Disabling / hiding partitions

[Turran]

Heya.

For diagnostics purposes, I wanted to create a HD with 5-6 variations of ClassicWB. No problem doing that. Just set up 6 partitions (dh0-dh6) and a slightly larger DH7 for "Work:"-

I select which one to boot from in the early boot. Problem is that I would like to hide the other partitions. Is there some software or similar to hide DH1-DH6 when booting from DH0 for example?

I can disable them in early boot and that works just fine, but its a pain to do that on each reboot.

[ws1968]

I use the program changebootpri for that.

You can write a script which changes the bootpriority of the parttions and you can set automount.

Winston.

Originally Posted by Turran

Heya.

For diagnostics purposes, I wanted to create a HD with 5-6 variations of ClassicWB. No problem doing that. Just set up 6 partitions (dh0-dh6) and a slightly larger DH7 for "Work:"-

I select which one to boot from in the early boot. Problem is that I would like to hide the other partitions. Is there some software or similar to hide DH1-DH6 when booting from DH0 for example?

I can disable them in early boot and that works just fine, but its a pain to do that on each reboot.

[Turran]

As long as I can hide the partitions, this should do nicely. Thanks a bunch

[zipper]

I prevented a bunch of partitions from mounting in HDToolbox and then used SCSIMounter if needed to mount them. But there are several other mounter tools in Aminet.

[Arnie]

You can also use a mountlist to mount hidden partitions on boot up.

[cosmicfrog]

indeed when you create the partion select not to mount it then you can mount the partions at will later

hasn`t wb3.9 got something in prefs for hiding drives

[daxb]

AS ws1968 wrote ChangeBootPri is all what you need. No need to handle with HDToolBox, Mountlists and ... unless you like it complicated.

[Turran]

EDIT: Ah, see the NOMOUNT command now. I'll work something out with this =) Thanks!


Hmm, seems that all that does is change the boot priority. I can still see the other partitions which is what I want to avoid.. They all have 5-6 icons on the workbench and if I "see" all the partitions, I have like 50 icons on the workbench =)

No problem selecting which disk to boot on in the pre boot screen, its the disabling of DH1-DH5 if I want to boot from DH0 that is the annoying part.

If I select not to mount a partition in HDToolBox, can I still boot on that device? Say, DH2 not automounting, but I can still boot from it and manually mount it?

Guess I need some sort of partition always visible that handles the other partitions and uses changebootpri.. wish it was just a simple command.. umount DH1: or something and it would just vanish =)

[thomas]

The program changes flags in the RDB, it does not affect the running system. You need to reboot to make changes active.

So in order to choose to boot from DH0 do this:

changebootpri dh0: 1 mount
changebootpri dh1: 0 nomount
changebootpri dh2: 0 nomount
changebootpri dh3: 0 nomount
changebootpri dh4: 0 nomount
changebootpri dh5: 0 nomount

Then reboot.

In order to choose to boot from DH1 do this:

changebootpri dh0: 0 nomount
changebootpri dh1: 1 mount
changebootpri dh2: 0 nomount
changebootpri dh3: 0 nomount
changebootpri dh4: 0 nomount
changebootpri dh5: 0 nomount

and reboot.

And so on.

You cannot use Early-Startup to select boot device AND hide the other drives, unless you deactivate the other drives manually in the menu.

[Turran]

Thomas: excellent, thank you. I have a WORK: Partition on DH6 that I want visible for all workbench versions, so I'll make 6 different scripts which I put on that and can switch between them easiely.

Thanks again.

[Retrofan]

Very bad .

I've got two partitions to boot from. In the first I've changed the s-s like this:
C:changebootpri >NIL: DH0: 1 mount
C:changebootpri >NIL: DH4: 0 nomount

Ok, after booting I had nothing of DH4, but ... it has disapperared.
After a cold boot I still don't have DH4 to boot from, if I make changebootpri DH4: 1 mount it says there's no DH4.

If I use HDtools it shows DH4, but the bootable option is disabled.

