Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!bionet!agate!ucbvax!BNR.CA!FORTINP
From: FORTINP@BNR.CA (Pierre  Fortin, P.)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Hard Disk problems
Message-ID: <8902010511.AA11729@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: 1 Feb 89 00:55:00 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
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Until recently, I was running my SH204 hard drive (Seagate 225) on
my Mega-2 with a second 10-meg drive (Miniscribe 3012).  This is a
TWO drive to ONE controller configuration which Atari's AHDI.PRG
never supported, so I also booted with Supra's SUPBTHP.PRG in my
AUTO folder.  This combination worked great with no problems.

After filling the original 20-Meg and the 10-Meg was creeping up,
I decided to spend some $ and bought a 40-Meg Miniscribe 3650.

At the same time, I got my hands on the "latest" Atari AHDI.PRG
(HDX20.ARC on some boards).  I figured I had best get this S/W
upgrade done before the H/W one.  Many floppies later, it was time
to re-format the original 20-Meg drive.... done.... put some files
back up... WOW!!!! writing to HD is MUCH faster!!!  Now to tackle
the H/W upgrade.

This should be easy (I thought, naively)...

W-w-elllll!!! After much messing around, I finally got this 40-Megger
formatted, but only after removing SUPBTHP.PRG *AND* installing the
40-Meg as Unit 0 (no other drive connected).

Great!  Now to put the H/W back the way it was and I should be back in
business... (Unit 0: 20-Meg partitioned 4-6-10; Unit 1: 40-Meg 15-15-10)

Put the SUPBTHP.PRG back in AUTO,... let 'er rip... YEAHHHHH!!!!

Upload... upload...  3-Megs (Unit 1) later, I decided to "use" the system
normally as before.  Hmmm! strange! better reboot...

Some strange activities noted (random and intermittent):
           (Averaged 3-5 minutes between re-boots)
  - system reads HD (Unit 1) directory, displays it, FOREVER (in a loop)
  - system locks up
  - open several windows, hey!  this Unit 1 directory belongs to another
    logical drive, close window, open others, try again, it's OK this
    time...(????)
  - wrote something to Unit 1 again... strange!.. directory shows only
    one folder which can't be opened but path looks like this:
    "G:\MWC\MWC\MWC\..."  Checked it with DLII: 3101 LOST CLUSTERS!!!
    and entire directory on this partition is GONE!

Obviously something is severely brain damaged.  OK, don't use Unit 1
and everything is fine... !?

So far I am 99.44% certain that the new AHDI.PRG and SUPBTHP.PRG are
definitely ***NOT*** compatible.

Questions:
1. Is any one else running this type of config?
2. If so, have you had to get a new SUPBTHP.PRG?  Is there a new one?
3. If a new SUPBTHP.PRG exists, where can I find it?

Comments:
Atari ASSumes that since they only make one type of drive (ONE drive
per ONE controller) that they only need to code the AHDI.PRG with
the Unit number ALWAYS=0!  I have nearly finished disassembling
AHDI.PRG (fully commented) and am not able find any code supporting
multi-unit "drives" yet.  So **WHY**, Atari, did you document multi-unit
controllers in the technical data section of the manual????

Some of the AHDI.PRG ("apratt" is in the header) uses many "well it's
already on the stack" code sections.  A puzzling one is where there
appears to be about twelve items stacked, but only six removed..!?

If I manage to modify this program to support multi-drive controllers,
can I post it? or should I send it to Mr. Pratt?  I don't want to
do anything illegal, but I don't know the legalities of reverse
engineering and enhancing a product.  I am fairly certain that the
patent laws allow someone to patent a "better" product which already
exists:  is this a similar situation?

Phewww!!! I could write a lot more, but this is already plenty...

Thanks for reading this far...

Pierre Fortin
FORTINP@BNR.CA   I think!  We are connected to NETNORTH which is
Ottawa, Ontario                   connected to BITNET which is
Canada                            connected to ... (I never could sing!)