OS3.9 and OS4.1 (Classic) filesystems question

Hi All,

I'd like to set up a work drive/partition that uses best filesystem that is also available in OS4.1 Classic, to get me the biggest, fastest partition possible, or at least reasonable.

This is for use in WinUAE, using hardfiles.

I've set up an initial test Work partition in OS4.1 Classic using SFS/02 filesystem. 100GB drive, one partition filling the whole thing.

Now, I'd like to be able to access it in my OS3.9 emulation as well, and take this hardfile back and forth between the two emulation configs. It seems like SFS is supposed to be available in OS3.9, but I'm having trouble finding it, at least the SFS/02 version. So perhaps I need to step back and use SFS/00 instead, and use the SFS 1.277 on aminet. Perhaps that is SFS/02 capable (for files > 4GB in case I ever need to do that, though not sure I will), but just isn't obvious to be so.

So, does anyone have suggestions for this sort of thing? Does the Aminet SFS kit support my OS4.1 drive? Do I need something different? Would a different filesystem be better? (I don't need to boot Work:)

As I've finally just found my pack of Amiga CDROMs, I've just installed OS3.9, and have yet to get to any boingbags, though I have found and downloaded those now, in case I need to do those first.

@billt

The normal place to get it from would be Joerg's website but it's been down for quite a while now unfortunately:

http://www.strohmayer.org/

@billt

There is no specific SFS2 version to download. It's all the same file. You just change the DOSType when adding it to the RDB and setting up the partitions.

SFS 1.277 is both SFS and SFS2, depending on the DOSType you use (add it twice to the RDB for each DOSType if you use both and want the the Kickstart ROM to automount them). The L:SmartFileSystem on the OS4.1 Classic CD is 68k (it has to be in order to boot).

The latest 68k version (1.279) is here: http://strohmayer.org/sfs/files/SFS_1.279_68k.lha (site is down but that archive is up) although 1.277 works fine.

The readme on Aminet describes the different DOStypes at http://aminet.net/package/disk/misc/SFS under Features.

Isn't SFS supposed to be open source? I'm curious why the latest versions don't have their source available.

Edit: Also remember that SFS partitions need to have a block size of 512.

@MickJT
Quote:
Short answer: no.

Longer answer: The original author/owner of SFS created private independent agreements with individuals. The name may be the same but that does not mean the code ownership is the same.

OK. Supposedly someone could just fork the older version, but there isn't much point now.

OK, here's where I am with this. I've lost my WORK partition. I didn't have anything on it yet, so not a big loss, but I've been unable to get it back up at the beginning again.

I have OS4.1 Classic on as SFS00 partition. That part still works when I remove the WORK hardfile in WinUAE.

Adding WORK as an SFS02 partition gives me this error message from AmigaDOS at boot time (I do not get to Workbench anymore):

Amiga ROM Operating System and Libraries
Copyright (C) 1985-1993 Commodore-Amiga, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
*** Error: Can't allocate enough memory to load kernel
Stopped
Bootloader failed returncode 20


This work partition hardfile is 100GB. The first time I boot OS4.1 Classic with this newly created hardfile, I am able to run Media Toolbox to partition it. The next boot shows the unformatted Work: icon. I click and want to go to format, but at this point it's usually likely to crash. The enxt boot after seeing the Work: unformatted icon is the above error message. I get this even if I was nto able to get through to quickformat, so Work: is still UNformatted. I'm not sure why I am able to boot and see all this only one time, as I'm not convinced that a hung session before I am able to start a format should have changed anything from the previous, more successful boot.

I've also tried with a 10GB Work hardfile in case 100GB is for some reason too big. The hardfiles (both sys: and work: of whatever capacity) are on the CSPPC accelerator SCSI controller.

Any idea what this error means, and how to resolve it?

SFS filesystem is of course in the RDB for the sys: drive, for bot SFS/00 and SFS/02, and sys: is SFS/00 format.

I just realize I've said "partition" a lot. Work: and SYS: are on separate hardfile drives. This lets me keep my workign SYS: drive with OS4.1 upd6+ while I experiment with work: stuff.

