Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!zardoz.cpd.com!tmiuv0!rick From: rick@tmiuv0.uucp Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware Subject: Re: how to partition a hard drive? Message-ID: <3721@tmiuv0.uucp> Date: 25 Mar 91 13:35:03 GMT References: <91074.094710MAJI@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU> Organization: Technology Marketing Inc., Irvine, CA Lines: 101 In article <91074.094710MAJI@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU>, MAJI@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU (Ma. Ji) writes: > I have a A3000 come with 50MB hard drive in which 4MB are partitioned for > WB-2.0 and 2MB partitioned for WB-1.3 and remaining 41MB are left as > work: > > I was try to cut work: into two and name some other name. I used the > HDTool. There is option for HD partition. After I select the work: > and narrow its space into 20MB and select the free space and name > it test:. The program resquest a reboot --fine. After reboot, two > partition appear with strange name as WORK:NDOS and TEST:??? (some > junk charactar). I was try to use Icom rename option to rename them > after rename they disappear for a moment and reappear with the old > name. I tried only narrow the work: partition it come back with the > same odd. I click it WB response No tools related to this partition. > It only allow me to extend the full remaining space for work: > > What should I do? Yes, this can be confusing for the novice user. I wish CBM would make the manual a little clearer for new users. Anyway, here goes: After you chop the WORK: partition into two pieces, you have to reboot to have the partitions remount. THEN, you MUST reformat them with AmigaDOS. If you use the CLI or shell, the commands would be: 1.> format drive work: name "WhateverYouLike" FFS 1.> format drive test: name "TheOtherName" FFS Since you seem to use WorkBench, select one of the weird icons, then use the "Format Disk..." option from the Icon menu. Select "OK" on the requestors you are shown, and the new partition will be just fine. Do the same for the other new icon. One final reboot and you should be up and running. The reasons are: When you monkey around with the RDBs (RigidDiskBlocks, information tables used by AmigaDOS which tell it how big your partitions are and other useful stuff) using HDToolBox, you essentially throw away all of the AmigaDOS formatting information. HDToolBox modifies the RDBs for the various partitions, and gives a device name for them (note I said a DEVICE name, not a VOLUME name). Ok, now you have two new DEVICES, WORK: and TEST:. Now, you have to format the media to allow AmigaDOS to use them. If you want to, you can think of them as really big floppies mounted in drives WORK: and TEST: (instead of DF0:). You gotta format floppies, don't you? The same thing is true of hard disks. Just to prove that this all works, my 3000 is happily running on a Conner CP3200 that's partitioned into 4 parts, WB 1.3.2 (5MB), WB-2.x (5MB), Work1: (95MB), and Work2: (95MB). The system came with a 50MB Quantum (which now lives in my 2500/30). > By the way, there is some confusion as I read amiga manual. what is > difference between work bench and AmigaShell and AmigaDOS? It seems > to me they all accept amigaDOS command and workbench command! AmigaDOS is the underlying Amiga operating system. WorkBench (the desktop environment) uses AmigaDOS to do its work. When you click on icons and such, you cause WorkBench to issue commands to AmigaDOS. If you wish to give AmigaDOS the commands yourself, you use the CLI (Command Line Interface). The Shell is a program which adds lots of functionality to the CLI. Any AmigaDOS command that can be entered on the CLI can be entered in the Shell. The Shell provides things such as a command line history, command line editing, user-defined prompts (instead of the standard CLI "x> " prompt), and lots of other goodies. > My machine comes with a disk called KickStart. I check the index on > the manual there is no such entry for it. What does it do? How > can I use it? The manual only said to use workbench disk to reboot > the machine. The A3000 currently doesn't use a ROM to hold the low-level operating system as is done in many different systems (in the IBM world, it's called "BIOS"). Instead, the 3000 uses something called WCS (writeable control store). When the system is started, some stuff is copied from a special spot on the hard disk into this WCS, and the WCS is used instead of ROMs. This allows much simpler updates to the operating system than a ROM-based beastie. For example, if the BIOS changes in a PC, you have to open the box, pull out a couple of chips, and replace them with a couple of new chips. On the Amiga, all you have to do is run a program, and stick the KickStart disk into DF0: when you're told to. Simple, no? Now, what is KickStart? KickStart is this special, low level operating system stored in that special spot on the hard disk which gets copied to the WCS when you turn on your machine. On the 3000, the KickStart disk is only used when the system gets a new hard disk, or a new version of the operating system comes out. During the software installation, the contents of the KickStart disk are copied the special location on your hard disk. Once that's done, you don't need the diskette in normal operations. You will need it, however, if your hard disk crashes completely (God forbid!) or you put in a bigger one. > I will really appreciate if you can help me out. > > Maji Hope all of this stuff helps. I tried to keep it non-technical, but if you have more questions, don't hesitate to repost or contact me directly via EMail or phone. .--------------------------------------------------------------------------. |[- O] Rick Stevens | | ? EMail: uunet!zardoz!tmiuv0!rick -or- uunet!zardoz!xyclone!sysop | | V CIS: 75006,1355 (75006.1355@compuserve.com from Internet) | | | | "If it's stupid and it works, it ain't stupid." | '--------------------------------------------------------------------------`