EDIT: RELOL !!!
As I coudn't make anything with DH4 I've deleted it with HDInstTools, later I've created it again, quickformated with ffs first, later changed the fs to PFS3 like before, later changed to be bootable, and changed the name to DH3, as I had mistaked it. Well, you have to be completely sure like I was that I've lost all the info there of course...

Nope. I have the same inside that partition than before. CWBLite 1.3 theme as if I woudn't have made anything... jejejeje.

Well, apart of this, is there anything I did wrong before to select the partition to boot from?

[thomas]

Oh what a clear act of overreaction. The program changed only one bit in the partition table from automount=yes to automount=no. And you reaction was to format the entire partition potentially destroying megabytes of data. The only thing you needed to do was to activate the checkbox behind "automount this partition" in HDToolbox. Don't know how it's called in HDInstTools, but it's surely something similar.

Depending on how much data was on the partition, quick-formatting it with FFS probably has overwritten the contents of some files. You won't notice until you read and examine these files.

Back to the original problem, yes, there is an error in reasoning. The program can only find mounted partitions in order to change their flags. Once the automount flag for a partition is set off, the program cannot find it again to change it back.

[Retrofan]

Well, anyway I've quickformatted and copied again that partition now.

So, for what you say, with changebootpri everytime I would use it to hide the other partition, later to use it I should use HDInstTools to show it again.... Really a useless program then, as it's easier to able/disable partitions just from the early startup menu than searching and using HdTools or another.

Ok, if you are going to use a partition for some days and later the other perhaps you will find some use for it, but I like to be able to change easily between them.

Edit: I haven't found but Unmount, with source (http://aminet.net/search?query=unmount), but it doesn't work with SFS and surely won't with PFS3.

In my case, and to be clear, what I would need would be an option booting to select between them, for example with a click of the mouse and that it unmounts the other partition to hide its icons.

[thomas]

You can run it like this:

changebootpri DH4: mount device scsi.device unit 0

Change scsi.device and 0 to the device and unit for your harddrive.

[Retrofan]

Originally Posted by thomas

You can run it like this:

changebootpri DH4: mount device scsi.device unit 0

Change scsi.device and 0 to the device and unit for your harddrive.

What will this make?
Will I have to mount the other partition with HDTools later or can I use a similar instruction in the other partition and it only disables a partition while it's running?

If it were like this it would be perfect, as to boot from DH0 I don't have to make anything and the icons of the second would be hidden, so I only would have to use the early startup when I would like to use the second partition, and the icons of the first woudn't be shown (a click less, lol).

Edit: Your instruction is just to use it from cli and have mounted DH4 again instead of using HDTools, isn't it?

[Arnie]

With a program called CheckKey and a mountlist you can mount partitions from startup quite easily. You can use giggledisk to make the mountlists. You can even have the partition mount as DH0: if you prefer.

[Ami_GFX]

I use this program for my Amigas:

http://aminet.net/disk/misc/Dismount.lha


Very simple to use, you just copy it into your C directory and then you can dismount the partitions you don't want to see from the shell or in your startup-sequence. I have several bootable partitions in both my Amigas with different graphics/OS combinations and I don't want to see the other boot partitions when I'm working in one.

In OS3.5 and 3.9 you can set the partitions you want to see in the Workbench preferences program. There is a column on the right where you can check "hidden devices"

[Retrofan]

Originally Posted by Ami_GFX

I use this program for my Amigas:

http://aminet.net/disk/misc/Dismount.lha


Very simple to use, you just copy it into your C directory and then you can dismount the partitions you don't want to see from the shell or in your startup-sequence. I have several bootable partitions in both my Amigas with different graphics/OS combinations and I don't want to see the other boot partitions when I'm working in one.

In OS3.5 and 3.9 you can set the partitions you want to see in the Workbench preferences program. There is a column on the right where you can check "hidden devices"

Thanks both.

For the second partition, really I don't need any instruction, as I have to use anyway the early startup to select it, so I can disable the other.

Yes, Ami_GFX, it's just to make C:dismount DH3: from the Shell and the icons of that partition have disappeared. GREAT.

