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Charlie · 11 November 2005, 22:52

OK.
Sorry if I was assuming too much. I would strongly reccomend you NOT using a large drive with 3.1 unless you are sure you have set things up correctly. Your best bet is to hand your Amiga to someone who has done this before and get them to do it for you. Not getting it right will loose you ALL your data with little or no chance of recovery.
Warnings aside....this may be a looooonnnng post.
Some bits from memory ( no Amiga in front of me ) so BE CAREFUL.

More experienced members may have a better plan.

The fundamentals:
- OS3.1 needs the new scsi.device to be able to 'see' the whole of your larger drive.
- You then need a FS that can reliably read/write such a drive. OFS and unpatched-FFS will not understand the extra capacity so will mess up your data.

It follows that you could have a small boot partition on a large drive without problems using the built-in scsi.device because the computer will be unaware of the rest of the drive. Using this partition to load the new scsi.device to then reveal the rest of the drive and its previously hidden partitions will work - in theory. In practice this is very dodgy - you will be very lucky to get away with it.

You will need:
1) Amiga+your 20gig drive. IDE 0:1
2) Your old 2gig boot drive. IDE 0:0 ( unless you have something like IdeFIx 97 )
3) http://home.arcor.de/micky.d/bin/SCSI_IDE_43_23.lha ( not if IdeFix 97 )
4) http://main.aminet.net/disk/misc/SFS.lha
5) A text editor - one of the ones with OS 3.1 will do.
6) A working OS 3.1 install on you 2gig drive attached to IDE 0:0
( This could be done from a modified 3.1 boot floppy but it will complicate things )
7) Some knowledge of the AmigaOS structure.
How you get the files on you Amiga I leave to you...

Here we go...
Working Amiga booting 3.1 off your 2gig drive ( or if you insist a boot-floppy )
Add the 20gig drive to your other IDE port 0:1
In you boot partition you need to know about five directrories:
Tools: Where HDToolBox lives
DosDrivers: Where I'd suggest you put the new scsi.device
C: L: S: Where your system files live. You can't see these directories by default.
Reveal these directories by opening your sys: partition by right-clicking on the Workbench toolbar - navigate to Window->Show->All files.

I suggest putting the new scsi.device in DosDrivers:
Put the associated files from its .lha in C:
Put the filesystem file from SFS.lha in L: The rest of the files in this archive are various tools and readme's - not needed for now.
You now have an scsi.device that can see the whole of your drive and a filesystem ( SFS ) that can reliably access it on your boot partition.

Now to get it to work.
S: is where the Startup-Sequence file lives. Its purpose is to tell the Amiga what files to load on startup. This is file that is referred to in the instructions from the SCSI_IDE_43_23.lha. Load it into a text-editor and make the suggested changes. You may not have placed the files in the places assumed by those instructions, so make suitable alterations.
Save the new version of the file and cold-reboot. If no errors, you've got this bit right, your computer is now able to see all of your new drive.

Now run HDToolBox. You'll have a short list of devices. Select scsi.device, and on the next screen the SECOND hdd. ( 0:1, NOT 0:0 you don't want to play with your boot drive at this stage )
At this point my memory gets a bit hazy so BE CAREFUL.
HDToolBox will probaly ask if you want to install/initialise the drive - say yes.
You should then have a window saying you have a 20gig drive with a suggested set of partitions below it. Good - your new scsi.device is working.
If errors or it says your drive is about 4gig, you are still using the built-in scsi.device - fix whatever you did wrong then get back to this point.
DO NOT COMMIT THESE SUGGESTED PARTITIONS TO YOU HARDDRIVE. ( save )

Bottom right corner of the window ( I think ) should be a selectable dialoge to open a new window for installing new file-systems to your RDB. ( Amiga version of MFT ). Use this to navigate to your L: directory and the SFS file system. Add this to the list -remembering what number it has been allocated- then write this FS to your RDB. ( save ) You may well need to reboot at this point.

SFS is now on your new HDD ready to be used. I would suggest adding it to your boot drive too for future use.
Fire up HDToolBox again, and navigate to the page of suggested partitions for your 20gig drive. If you like them as they are - fine. If not make your changes but DO NOT commit them to the drive until the next bit.
In this window look for a dialoge that gives you a list of FileSystems installed. Select SFS for each partition in turn - be careful not to miss one and double-check! You will probably only see the number allocated to SFS not its name so I hope you rememberd from before.

