Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!cca!mirror!rayssd!galaxia!amanpt1!mrr
From: mrr@amanpt1.zone1.com (Mark Rinfret)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Backup Programs
Message-ID: <470@amanpt1.zone1.com>
Date: 26 May 88 11:47:31 GMT
References: <2890@polya.Stanford.EDU> <7207@swan.ulowell.edu> <9274@oberon.USC.EDU>
Organization: Aquidneck Management Associates
Lines: 42

In article <9274@oberon.USC.EDU>, papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa) writes:
> We have been using MRBackup 2.1, and found it a very good program.  It
> GURUS every once in a while, but otherwise it does what is supposed to
> do very well.  And it is cheap.  I'd also like the "quickformat" option.
> Mark, what is available in 2.2 that is not in 2.1?

Hopefully, fewer (no) GURU's :-).  I'm a little fuzzy on what transpired
between 2.1 and 2.2, but I remember that 2.1 was VERY short-lived at the
Rinfret Ranch.  I think I hit it with a can of Raid.  The latest release
(2.3) seems to be very stable, including a few fixes to non-GURU type bugs.
The only feature addition of note is the "local init file" capability.  I
found that I wanted to do delta backups of a large software project and I
wanted a custom set of options just for that directory and its children.
Thus, a new feature was born (I've always said I wrote MRBackup for myself).

I'm looking into the quick format feature, but frankly, I don't have the
insight to pull it off.  I've sent Bob Page email on this subject (since he
aired the request first) along with a copy of my disk format routine.  I
certainly know how to format only the tracks containing the root block, 
bit maps and boot block (writing the correct info as with a full format) but
I know that's not enough.  I'm relying on AmigaDOS to create a standard
file structure on the backup media.  As I understand it, the first time I
write to a non-formatted track, the track will be read in first to buffer
and preserve the blocks that won't be rewritten.  This is where my attempt
at a quick format goes to hell.  If there is something else I need to know,
please fill me in!

Finally, Marco, I'd be happy to send you an update directly (and promptly).
Just follow the directions in the document.  And please, all MRBackup users,
if you discover a bug or abnormality, let me know about it!  You might be
surprised at how quickly you get results.  

Thanks,
	Mark

> 
> -- Marco Papa 'Doc'
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