Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucsd!cacilj!paul
From: paul@cacilj.UUCP (Paul Close)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: CACHEXXX
Message-ID: <1272@cacilj.UUCP>
Date: 20 Oct 89 18:15:45 GMT
References: <891016190627.373581@DMZRZU71-UNI-MAINZ--GERMANY>
Reply-To: paul@cacilj.UUCP (Paul Close)
Organization: CACI Products Company, La Jolla, CA
Lines: 47

In article <891016190627.373581@DMZRZU71-UNI-MAINZ--GERMANY> Ritzert@DMZRZU71.BITNET writes:
-> 
-> recently Allan Pratt told us about the existance of a FAT-Cache called
-> CACHEXXX.PRG. I have seen an early version of this program (supplied
-> with the first beta release of TOS1.4) running. It speeded up disk
-> accesses very significantly compared to standard TOS1.4.

->  o     where to get it.

I got it off a local BBS.  It came with other goodies such as MACCEL2 (a mouse
accelerator), MAKEFAST (to set/clear the don't-clear-bss bit), and assorted
patches.  I will send the file to comp.binaries.atari.st, so everyone can use
them.  BTW, most of the programs are directly from Atari, and all work
flawlessly with TOS 1.4.  More than you can say for most cache programs!  Good
job Atari!

->  oo    adjusting the XXX correctly.
-> 
-> According to Allan, XXX must be exactly equal to the size of the FAT.

Actually, its more like XXX should be *at most* equal....  If the cache is
there, it will get used.  XXX can be whatever you like or have the memory for.
I have a 68 meg drive, and I'm not about to dedicate ~300k for a cache!  I use
around 150k, and it still speeds things up very nicely.  I suspect even much
less would do in a pinch.

-> How do I compute XXX exactly? What happens when the FAT size (in kB) is
-> not even? Example: my Seagate ST296N (slowww) contains 4 partitions of
-> 21.2 each. Their FATs take 81 sectors (1 sector = 0.5 kB), hence 40.5 kB.
-> Do I have to take into account the sizes of all the inactive logical
-> devices (floppies, hd partitions), too? (I run AHDI 3.01).

You also need to take into account the number of sectors used by root
directories in each partition.  Heck, live a little and use 50!  It won't
hurt.

-> Of course, comments of Atari officials on this subject are appreciated
-> very much.

This info is indirectly from Atari.  Read the docs that come with CACHExxx
(when you get them :-) and see.

Hope this helps.  Look for the rainbow utilities in comp.binaries.atari.st!
-- 
Paul Close	paul@cacilj.CTS.COM 	...!{uunet, ucsd, crash}!cacilj!paul

    The Obi-wan Kenobi method:  "Use the Source, Luke"	-Jim Fulton