In WinUAE I greated 100000MB hardfile, for SFS/00 I select SFS in the filesystem choices, for SFS/02 I select custom and give it 0x53465302, then click create and give it filename. Then click Enable RDB Mode. Then boot up, and use Media Toolbox to install, where I click read configuration then accept and save to disk, then go to partition, giev it full capacity for single partition named work:, not bootable, select SFS/00 or SFS/02 and change Blocksize to 512, then OK, OK, Save to Disk, Yes Save buttons and quit Media Toolbox, then successfully reboot one time when I can see the unformatted Work partition icon, which will most likely crash/hang, and then any reboot after that gives the above error message.

Now, there have also been a few times that I was able to do a QuickFormat instead of hang/crash. When I get this far, it does appear to work, and I can access the drive during this same boot. But again, next boot, I get the error message above.

OK, I just noticed that for my OS4.1 SYS: partition I did have SFS/00 filesystem set up in the RDB, but not SFS/02. In OS3.9 SYS: I DID have both SFS/00 and SFS/02 set up. I added this for SFS/02 as well, so both are in RDB via MediaToolBox, but same thing. I can install/partition, reboot one time, successfully QuickFormat, copy files onto this newly formatted drive/partition, reboot again and get the error above.


OK, now for OS3.9 side of this. I installed the newest SFS filesystem that you all had linked me to previously, and set both SFS/00 and SFS/02 to that filesystem in the RDB using HDtoolbox. When Work drive is connected, I get an endless yellow "recoverable" GURU, but nothing else. With Work drive disconnected, then OS3.9 boots up fine. I do not at the moment remember if I have applied any BoingBag updates to this OS3.9 install. Is there an easy way to tell this? Would this be important?

I will also try to get the OS4.1 Classic SFS filesystem out and try to install it in OS3.9 L and RDB to see if that will help with the Yellow GURUs. OK, I've just done that, and still get the Yellow GURU in OS3.9. Error 0100_000c Task 00031fe8.Clicking left mouse to continue takes me right back to the same Yellow error GURU in an infinite loop.


In all cases of both OS4.1 Classic and OS3.9 errors, if I remove this Work drive then I can boot just fine.

So, is there a problem with using SFS/02?

My OS4.1 SYS: is SFS/00 so that is OK, and OS3.9 SYS: is FFS/International format.

@billt

I wonder if putting the filesystem in RDB is bad idea for OS3.x, considering the NSD patch is not loaded, when the partitions are mounted before the startup-sequence is loaded, maybe its better to use mount list or mounter tool after the NSDPATCH is applied?

Anyway I think most of your problems is related to WinUAE and how you configured it, not to a physical A1200 / OS3.9, maybe you should ask TonyW.

@LiveForIt

Thanks for the thought, but I've forgotten everything about Classics and OS3.x. These days I have trouble remembering my own name.

@Billt: Are you sure that the problem isn't exactly what it says? If you have 1000 buffers set in MTB (it's in the Filesystems window, top RHS), then that will take 1000 x 512 or half a megabyte. If you have something other than 512 B for "Buffer Size", that will make it even worse.

Mick said earlier that block size should be 512 B. Joerg has said a couple of times that only 512 B block size has been fully tested. Other sizes may work but are not guaranteed. 512 B is safe.

Lastly, I seem to recall that on a Classic, you need to install a 68K version of the filesystem only if the Boot partition uses something other than FFS. I'm pretty sure that a PPC version is no use to you in that position.

cheers
-er- tony

@tonyw

Well I was thinking about Toni Wilen @ EAB, I know his last name started with a "W", but did not remember his full last name

Anyway you might know some thing did you not write a1floppy.device?

Maybe it's an issue (in WinUAE) when using two hardfiles. I know it's a lot slower, but try "IDE" (for one of both of the hardfiles) instead of "Accelerator SCSI". You could also try 1 big hardfile instead of two hardfiles, although that might mean re-installing OS4.1 again.

@billt

I just noticed I have the 68k version of 1.279 in my Sam460's downloads directory. I don't know if this is new enough to use SFS\2 (the archive contains only the binary file) but it's newer than the version from Aminet. If you still want it I can upload it for you.

What is the advantage of using sfs0 over using sfs2?

And what is the version of sfs that only works on ppc?

Actually I'm a bit confused because I haven't yet tried OS4.1 on my real Amiga.