********************************************************************* FBack V1.2b By Chris De Maeyer For AmigaDOS 68k ********************************************************************* 0. Contents ---------- 1. Introduction 1.1. Legal 1.2. What it does... 1.3. Requirements 1.4. Contact address 1.5. Development info 1.6. Versions 2. Using it 2.1. Command line options 2.2. Examples 3. Appendix 3.1. Common problems 3.2. Error messages 3.3. The future 1. Introduction -------------- If you have used this program before try to make the effort to read this doc again. Some usefull tips are mentioned, not listed in previous versions. 1.1. Legal ------- Type : - MAILWARE Terms : - no modifications to any file in this archive - add no additional files to this archive - use this program >30 days, then you should reward the author with a postcard/letter/email, hence the term mailware - author can not be held responsible for data loss, the program has been tested and the behaviour has been described below. 1.2. What it does -------------- 'FBack' is a file copy tool. It will check the archive bit of files and copy them if the archive bit is not set. After copying it will add the archive bit. It can be used to perform a 'Daily' backup of changed files. Example: copies changed configuration files to backup location at boot, backup changed files on a volume = maintaining a mirror. 'FMirror' is available from Aminet as 'FMirrorv10.lha'. Its purpose is to delete files which no longer exist in the original directory, thus creating a mirror backup. 1.3. Requirements -------------- Properly installed Amiga ROM 2.04+. Needs XPK (the File Compressor) library when using this option. Needs Argue V1.3a to use GUI. 1.4. Contact address ----------------- For information/problems/gifts/bugs etc. write to the address below, state version & add postage for reply: Visionary Software tav. Chris De Maeyer Norbertijnenstraat 4 B-2040 BELGIUM EUROPE *** NEW *** Internet: cdemaeyer1@mmm.com (used to be cdemaeyer@mmm.com) 1.5. Development info ------------------ Sources were written in C and compiled using SAS/C V6.57. All file I/O has been coded using standard system library functions (V38+). 1.6. Versions ---------- V0.9 TEST RELEASE - first internal test version. V1.0 FIRST PUBLIC RELEASE - cleaned up code - adapt stack size + compile with stackextend, optimize - first public release. V1.1 MAJOR UPDATE - added file report after processing - shortened output strings + reformat - changed ExamineDir() flow, performs better with patterns - message to indicate NOCOPY mode - fixed error in document (FROM/A & TO/A examples). V1.1a MINOR UPDATE - changed some buffer sizes for speed, copybuffer = 16Kb. V1.2 MAJOR UPDATE - added packing mode - added XPK packer/unpacker - added date in version string. V1.2a MINOR UPDATE - updated some internal values - added Argue GUI - added BUF option. V1.2b MINOR UPDATE - added FORCE option - changed some displayed strings. 2. Using it ---------- 2.1. Command line options ---------------------- The program uses standard AmigaDOS command templates, so typing 'FBack ?' will list all the options available. Detail explanation of options: FROM/A - the source path, a AmigaDOS file pattern may be given. fe. BOOT: BOOT:Prefs/ BOOT:S/#?.keyfile As you can see, a volume needs no '/'. However, a directory always needs a '/'. If a volume/directory is chosen, only that part will be checked, to include all subdirectories include the 'ALL' switch. fe. FBack BOOT: TO BACKUP: ALL FBack WORK:data/ TO BACKUP:Sys/ PACK=HUFF ALL Fback WORK:data/calc/#?.wk1 TO BACKUP:Wks/ ALL TO/A - the destination path. fe. BACKUP: SQ0:Backup/Workbench/ Same rules as above, a volume needs no '/'. A directory always needs an ending '/'. As you might expect, the 'ALL' switch will create any missing subdirectories in the destination path. NOCOPY/S - this does exactly what it says, when a file has been modified it is normally copied to the backup location. Adding this parameter prevents this and the program will merely report the file. Call it a SIMULATE mode. ALL/S - include subdirectories. QUIET/S - no output messages. PACK=/K - enables packer mode, supply preferred packer. In this mode make sure your recovery disk includes the XPK library + some XPK unpacker (fe. xpk [included]) to restore files. fe. PACK=nuke BUF=/K/N - choose the buffer size used for copying, default is 16 Kb. Size limited only by your available RAM (but do not try to use TOO big sizes, 16 Kb will do fine for most users). *NEW* FORCE/S - specifying this option will ignore the archive bit, thus copying every file (full backup). The return code is either RETURN_OK (0) or RETURN_WARN (5) in all other cases. For some examples look at next section "2.2. Examples". Or, if you have Argue V1.3a you can use the GUI (FBackGUI) version. 2.2. Examples ---------- This section lists some examples of usage. - Backup changed prefs files: ; Startup-sequence ... FBack sys:prefs/env-archive/ to work:backup/prefs/ ALL QUIET FMirror work:backup/prefs/ to sys:prefs/env-archive/ ALL FORCE QUIET ... - Mirror a disk at startup & create logfile: ; Startup-sequence ... FBack sys: to mirror:boot/ ALL >T:FBack.log FMirror mirror:boot/ to sys: ALL >T:FMirror.log ... - Mirror files before shutdown: .key FLAG .bra { .ket } ; Shutdown script echo "Just a moment, valuable files are checked..." ; if {FLAG} EQ "GFX" FBack work:data/gfx/ to backup:data/gfx/ ALL QUIET echo "Gfx data has been saved." endif if {FLAG} EQ "ALL" FBack work:data/ to mirror:data/ ALL QUIET FMirror mirror:data/ work:data/ ALL QUIET echo "All data has been mirrored." endif ; FBack sys:prefs/ to mirror:prefs/ ALL PACK=BZLW QUIET echo "System preferences have been saved." ; if exists C:Halt echo "It now safe to switch me OFF !" Halt endif 3. Appendix ---------- 3.1. Common problems ----------------- Q: It doesn't find its source/backup files ? A: Enter the correct path: see section 2.1 (FROM,TO option). --- Q: I get a stack error ? A: Report this to me right away + add documentation in which situation it occurred. Or, try following trick: 1) create a script with the command eg. ; My backup script FBack BOOT: to BACKUP: ALL 2) create a 'Project' icon file for the script 3) set icon values to: stack size standard tool : c:IconX tooltypes : WINDOW=CON:x/y/w/h/title DONOTWAIT eg. stack 8192 WINDOW=CON:20/30/600/200/MyBackup This result in possibly solving the stack problem + you can run it from WB (this is the way I prefer if). 3.2. Error messages ---------------- 'Source/Destination not found' The entered path could not be located. Correct your paths ! 'File not found' The file you typed could not be found. AmigaDOS errors are in format : 'FBack: nnn - message' 3.3. The future ------------ - add statistics GUI (running counter of files scanned, backed up, etc) Any suggestions from you are welcome ! Thanks to all guys & dolls sending me MAIL ! It is because of YOU this program keeps getting better... *********************************************************************************