[Coco] SuperIDE backup/restore

Luis Antoniosi (CoCoDemus) retrocanada76 at gmail.com
Mon Jul 29 13:21:30 EDT 2013 

Yes.

How can you explain my case ? I have 2 CFs, a voigon 8GB and a unbranded
one 2GB. Both didn't work in the initial dd on it. The first one i managed
to make it work by physically copying the cloud9 stock cf on it using
Active Disk Image. It's a painfull copy as it is slow as hell. Since then,
any dd wil work.

The second one same shit: sudo dd if=image.img of=/dev/sdb bs=1M count-=245
wont work. It caused strange behaviours like garbage on screen, partial
boot and even blank boot. Sometimes the superIDE found only empty disks.

But after formating on windows and deleting all partitions on gparted and
then doing the very same sudo dd on it IT WORKED!





On Mon, Jul 29, 2013 at 1:12 PM, Christopher R. Hawks <chawks at dls.net>wrote:

> On Mon, 29 Jul 2013 10:48:16 -0400
> "Luis Antoniosi (CoCoDemus)" <retrocanada76 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > it's not the sIDE. It's something about the CF cards.
>
>         You mean the CF cards that he sent to Mark and they worked
> properly for him???
>
>
> > On Mon, Jul 29, 2013 at 10:04 AM, Mark Marlette
> > <mmarlette at frontiernet.net>wrote:
> >
> > > sIDE user's,
> > >
> > > I really don't know what to say here. Since 2004 when the device was
> > > released, I have found only one generic CF card, no name brand, that
> > > wouldn't work properly on the sIDE. This had to do with some
> > > internal caching of the data WRITTEN   to the CF. The cache had to
> > > be flushed
> > >
> > >  before powering down. READS were fine of course, so it was noted
> > > and not used.
> > >
> > > I did look at Ed's cards, he sent four in, one didn't have enough
> > > clusters so, the image wouldn't fit on it. All devices are not
> > > created equal. When I picked the top sector count, I analyzed all
> > > the 256MB CFs and picked a number down from the last sector so that
> > > I would run into this problem. This one of Ed's is really short
> > > clusters. So I didn't image that one.
> > >
> > > The rest I imaged and functioned no problem.
> > >
> > > Gustavo's example was flawed in his copying of the CF at the time.
> > > As IIRC, he just picked a sector to stop copying at. You have to do
> > > the math. He stopped copying too early. Not sure where his games
> > > where or if this was related or not. NOS starts at secotr 0 and
> > > works up. HDB-DOS starts at a sector I picked at the top and works
> > > it's way down. There is a partition in the middle that is unused.
> > >
> > >
> > > Since I was able to make image Ed's CF here and he can't. I would
> > > normally say then the sIDE is defective(only two ever and those
> > > where bumped/pulled/inserted with power applied, blew CPLD), BUT
> > > the image that I made works on his device. ????
> > >
> > >
> > > So that leads me then to the process/tool. Ed is using Winhex, just
> > > as I am. This is a power tool and has all kinds of options. Not
> > > sure if that is an issue as well.
> > >
> > > Don't have any free time to work on this to figure the
> > > cause...already taking vacation from dayjob to work on orders.
> > >
> > > I have no more CFs but the last 100 or so I bought from Ebay from a
> > > guy in Chicago. SanDisk. He sold single pieces as well. As my $16
> > > charge is higher it does pay for imagining the CF and some limited
> > > support.
> > >
> > > Since NOS, SuperDriver and HDB-DOS are now free and were Boisy's
> > > products. I did the hardware design and production builds, it is
> > > REALLY hard to devote much time to this to figure this issue out.
> > >
> > > If you think your hardware is defective, please contact me via our
> > > support web page contact information and I'll setup a RMA and we
> > > can take a look at it. No charge but you will have to pay for the
> > > round trip postage....Gustavo's case....OUCH! :(
> > >
> > >
> > > Open to ideas, but I am out ATM.
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > >
> > > Mark
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ________________________________
> > >  From: Gustavo Ranaur Schoenaker <ranaur at ranaur.net>
> > > To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> > > Sent: Sunday, July 28, 2013 10:48 PM
> > > Subject: Re: [Coco] SuperIDE backup/restore
> > >
> > >
> > > Ed,
> > >
> > > I'm having a very similar problem with my SuperIDE. I have the 256GB
> > > original Cloud 9 card, and I would like to backup it an work from a
> > > copy.
> > >
> > > Initially I used one of 4GB Transcend Card. I DD the content from
> > > the original Cloud-9 to it. I could boot it, but when I run som
> > > problems, the computer hangs.
> > >
> > > I tried both on a CoCo 2 and a CoCo 3 with the very same results.
> > > Original OK, copy bad.
> > >
> > > For example, everytime I ran Calixto Island, I got some vertical
> > > black bars on the credit screen (I sent the pictures from the list
> > > two weeks ago), and the games went crazy when I start.
> > >
> > > Then I bought a 512MB and a 256MB card. They're not easy to find
> > > theese days ...
> > >
> > > When I copied to the 512MB I got the very same vertical bars and
> > > those strange behaviour. With the 256MB card everything went fine.
> > > I`m using it!
> > >
> > > I tried everything (with some help from Retrocanada) to use the 4GB
> > > and the 512MB card with no luck. I also have a Powerpak, a 8 bit
> > > Nintendo cartridge that reads the ROM from a CF card. The 512MB
> > > card is not recognized on powerpak either.
> > >