Finally - commit this lot to your HDD ( save ) followed by a reboot. Workbench should now show some extra disc icons each called NotDos - or something like that. Select each in turn, go to the workbench toolbar, select Quick Format. Another dialoge will appear giving you the chance to name your new partition(s) and if you want a trashcan.
All being well they will now all be accessable - ready for use.
Reboot again to make sure no further errors show up - check everything again if so.
Then go back to the tools from the SFS.lha to confirm you realy do have working SFS partitions and nothing else. ( FFS if accidentally used on your 20gig drive will seem to work right up to the point you loose all your data )

PHEW. So far so good.....

At this point if youre feeling clever copy the contents your Boot/Sys: partition to a spare one ON YOUR SMALL BOOT DRIVE. Then run HDToolBox again, make the partition you copied to bootable, and change the origional boot partition to SFS. Quick format it so it is now an empty SFS partition.
( There may be a few reboots in here )
Now copy your system files back to the new SFS partiton. Start HDToolBox again, make sure this partition is bootable and do what you will with the temporary boot partition you made. ( It is good practice to keep a backup SYS: partition on you boot drive in case of problems as AmigaOS will automatically select the functioning backup in case of trouble - most of the time!)

This is why I suggested putting SFS in the RDB of your boot drive too.

Why do this?
You need SFS on your big drive to reliably access it, but SFS has great advantages over FFS on your small drive too. Faster, and you won't get the regular annoyance of your FFS boot drive needing validating.
No functioning boot partition means no working access to your large drive. ( no new scsi.device loaded ) Keep an OS3.1 boot floppy to hand with the relevant repair tools on it.

NB
Never try to access your large drive without using the new scsi.device - it may seem to work, but you will loose data
Never use a FS with any partition on your large drive that can't cope. It will bugger-up ALL your partitions in ways that you won't notice untill its too late.
OFS - V.BAD
FFS - BAD
PatchedFFS - OKish
SFS - GOOD
PFS3 - V.GOOD

FAT32 & ext2FS can also be used if youre feeling brave/clever/smug.

I hope the above helps - even if only to put you off trying this without help at hand.
There are some deliberate half-truths/lies included above for simplicty's sake.

If my memory has let me down please feel free to ammend this post.

Ummm... At this rate I'll never learn to write short posts!

