harrow@bagels.dec.com (Jeff Harrow, NCSE BXB1-2/E02 DTN=293-5128) (11/11/87)
I've noticed that when using the released version of Multifinder to copy diskettes on a single-floppy Mac II, I have to swap diskettes several times during the process. Given that this Mac II has 2 Meg. of memory and NO other tasks were launched, why is this necessary, since all of the 800K diskette should fit into the available memory? Apple, any ideas? Jeff Harrow Work address: ARPAnet: HARROW%EXODUS.DEC@decwrl.ARPA Usenet: decwrl!exodus.dec.com!harrow or {allegra,Shasta,decvax}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-exodus!harrow Easynet: EXODUS::HARROW Telephone: (617)264-5128 USPS: Digital Equipment Corp. Mail stop: BXB1-2/E02 85 Swanson Road Boxboro, MA 01719
lsr@apple.UUCP (Larry Rosenstein) (11/19/87)
In article <8711111557.AA22388@decwrl.dec.com> harrow@bagels.dec.com (Jeff Harrow, NCSE BXB1-2/E02 DTN=293-5128) writes: >I've noticed that when using the released version of Multifinder >to copy diskettes on a single-floppy Mac II, I have to swap >diskettes several times during the process. Given that this Mac I talked to a Finder person about this, and I think I have the story. The Finder uses a fixed size copy buffer (200K I think), unless the copy involves removable media. Then it uses as much memory as it can get, either from its own heap or from Multifinder temporary memory requests. The other factor that comes into play is that there is a limit on the number of file forks the Finder copies at once. This limit is currently 40. So if you copy 30 files, each of which has a data fork and resource fork, the Finder will copy the first 20 (40 forks in all) in one pass and the second 10 in another. So if you copy disks with lots of small files on them or lots of files with both a data fork and resource fork (eg, MPW source files), you can encounter some extra disk swaps. I hope this answers the question. -- Larry Rosenstein Object Specialist Apple Computer AppleLink: Rosenstein1 UUCP: {sun, voder, nsc, mtxinu, dual}!apple!lsr CSNET: lsr@Apple.com