mackeown@CompSci.Bristol.AC.UK (W. Mackeown) (06/13/89)
Some time ago I posted a request for advice about how to force ST's to use more RAM as disk buffer space during file copying to reduce the number of disk swaps. Thanks to everyone who e-mailed suggestions : here they are in order of (sample) popularity : -------+----------- "VOTES"| SUGGESTION -------+----------- 7 | Use a RAMdisk, eg Maxidisk includes compression algorithm, or use | Neodesk 2.0 3 | Use OS patch to increase buffer space, eg TOS 1.4 ROM does this but is | still in production ; it maybe ready in September, price about $40. 1 | Get a second drive ! I now have some public-domain software, courtesy of one of the above respondents : a RAMdisk and also various disk I/O speedup programs. If you want this software, you should send me e-mail (do NOT post requests). William Mackeown, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Bristol, BS8 1TR, UK JANET: mackeown@uk.ac.bristol.cs ARPANET: mackeown%cs.bristol.ac.uk@nss.cs.ucl.ac.uk
john@stag.UUCP (John Stanley) (06/22/89)
[mackeown@CompSci.Bristol.AC.UK (W. Mackeown) wrote...] > > Some time ago I posted a request for advice about how to force ST's > to use more RAM as disk buffer space during file copying to reduce > the number of disk swaps. > > Thanks to everyone who e-mailed suggestions : here they are in order > of (sample) popularity : > > -------+----------- > "VOTES"| SUGGESTION > -------+----------- > 7 | Use a RAMdisk, eg Maxidisk includes compression algorithm, or use > | Neodesk 2.0 [...remainder deleted...] One thing you should be aware of... There was (is?) a serious bug in the decompression algorithim used by Maxidisk. This is in the version dated 08.08.1988 on the startup screen. The files that exibit the problem tended to be arc files but I did discover two other files that did the same thing. Placed anywhere on the ramdisk, any attempt to read these files or specific sectors in the files would crash the system. I tested this very(!) carefully with several files and programs as well as two different sector editors. I'm quite sure this isn't a hardware problem on my machine or a bug in the application programs used to access the files. I really like the compression ramdisk idea, but stopped using Maxidisk because I need to have a ramdisk I can count on. The extra disk space Maxidisk gave me wasn't worth the stress of not knowing if I would be able to access a file once I placed it on the ramdisk or if it would crash the system... Anyone know if there's a fixed (or more recient) version available? ... John STanley --- John Stanley <dynasoft!john@stag.UUCP> Software Consultant / Dynasoft Systems