[comp.sys.atari.st] Hard disk and RAM disk

jmg@cernvax.UUCP (04/10/87)

I am expecting to get a hard disk kn the next few days. Until now I
happily used a RAM disk (etern2) as disk E. However, I can foresee
partitioning the hard disk as C,D,E and F (looks a nice idea). Maybe
then I won't need a RAM disk (except when the hard disk is off); if so
then there is no problem. However, if a RAM disk is still useful, then
where to put it? G, you say, but the problem is that the Megamax shell
allows only A to F. I tried using B as the RAM disk: etern2 and autodisk
and zzzap were happy, but it seems built into TOS that B is the second
floppy. Therefore, could one
a. make F a RAM disk, somehow hiding the F partition on the hard disk?
   (leave the hard disk F as a backup area)
b. modify the Megamax shell (resource file only?) to offer disks A, C,
   D, E, F and G?
c. Buy a Sun/Amiga/MAC II/new PC/Apollo/fur coat for the wife (delete
   as appropriate)

If anyone has found the best answer to what to do with a hard disk and
Megamax I would be happy to hear from them.

ps. I am running GEMBOOT on both an english and a german 1040 with no
problems, but of course they have no hard disk yet.

jmorton@euler.Berkeley.EDU.UUCP (04/14/87)

In article <462@cernvax.UUCP> jmg@cernvax.UUCP () writes:
>I am expecting to get a hard disk kn the next few days. Until now I
>happily used a RAM disk (etern2) as disk E. However, I can foresee
>partitioning the hard disk as C,D,E and F (looks a nice idea). Maybe
>then I won't need a RAM disk (except when the hard disk is off); if so
>then there is no problem. However, if a RAM disk is still useful, then
>where to put it? G, you say, but the problem is that the Megamax shell
>allows only A to F. I tried using B as the RAM disk: etern2 and autodisk
>and zzzap were happy, but it seems built into TOS that B is the second
>floppy. Therefore, could one
>a. make F a RAM disk, somehow hiding the F partition on the hard disk?
>   (leave the hard disk F as a backup area)
>b. modify the Megamax shell (resource file only?) to offer disks A, C,
>   D, E, F and G?
>c. Buy a Sun/Amiga/MAC II/new PC/Apollo/fur coat for the wife (delete
>   as appropriate)
>
>If anyone has found the best answer to what to do with a hard disk and
>Megamax I would be happy to hear from them.
>
>ps. I am running GEMBOOT on both an english and a german 1040 with no
>problems, but of course they have no hard disk yet.

Here is a related situation:

My new Supra hard disk unit came with a self-boot program called something
like Supra Self-Boot v. 2.61.  Also with the option to format up to 12
partitions, which procedure Supra says is "unsupported by Atari".
	I would like to use a reset-proof RAMdisk with the hard disk but
have been unable to set up either rd576 (sic) or eternal2.  One problem
is that I need a drive letter beyond J (I use 8 partitions) and the format
program does not allow me to skip letters.  (I would have saved D for the
RAMdisk).  rd576 wants to set up D.  Eternal2 lets me choose, but after
prompting for my selection Supra Self-Boot starts booting again - it seems
to want the last word on what comes up.  For all I know rd576 (changed to
set up M or something) would be pre-empted as well.
	Has anyone worked on this problem?
I am using MTC-Shell.  It has no problems with drive selection, but I am
disturbed to notice that I come up in low rez if the shell INIT program is
run from the AUTO folder of C:.  Generally it's hard to avoid a lot of steps
in bringing up the shell.  As it is now, you must:

	1)  Boot from HD, leaving you in the Desktop
	2)  Click on INIT2 ("multi-user" - if you choose INIT1 as a single
	    user you don't get use of lpr to spool printing)
	3)  Respond to "login:" with a login name
	4)  Respond to "password:" with a password (a <CR> works for this)

Isn't this ridiculous?  I suspect most of us who got MTC-Shell just wanted
a little multitasking with our C-Shell, not an imitation computer center.

				John Morton

				{decvax,cbosgd}!ucbvax!euler!jmorton