB port. The IDE disk is adapted to USB with one
>> of those small adapters you can buy now. I noticed somewhere that the eject command may leave or leaves
>> the disk marked "dirty". Is that right? Is there a proper way to detach the disk?
>
> Using Eject (either the command, or the menu item on the drives
> object), will leave the disk clean, BUT, you must WAIT for the drive
> icon to go away, before you disconnect the drive. That can take some
> time, depending on a number of things.

Ahh, OK, thanks.

>
>> Everything is getting gigantic relative to when these software were written and it's becoming hard to handle large volumes of data
>
> Yes, it is...
>
>> I wonder whether there are solutions to handle big data sizes?
>
> There are, but, so far, none of them are really adapted for doing
> backups, easily. I have played with ARJ, which seems to be designed
> for things like backups, but, as is usual for *NIX programs, there are
> a few hundred, totally useless, parameters, which hide the two, or
> three, useful ones.
>
>> http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/pub/os2/util/...r/arj2_310.exe
>
> I am also using DSYNC, which makes a mirror image of whatever I
> define, onto my 200 GiB USB drive (formatted as JFS, so it can handle
> files larger than 2 GiB). DSYNC doesn't handle files larger than 2
> GiB, so I copy them, from the command line, when needed. DSYNC does a
> "smart", straight across, copy.
>
> There is also RSYNC, but I have never been able to get it working
> properly (I just haven't played with it enough).
>
>> http://www.os2site.com/sw/util/backup/dsync016z.zip
>
>> Time moves on and hard disks have move onto the SATA interface. My mainboard an Asus K8V Deluxe is getting dated. I want to install a new mainboard with SATA disks. What is the driver situation wrt SATA?
>
> Don't try RAID, unless you know that the setup will work (one, or two,
> do work, but most do not). I have been using SATA disks, for a couple
> of years now, with no trouble. You, probably, will need the latest
> Dani driver, for the latest drives, and controlers to work.
>
>> http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/pub/os2/syste...nis506r185.zip
>
>> With a new mainboard I can probably continue to use my existing ATI video card (I'm assuming I can get a board with the matching AGP socket). I can probably use the other cards. But I'm not sure I would get a built-in NIC with the same chip. What is the status with NIC drivers?
>
> You may find it difficult to find a new board with AGP. Most have PCI
> express, with a 16 bit express socket for the video adapter. NIC
> drivers can be a problem, but many are now supported by the GENMAC
> wrapper driver.
>
>> http://genmac.netlabs.org/en/site/index.xml
>
> but that is still very experimental, although it works pretty good,
> when it works. Only a few devices are actually supported, and some of
> them don't always work. Before you decide to actually BUY a new board,
> it is best to ask if anyone is having success with it. I, for
> instance, am using an ASUS A8N-E motherboard, but that is now a few
> years old, and may not be available. Others have reported that the
> Asus M2N-E board works well. I think that one is still available.
>
> It is very likely, that you will also need, at least eCS 1.2R, to be
> able to install to new hardware, and eCS 2.0 RC4 is better, but it
> is still in development, although it is available, as long as you have
> a Software Subscription, from Serenity Systems. You may also be wise
> to actually get a new system from one of the builders who specialize
> in eCS support, so it is more likely that you will get something that
> will work. Many new systems just don't work properly.
>

I am a member of Serenity Systems although my subscriptions has expired - lack of demand on my part (another way of saying the system has gone on so well for so long). My ver 4.52 is equivalent to eCS 1.2R I think. I haven't kept up with RC4 and will have to have a look at it.

Here in Australia the number of OS/2 users are very thin on the ground. I know a few but have always got most of my intelligence from here.

I have looked at Linux and of course use Windows but this OS/2 computer plays an irreplaceable role. Yes it is getting even more difficult to maintain but if it goes off the air as it sometimes does it leaves a really big hole. I don't think running it on a VPC on Windows is really a solution. Actually I have it the other way round. I have a VPC running WinXP on my OS/2 computer! The convenience of being able to cross cut and paste between the two environments really leverages both worlds.

>> Thanks for you people's continuing interest in OS/2,
>>
>> Victor Bien
>
> Hope this helps...

It does indeed, thanks for the very informative reply.


--
To reply by e-mail edit this address to the correct form: vbien at attglobal dot net

On Mon, 26 May 2008 00:00:26 UTC, Victor Bien wrote:

--snip--

> > Others have reported that the
> > Asus M2N-E board works well. I think that one is still available.

Among others, Amazon lists nearly 30 of them (googled "asus m2n-e"):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FVZKV8
I got mine over here in California at Fry's about three months ago when
both my Abit KT7Es failed at almost the same time and was so pleased at
how well it works, I went back and bought a back-up one, which is now
resting safely in my temperature controlled basement (along with a spare
CPU--the other KT&E was replaced by an A8V from ebay). However it
requires a PCI-E video card (A8V uses AGP, but has only two PCI slots).
Apparently the latest (last) version of Snap, which comes with eCS 1.2r,
supports Radeon X-300 cards (PCI-E), but before buying a particular
brand or model double check by looking on
http://en.ecomstation.ru/hardware.php. I haven't tried the Panorama
driver.

--snip--

> I have a VPC running WinXP on my OS/2 computer! The convenience of being able to cross cut and paste between the two environments really leverages both worlds.

Now if could just get my Xerox Documate 510 to work using this set-up .
. . perhaps I should experiment . . .

--snip--

HTH,
Pete


--

On Mon, 26 May 2008 00:00:26 UTC, Victor Bien wrote:

> I use Acronis True Image these days to backup Windows partitions. Being in a rush and wanting to be sure I could actually get a backup in one day I did not try to use it. Acronis probably could handle my HPFS partition for my working OS/2 ver 4.52 but not knowing whether it could handle my JFS partitions I gave it a miss. If I could've been sure Acronis would do the job I could have used it and captured everything in one fell swoop.
>
> If you or someone here knows that Acronis _can_ handle JFS well maybe that's how I'll approach the task next time...

I do know, that Acronis will do HPFS, and, I am pretty sure that it
would do JFS in a compatible volume (only available with the bootable
version of JFS, which comes with eCS 2.0, unless you have retrofitted
it somehow). I am not sure what it would do with JFS in a LVM volume.
DFSEE will back them up, but restore is all, or nothing, which isn't
ideal, in most cases, but I suspect that Acronis is also that way,
with file systems that it doesn't know about.

BTW, if you didn't look, DFSEE supports Windows (2K and XP, at least),
Linux, and OS/2. It is a very powerful program, with excellent support
(after you buy), which is well worth the cost. There is a bit of a
learning curve involved, of course.

--
From the eComStation 2.0 RC2 of Doug Bissett
dougb007 at telus dot net
(Please make the obvious changes, to e-mail me)