Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!hplabs!hp-pcd!hplsla!andyc
From: andyc@hplsla.HP.COM (Andy Cassino)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Latest ICD boot utilities
Message-ID: <5440059@hplsla.HP.COM>
Date: 2 Oct 89 20:07:43 GMT
Organization: HP Lake Stevens, WA
Lines: 56

I'd like to hear from anyone else that is using the new ICD boot program 
and utilities (revisions 4.x.x). I have the downloaded the latest stuff 
(4.1.8) from GENIE and mentioned these problems to ICD on the BB there, 
but the answers have not been very useful.

Problem one that I've seen is that the Mark Williams rebootable ramdisk is
incompatible with the ICD cache. Installing a MWC ramdisk normally 
causes a warm-boot, but ICDBOOT goes ahead and re-installs its cache, which
wipes out the ramdisk. If the ramdisk is in the auto folder, you just get an
endless series of boots and disk installations. If I disable the ICD caches,
everything works fine, just the way it always has.

The strange thing is that the recently-posted EDISK seems to be perfectly 
content to run with the ICD cache! (Since it is faster than the MWC ramdisk,
I guess I shouldn't complain).

(ICD's response to this problem was "do you have the latest ICDBOOT"? Yes!)

The second problem is that file copies on my C:\ partition take forever
without FATSPEED. Like 10 seconds for a 2KB file!!! I defragged the C:\
partition, it got slightly worse. I checked the partition with the demo
version of the ICD cleanup program, no problems reported (never have been,
which is why I haven't bought the program yet).

FATSPEED is the only "cure". With FATSPEED installed, everything is very 
fast. Without FATSPEED, almost everything is very, very slow. The problem 
is, SUPRBOOT has to run after FATSPEED, and the file modification operation
in SUPRBOOT takes *forever* to modify the AUTO folder progs and ACCs.
(It's really spooky with the ICD cache on, there are three very brief 
disk accesses during the file modification, with up to 20 seconds of "dead" 
time between them! With the cache off, of course, there are all kinds 
of disk accesses going on. Not as scary, but just as irritating!)

Anyhow, until I installed the new ICD driver, FATSPEED never had *that* 
big an effect on my Mega, it was always a 30% enhancement, not a 3000%
enhancement. How could the ICD drivers have anything to do with this?

(ICD told me I need the TOS 1.4, as if I could step out and pick it up. I'm
waiting for my dealer to call!)

Well... other than these problems, I will say that the new ICD drivers 
are remarkably fast, especially with the cache on. Between Turbo ST 1.6 
and the new ICD drivers, my Mega is really cruisin'!

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed herein are those solely
of the author, who has no pecuniary interest in the companies mentioned.

Copyright (c) 1989 by Andrew Cassino.  All rights reserved.

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    % Andy Cassino                                                  %
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