11 November 2005, 22:52	#10
Charlie . . Mouse . . Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Nowhere Age: 55 Posts: 1,792	OK. Sorry if I was assuming too much. I would strongly reccomend you NOT using a large drive with 3.1 unless you are sure you have set things up correctly. Your best bet is to hand your Amiga to someone who has done this before and get them to do it for you. Not getting it right will loose you ALL your data with little or no chance of recovery. Warnings aside....this may be a looooonnnng post. Some bits from memory ( no Amiga in front of me ) so BE CAREFUL. More experienced members may have a better plan. The fundamentals: - OS3.1 needs the new scsi.device to be able to 'see' the whole of your larger drive. - You then need a FS that can reliably read/write such a drive. OFS and unpatched-FFS will not understand the extra capacity so will mess up your data. It follows that you could have a small boot partition on a large drive without problems using the built-in scsi.device because the computer will be unaware of the rest of the drive. Using this partition to load the new scsi.device to then reveal the rest of the drive and its previously hidden partitions will work - in theory. In practice this is very dodgy - you will be very lucky to get away with it. You will need: 1) Amiga+your 20gig drive. IDE 0:1 2) Your old 2gig boot drive. IDE 0:0 ( unless you have something like IdeFIx 97 ) 3) http://home.arcor.de/micky.d/bin/SCSI_IDE_43_23.lha ( not if IdeFix 97 ) 4) http://main.aminet.net/disk/misc/SFS.lha 5) A text editor - one of the ones with OS 3.1 will do. 6) A working OS 3.1 install on you 2gig drive attached to IDE 0:0 ( This could be done from a modified 3.1 boot floppy but it will complicate things ) 7) Some knowledge of the AmigaOS structure. How you get the files on you Amiga I leave to you... Here we go... Working Amiga booting 3.1 off your 2gig drive ( or if you insist a boot-floppy ) Add the 20gig drive to your other IDE port 0:1 In you boot partition you need to know about five directrories: Tools: Where HDToolBox lives DosDrivers: Where I'd suggest you put the new scsi.device C: L: S: Where your system files live. You can't see these directories by default. Reveal these directories by opening your sys: partition by right-clicking on the Workbench toolbar - navigate to Window->Show->All files. I suggest putting the new scsi.device in DosDrivers: Put the associated files from its .lha in C: Put the filesystem file from SFS.lha in L: The rest of the files in this archive are various tools and readme's - not needed for now. You now have an scsi.device that can see the whole of your drive and a filesystem ( SFS ) that can reliably access it on your boot partition. Now to get it to work. S: is where the Startup-Sequence file lives. Its purpose is to tell the Amiga what files to load on startup. This is file that is referred to in the instructions from the SCSI_IDE_43_23.lha. Load it into a text-editor and make the suggested changes. You may not have placed the files in the places assumed by those instructions, so make suitable alterations. Save the new version of the file and cold-reboot. If no errors, you've got this bit right, your computer is now able to see all of your new drive. Now run HDToolBox. You'll have a short list of devices. Select scsi.device, and on the next screen the SECOND hdd. ( 0:1, NOT 0:0 you don't want to play with your boot drive at this stage ) At this point my memory gets a bit hazy so BE CAREFUL. HDToolBox will probaly ask if you want to install/initialise the drive - say yes. You should then have a window saying you have a 20gig drive with a suggested set of partitions below it. Good - your new scsi.device is working. If errors or it says your drive is about 4gig, you are still using the built-in scsi.device - fix whatever you did wrong then get back to this point. DO NOT COMMIT THESE SUGGESTED PARTITIONS TO YOU HARDDRIVE. ( save ) Bottom right corner of the window ( I think ) should be a selectable dialoge to open a new window for installing new file-systems to your RDB. ( Amiga version of MFT ). Use this to navigate to your L: directory and the SFS file system. Add this to the list -remembering what number it has been allocated- then write this FS to your RDB. ( save ) You may well need to reboot at this point. SFS is now on your new HDD ready to be used. I would suggest adding it to your boot drive too for future use. Fire up HDToolBox again, and navigate to the page of suggested partitions for your 20gig drive. If you like them as they are - fine. If not make your changes but DO NOT commit them to the drive until the next bit. In this window look for a dialoge that gives you a list of FileSystems installed. Select SFS for each partition in turn - be careful not to miss one and double-check! You will probably only see the number allocated to SFS not its name so I hope you rememberd from before. Finally - commit this lot to your HDD ( save ) followed by a reboot. Workbench should now show some extra disc icons each called NotDos - or something like that. Select each in turn, go to the workbench toolbar, select Quick Format. Another dialoge will appear giving you the chance to name your new partition(s) and if you want a trashcan. All being well they will now all be accessable - ready for use. Reboot again to make sure no further errors show up - check everything again if so. Then go back to the tools from the SFS.lha to confirm you realy do have working SFS partitions and nothing else. ( FFS if accidentally used on your 20gig drive will seem to work right up to the point you loose all your data ) PHEW. So far so good..... At this point if youre feeling clever copy the contents your Boot/Sys: partition to a spare one ON YOUR SMALL BOOT DRIVE. Then run HDToolBox again, make the partition you copied to bootable, and change the origional boot partition to SFS. Quick format it so it is now an empty SFS partition. ( There may be a few reboots in here ) Now copy your system files back to the new SFS partiton. Start HDToolBox again, make sure this partition is bootable and do what you will with the temporary boot partition you made. ( It is good practice to keep a backup SYS: partition on you boot drive in case of problems as AmigaOS will automatically select the functioning backup in case of trouble - most of the time!) This is why I suggested putting SFS in the RDB of your boot drive too. Why do this? You need SFS on your big drive to reliably access it, but SFS has great advantages over FFS on your small drive too. Faster, and you won't get the regular annoyance of your FFS boot drive needing validating. No functioning boot partition means no working access to your large drive. ( no new scsi.device loaded ) Keep an OS3.1 boot floppy to hand with the relevant repair tools on it. NB Never try to access your large drive without using the new scsi.device - it may seem to work, but you will loose data Never use a FS with any partition on your large drive that can't cope. It will bugger-up ALL your partitions in ways that you won't notice untill its too late. OFS - V.BAD FFS - BAD PatchedFFS - OKish SFS - GOOD PFS3 - V.GOOD FAT32 & ext2FS can also be used if youre feeling brave/clever/smug. I hope the above helps - even if only to put you off trying this without help at hand. There are some deliberate half-truths/lies included above for simplicty's sake. If my memory has let me down please feel free to ammend this post. Ummm... At this rate I'll never learn to write short posts!