gord@spycal.UUCP (Gord Delaney) (11/13/87)
Sorry for the duplicate posting, my .signature was dicked. I am looking for information on programs used to backup files from my hard drive to diskettes. I know this isn't the best solution, but I don't have a tape drive and I thought diskettes would be better than nothing. The program should use an 'archive' bit and be able to do incremental backups to a 'backup set'. Other options, like data compression, etc, would be of interest. Any information on either PD, Shareware, or commercial programs (or the PD programs themselves) will be appreciated. Thanks, Gord -- Gord Delaney ...UNISYS Canada Inc. Calgary, Alberta, Canada ...ihnp4!alberta!calgary!spycal!gord gord@spycal.UUCP
spencer@eris.UUCP (11/18/87)
In article <174@spycal.UUCP> gord@spycal.UUCP (Gord Delaney) writes: >I am looking for information on programs used to backup files from my >hard drive to diskettes. I know this isn't the best solution, but I don't >have a tape drive and I thought diskettes would be better than nothing. >The program should use an 'archive' bit and be able to do incremental >backups to a 'backup set'. Other options, like data compression, etc, >Gord Delaney ...UNISYS Canada Inc. What a perfect opprotunity: First, there are lots of Hard Disk Backup programs out there now. The first out was by Fred Fish. The program was called BRU, for Backup Restoral Utility. I have used one of his beta releases on Tom Rockiki's machine and it is alright. It has the advantage that it doesn't use AmigaDos to do the disk writting. It treats floppies as a streaming device. This means that to restore a hard disk is kind of quick. However, I don't use it because I want access to my files at all time. The only way to BRU files is through BRU, Amigados will not recognize them. If you are a Unix hack than you should like this program, it is very similar to backing up a Unix machine, you do you weekend full backups, and then do your daily incrementals. Then came the Unreleased Cmcmanis Hard Disk Backup program. Actually, since it wasn't released I don't have a clue as to where it comes cronologically. Supposedly similar to BRU, written as a commercial product for a manufacturer that stopped making hard disks, or something. Then there came a real public domain backup progam, MRbackup. A very buggy program that got me through one full backup (barely). Then Jim Becker of Info Minder fame released BackUp! This program just wrote the contents of the hard disk to floppy until it got an error, and then waited for you to change floppies. It worked well, although the interface looked clumbsy, it was reliable, and it did keep files in AmigaDos format (which I know will get faster some day!). I was so enthused that I sent off my $16 shareware check to Jim the next time I saw him. I wanted an upgrade, full Amigados support, well, shareware is dead. About this time there was a commercial product called Hard Hat Mak, or some such nonsense. I never tried it, but I think is was pretty bad, supposedly it was like the Xebec backup program that comes with the Xebec Amiga hard disk. It would backup the hard disk sector by sector. That ment that EVERY backup was a total backup. Too Long! Then came the 1.3 release of MRbackup. Supposed to be lots better, but I have never gotten it to run, but I will give it another shot tonight. Then came SDbackup from Steve Drew ("well, what else would you call it?"). This is a smart program. It backs up to a named save set. It does compression (but takes forever to do it). It sets the archive bit so you can quite at any time and continue. It is very simple in many ways, but it is reliable and so I continue to use it. Oh, it preserves the file dates. So, since none of the above do what I want in a HDbackup program, I am writting my own. Who here has a Mac? Oh, come on, they arn't that bad, as long an you also have an Amiga on your desk. There is a commercial program for the Mac called DiskFit. It is THE Macintosh backup program. Let me discribe it: Creates a list of files on the hard disk and then makes a save set (bunch of floppies) look just like the hard disk. Instead of incremental, it makes another list of the files on the hard disk and compares that to the files saved to the floppies and deletes files from the floppies and saves new files, thus incrementals take five minutes and you get a full backup worth of disks. If you lose a disk in the middle of a save set just tell the program that disk is missing and it recreates just that disk. If the machine crashes you can pickup where you left off because the program keeps a status file on the hard disk. If that is corrupt you can just scan all the floppies made so far and then continue saving the rest of the files. Preserves the File date. Splits and Joins files bigger than the floppy. Doesn't phreak when it hits an error on the HD. Saves a report on where the files ended up so you don't have to search the entire save set to find a file you need. Saves to a named save set so that you just put in the floppies in advance and the program finds them, you don't have to be there to change the floppies. Now this is what I demand from a backup program, and since no one is writting it, I am doing it. The question is... What is this 'Look and Feel' law all about. The program I am writting is a TOTAL rip off of this commercial program. So, I am pretty sure that if I can't get SuperMac interested in selling the program I would get sued massively if I sold it elsewhere, no? I mean, that is a Mac program, and this is an Amiga program... Ok, so it is an infringment, I can't sell it. Can I release it in the public domain? (Heck, you guys have given me so much stuff!) Who knows? Who can recommend a good software lawyer? Boy I am getting all kinds of spurious noise on this line, so forgive my spelling errors, as they are just noise I didn't catch... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Randy Spencer P.O. Box 4542 Berkeley CA 94704 (415)222-7595 I N F I N I T Y BBS: (415)222-9416 Now working for |||||||||||::::... . . new, new --->> AAA-WH1M But in no way |||||||||||||||::::.. .. . Officially representing ||||||||||||:::::... .. ....ucbvax!mica!spencer s o f t w a r e spencer@mica.berkeley.edu -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
bilbo@pnet02.cts.com (Bill Daggett) (11/18/87)
Gord,
I'm way back in the stack of new posts but I'll comment on a hard drive backup
program anyway in case no one did. I recently started using SDBackup version
1.1 which is PD. It runs from CLI only. I've been quite satisfied with it.