Edit: So really great the dismount program. Thanks Ami_GFX. Now I just boot without any other icon but the ones of my DH0 (I've put it in the s-s). If I want to use the second I use the early menu. PERFECT!!

Reedit: It only would be absolutly perfect if I could, using that command, select to boot the second partition (DH3) just pressing a button of the mouse.

[Retrofan]

I've got a great doubt about a very bizarre behaviour. Ok, I've got both Workbenchs working, but I've got a doubt about the icons. It's really rare with the DH2 partition ("Multimedia"): I've got an icon of it using the first bootable partition (DH0, "System"), and another completely different booting (using) the other partition (DH3, "Work"). That's perfect, as it's perfect for both "OS's", that use different amount of colors. The thing is that I would like to know how this happens and to repeat this for DH1 ("Apps"), as I've got the same one for it booting from both partitions. I've tried to copy the disk.info with dopus, or the icon with different programs without the same result.

Yes, it seems impossible, but if you like I will make a video to show you.

[thomas]

Video is not needed. Make a hardcopy of the Multimedia icon when booted from System and another hardcopy when booted from Work. Also attach the disk.info file of Multimedia. And describe which operating systems are on System and Work, especially the version of icon.library and newicon.library.

[Retrofan]

Ok, I will make it later with time. To start I will tell you that booting from System, and using the program Mr. Icon, moving the icon of Multimedia to source, I see the icon I've got booting Work (not the one I'm seeing in the screen). If I use Icon Master and I make the same, I see another icon, the one of the chest of drawers.

I'm using CWBAdvSp in System and CWBLite with 1.3 theme in Work.

[thomas]

The icon is probably a NewIcon. System has the NewIcons program running and Work has not.

Open a Shell window and enter the command

copy multimedia:disk.info apps:

Do this from a Shell, do not use another program like DOpus or MrIcon or IconMaster. Wait a few seconds, then reboot. Do the icons of Multimedia and Apps still look different?

[Retrofan]

Ok, and thanks Thomas. I've made it, and I've got the same icons booting Work (that's one perfect for 4 colors), but booting from System I've got the same icon of Apps than in Work.

Multimedia keeps changing its icon.

Edit: Forget it. In fact I was going to ask you that from what partition booted did you want me to make this. Now I've done exactly the same, but booting from Work, and now I've got the "same" "changing" icons booting from both partitions

But... Can you explain me (a little) why this happens? How can I have two different icons for the same partitions in different bootable Workbenchs? It's really bizarre... but great.

Edit: I was trying later to change and use NTSC in System and Multimedia has changed its icon to the one of 4 colors. I've changed it again to a "changing" one using your instructions on the contrary. It has happened a couple of times (Apps is now rock solid, changing). Rare behaviour. (Using NTSC in System and Pal in Work I watch them the same, but the icons are in different places, and they keep in the perfect places in both Workbenchs).

[thomas]

Up to Workbench 3.1 icons were stored as bitmap data only, without palette information. Colors were taken from Palette prefs, but only the first four colors can be fixed by this. Tricks like MWB-Daemon or FullPalette were used to have more than four colors fixed.

With NewIcons a system to store palette information along with bitmap data was invented. The original icon file format with its four-colored bitmap was kept and an additional palette-mapped image was stored as tooltypes. So with the NewIcons program running you see the many-colored icon, without it you see the four-colored one. That's what you experience.

OS 3.5 implemented a similar system into icon.library, but it is not compatible to NewIcons. And even worse, it is not compatible with WB 3.1. If you snapshot an OS 3.5 icon with WB 3.1, the palette-mapped image is removed from the file. This cannot happen with NewIcons.

[Retrofan]

Ok, I've uploaded a video to Youtube.


http://youtu.be/kyBrWUX2av0

[Turran]

dismount does not work in Workbench 1.0 ! hehe.

Was making a "all OS CF" for fun. I'm using early boot for now =)

[spanner]

I have got Workbench 1.3.2 working with WHDLoad..

Oh and because it has a data folder not a image you can add 1.3 programs to it..

PM me for help..