Date   : Mon, 04 Sep 2006 22:34:25 +0100
From   : "Ian Wolstenholme" <BBCMailingList@...>
Subject: Re: Tube File Copying

Well, to answer my own question, the attempt was abandoned
at 3.45pm after Level 4 let me down again with its "No reply"
nonsense.

This evening I've been working on a comprehensive error-
trapping routine which offers you a * prompt when an error
occurs so you can put right the problem (like restarting the
A5000 and logging in again).

So far so good...except that as soon as you trap an error
with ON ERROR, the programme counter forgets where you
are and what loops you are in, so once the problem is
solved and it retries, you start getting "No FOR", "Not in
a REPEAT...UNTIL loop", "Not in a procedure" errors all
over the place!

Aarrgh!

Best wishes,



Ian
----- Original Message -----
From: Ian Wolstenholme
To:  <bbc-micro@...>
Sent:  Mon, 4 Sep 2006 15:11:40 +0100
Subject: Re: [BBC-Micro] Tube File Copying

Thanks to everyone who helped me understand what was
happening, I think I have cracked it now.  I have written a
short utility to copy the file in chunks using the full amount of
RAM in the co-processor into separate files onto the Econet of
less than 16MB each so I can stitch them back together at some
future point when I have worked out how to do that!

I've also put in an option to specify the "offset" in the source
file so that if the operation crashes part way though I can
pick it up from when it stopped to save having to start again
from the beginning.

Started just before 3pm, let's see how long it takes to do this
104MB file....

Best wishes,



Ian

----- Original Message -----
From: Ian Wolstenholme
To:  <bbc-micro@...>
Sent:  Mon, 4 Sep 2006 11:48:19 +0100
Subject: Re: [BBC-Micro] Tube File Copying

Yes, I think there is definitely a serious problem with v1.00 of
Level 4 FS which is not related to the other problem I have been
having with file sizes.  I remember my previous attempt to
run L4 on my A3000 a couple of years ago but I put the problem
down to RISC OS 2 at the time.  In fact, it's the same on RISC OS
3.10 on the A5000 because the machine will inexplicably go off 
into its own world with the hourglass ticking away with no control
ever coming back to the user.

Could this have been written by Bill Gates??!!!

Best wishes,


Ian

----- Original Message -----
From: Rob
To:  "Ian Wolstenholme" <BBCMailingList@...>,<bbc-micro@...>
Sent:  Mon, 04 Sep 2006 10:56:15 +0100
Subject: Re: [BBC-Micro] Tube File Copying

At 20:57 03/09/2006, Ian Wolstenholme wrote:
>I am copying the files onto the A5000 running Level 4 FS because
>this machine has the only disc big enough to store all the data
>and Level 4 is the only file server which can cope with files big
>enough to do the job (some of them are more than 16MB).
>
>Every time I get a certain way through the copying, the file
>server inexplicably stops responding and I get either a "No
>reply" error on the Master, or, if I have set the timeout to the
>maximum, a "Data lost" error.  Then I access the file server
>again and everything is fine as if nothing has happened!

I managed to get one of my old backups restored, also to an A5000 
running L4, and had exactly the same problem.

I found that doing any other access to the fileserver (e.g. looking 
at the files from another station on the network) would exacerbate 
the situation.. Even looking at the files locally on the A5000 at the 
same time would occasionally cause it to die.. I had most success by 
just having on the single machine restoring the floppies, and not 
otherwise disturbing it.

b.t.w. if anybody wants a modified version of "Getback" that can 
start at any arbitrary disc...

Rob