Bill Daggett -- a.k.a.
*Bilbo Baggins* Recombinant Hobbit and Sysop of = Bilbo's Hideaway =
* Sometimes The Dragon Wins! * 213-640-6104
INTERNET: bilbo@pnet02.CTS.COM
UUCP: {hplabs!hp-sdd!crash, ihnp4!scgvaxd }!gryphon!pnet02!bilbo
WHAT?:fnf@mcdsun.UUCP (11/19/87)
In article <5958@jade.BERKELEY.EDU> spencer@eris.BERKELEY.EDU (Randy Spencer) writes: > [list of features of Mac DiskFit backup utility] > > Instead of incremental, it makes another list of > the files on the hard disk and compares that to the > files saved to the floppies and deletes files from > the floppies and saves new files, thus incrementals > take five minutes and you get a full backup worth of > disks. So as soon as I (intentionally or otherwise) delete a file from my hard disk it automagically gets deleted from my full backup the next time I do an incremental backup??? This sounds like a disaster waiting to happen... I can see some justification for the "converse" of this, deleting files on the hard disk which have also been deleted between backup A and backup B, while doing successive restores from backup A then backup B, as long as the files are still in backup A so I can get them back again if necessary. -Fred -- # Fred Fish hao!noao!mcdsun!fnf (602) 438-3614 # Motorola Computer Division, 2900 S. Diablo Way, Tempe, Az 85282 USA
spencer@eris.UUCP (11/21/87)
In article <517@mcdsun.UUCP> fnf@mcdsun.UUCP (Fred Fish) writes: ...In article <5958@jade.BERKELEY.EDU> spencer@eris.BERKELEY.EDU (Randy Spencer) writes: ...> [list of features of Mac DiskFit backup utility] ...> ...> Instead of incremental, it makes another list of ...> the files on the hard disk and compares that to the ...> files saved to the floppies and deletes files from ...> the floppies and saves new files, thus incrementals ...> take five minutes and you get a full backup worth of ...> disks. ... ...So as soon as I (intentionally or otherwise) delete a file from my ...hard disk it automagically gets deleted from my full backup the next ...time I do an incremental backup??? This sounds like a disaster waiting ...to happen... ... ...-Fred If Jim Becker is out there somewhere I bet he is laughing now, this is exactly the same argument that I got from him and Cmcmanis. My claim is that if you are worried about getting files back that you have deleted weeks ago all you need to do is keep more than one save set. I would do this anyway if I was running BRU. The advantages of my method are than when I am restoring I don't have all those millions of files that I deleted (like net news) automagically come back to haunt me. I restore the hard disk from floppies that are an image of my hard disk from the last time I did an incremental. Also have the advantage that if I crash during the backup or restore I don't have to start from the beginning, I just pickup where I left off, no archive bit setting or nothing. I want to thank Scott Norton for replying to my message about look and feel lawsuits, and to thank Andy Finkel for sending me the new hard disk controller driver, and let them both know that their messages were eaten by my Sun running out of swap space and disconnecting me during my reading mail. Thanks anyway guys... Sure is damn difficult doing the new Infinity logo in ASCII... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Randy Spencer P.O. Box 4542 Berkeley CA 94704 (415)222-7595 spencer@mica.berkeley.edu I N F I N I T Y BBS: (415)222-9416 ...ucbvax!mica!spencer s o f t w a r e "It's not my fault" -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= OK, Rob, is that better? -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-