> > > BTW, the card works perfectly on a Linux, a Mac or a windows
> > > machine.
> > >
> > > There is something very, very strange in the way CF cards works.
> > > Who is the culprit? The CF card's IDE emulation? Maybe ... but why
> > > does it works on Intel Systems? SuperIDE? Maybe but why it hasn't
> > > worked on Powerpak either? HDB-DOS way of accessing the
> > > information? Maybe ... but this doesn't makes sense, since it only
> > > uses sector count. Everything together? Maybe ... Ghosts from 80`s
> > > haunting your old CoCo? Maybe ...
> > >
> > > I just bought two more 256 CF cards. I'll post as soon as I have
> > > more information.
> > >
> > > Up to now the best way to backup your data is saving your data on a
> > > Drivewire disks using wired. But it takes time *and* patience.
> > >
> > > Keep us informed. I`ll keep you informed as soon as I have more
> > > info.
> > >
> > > Good luck!
> > >
> > > On Sun, Jul 28, 2013 at 6:04 PM, Ed Orbea <ed.orbea at gmail.com>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > List Members
> > > >
> > > > My goal is to be able to backup and restore my SuperIDE CF Card.I
> > > > could copy each HDB-DOS virtual drive to physical floppies (and
> > > > then copy them
> > > to
> > > > DSK image files).
> > > >
> > > > I could use dsave and make copies of the contents of the various
> > > > NitrOS-9 directories and sub directories to physical floppies
> > > > (and then copy them
> > > to
> > > > DSK image files).
> > > >
> > > > But why do I need to do that?
> > > >
> > > > I "should" be able to use (via WinXP) the 'dd' utility from
> > > > Cygwin or the Win32DI application or WinHex (from X-Ways
> > > > software) or Disk Imager (by Roadkil.net) to extract an image of
> > > > the entire CF drive and then restore
> > > it.
> > > >
> > > > In order to try to do this, I purchased several 256mg CF cards
> > > > (which I have referenced in previous posts).
> > > >
> > > > I successfully used the above listed utilities to extract an
> > > > image from
> > > my
> > > > Cloud9 distribution card.
> > > >
> > > > I generated as MD5 hash for each image (after it was extracted
> > > > from the
> > > CF
> > > > card) and all hash codes were identical.
> > > >
> > > > I tried several different CF card (that Mark was kind enough to
> > > > test for me, as I have been struggling with this for several
> > > > weeks).
> > > >
> > > > The 'target' CF cards are all identical to the Cloud9
> > > > distribution CF
> > > card
> > > > according to that is shown via the IDEPROBE utility contained on
> > > > the Clloud9 distribution disk
> > > >
> > > >    Logical cylinders: 980
> > > >
> > > >    Logical heads: 16
> > > >
> > > >    Logical sectors: 32
> > > >
> > > >    Total sectors: 501760
> > > >
> > > >    LBA: Is Supported
> > > >
> > > >    PIO Timing: 2
> > > >
> > > > The only differences are the Serial Number (obviously this should
> > > > be different) and the # sectors per R/W multiple(Cloud9
> > > > distribution disk =
> > > 1,
> > > > the other CF cards = 4).
> > > >
> > > > So, I should be able to "extract" the image from the Cloud9
> > > > distribution CF card and "restore" it to any of the 'matching' CF
> > > > cards.
> > > >
> > > > The problem is that I can't. And let me explain further.
> > > >
> > > >    I can extract the image (without any failures or errors)
> > > >
> > > >    I can generate a MD5 has of the actual CF card and the
> > > > extracted image, and they match. That tells me that I do not have
> > > > to do a byte-by-byre comparison, as the image is an exact copy of
> > > > the card.
> > > >
> > > >    I can then restore the image to one of the other CF cards
> > > > without encountering an error or failure
> > > >
> > > >    I can then generate a MD5 hash of the new CF cards and that
> > > > hash matches what has previously generated.
> > > >
> > > >    But when I put the new CF card into the SuperIDE device and
> > > > power on the system (CoCo3), I see the Disk Basic banner, the
> > > > HBD-DOS LBA banner, and then the system either: starts showing
> > > > 'sparklies'; starts showing random colors and letters; or just
> > > > hangs.
> > > >
> > > >    The LED on the SuperIDE remains a solid color (no blinking).
> > > >
> > > > I have tried using only the SuperIDE cartridge (no MPI)
> > > >
> > > > I have tried various MPI configurations/combinations.
> > > >
> > > > Everything works correctly, when I am using the Cloud9
> > > > distribution card and doesn't work when using the new CF card
> > > >
> > > > My CoCo system (as mentioned in previous posts) is:
> > > >
> > > >    CoCo3 (6809)
> > > >
> > > >    Cloud9 Triad memory upgrade
> > > >
> > > >    Roy's VGA converted
> > > >
> > > >    MPI with slot 4 (either Disto SCII FDCC with DW3 in Eprom OR
> > > > TRS-80 26-3129 'long' FDCC); Slot 3 Orch-90; Slot 2 Modified SSC;
> > > > Slot 1 SuperIDE.
> > > >
> > > > Your help is appreciated
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --
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> > > > Coco at maltedmedia.com
> > > > http://five.pairlist.net/**mailman/listinfo/coco<
> > > http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco>
> > > >
> > >
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> > >
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> > >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
> Christopher R. Hawks
> HAWKSoft
> --
> "Something is about to happen.  Something peculiar is about to happen
> any moment."
>                 -- "James and the Giant Peach"
>
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