Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!killer!jdp
From: jdp@killer.UUCP (Jim Pritchett)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Help! batch file problems
Summary: format is broken, but ok.
Message-ID: <4425@killer.UUCP>
Date: 11 Jun 88 03:59:47 GMT
References: <4349@sphinx.uchicago.edu>
Organization: The Unix(R) Connection, Dallas, Texas
Lines: 41

In article <4349@sphinx.uchicago.edu>, arxt@sphinx.uchicago.edu (patrick  palmer) writes:
> 
> I just ran into a stupid problem that I do not understand.  I was trying to
> simplify the job of formating a whole pile of disks (to see if they are OK).
> I tried to create a batch file (which might or might not be easier - but when
> 

     [ stuff deleted...]

> It appeared to work fine until the bitter end; then it failed with some 
> message like:
> returncode 20

     [ more stuff deleted...]

> 
> Pat Palmer    arxt@sphinx.uchicago.edu  (Bitnet or arpanet)
>               7.20::oddjob::ppalmer    (span)


     This is an old problem.  For some reason, format returns error code 20
whenever it is run (even successfully) from a batch file.  One workaround is
to put a "failat 20" command before the format command and a "failat 10" (??)
after the format to restore the normal condition.  I dont know what format
will return if it really fails.  I ran into this bug a year or two ago while
trying something similar to what you are doing.

     Hey CATS!  Has this bug been fixed in 1.3?  (I wonder if the ARP guys
fixed it???)



                                I hope that this helps,

                                                         Jim Pritchett



P.S.  Does anyone know of a free (or cheap) access to the net in the Fort Worth
Texas area?  I am using killer in Dallas now, but I am moving to Fort Worth
soon.  (The toll fees can get very expensive with the current comp.*.amiga.*
volume!)