[vox-tech] advice for floppy disks

Wed, 2 Jan 2002 07:16:38 -0600

Pete,

I take it your doing an LRP.  Maybe I'm lucky but I've had good luck
formatting floppies that came with software (i.e. I buy a hard drive and it
comes with some (unnecessary) windows software, or a network card...).
Caveat, I don't think I was using the large size of an LRP (1600ish cyls).

Otherwise buy a bunch and make a few dups, downside is maintaining the dups
every time you change your lrp config.

Jay
----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Jay Salzman" <p@dirac.org>
To: <vox-tech@lists.lugod.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2002 4:02 AM
Subject: Re: [vox-tech] advice for floppy disks

> what part of
>
>    "not for backup.  i need floppies."
>
> do we not understand here?   :)
>
> maybe the problem is that you don't know what floppies can be used for
> other than backups?   my application is a linux firewall.  the operating
> system (or in this case, a piece of it) fits on a floppy.  you pop the
> floppy in, turn the firewall machine on and walk away.  so you see,
> i'm using the floppy as a *boot device*.  not for backup.
>
> please change the subject when posting about backups.  i don't want it
> threaded with the other emails i want to read on floppy recommendations.
>
> ryan, about your script.  it certainly is sensitive to format.  why would
> you think otherwise?  by accessing /dev/fd0, you're already choosing a
> discipline for the floppy driver.  what if the disk was formatted with 21
> sectors per track?
>
> pete
>
>
> begin Ryan <ryan@mother.com>
> > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> > Hash: SHA1
> >
> > I wrote a bash script to back up my floppies to a compressed file named
> > according to date. This has the advantage of being insensitive to
format, and
> > not requiring the disk to be mounted.
> >
> > - ----- Begin Script -----
> >
> > #!/bin/bash
> > TIMESTAMP=$(date +%Y.%m.%d.%H.%M.%S)
> > cat /dev/fd0 | gzip -9 > ~/backups/fd0.${TIMESTAMP}.img.gz
> >
> > - ------ End Script ------
> >
> > On Tuesday, January 01 2002 09:42 pm, kabloom@ucdavis.edu wrote:
> > > My biggest suggestion for floppies is that you should never carry them
> > > loose in your pocket. When I used floppies in high school (last year)
I
> > > found that floppies carried loose in my pocket died within a day, and
> > > floppies in floppy carriers lasted long enough that I can't recall
losing
> > > data from one of them.
> > >
> > > Two other good floppy tricks. One: if the data is really important,
put
> > > multiple copies on the same disk. The other: always back the floppies
up
> > > on a hard drive somewhere.
> > >
> > > And so it was written and so it was done (by Peter Jay Salzman
> > > <p@dirac.org>)
> > >
> > > > not for backup.  i need floppies.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > begin Rod Roark <rod@sunsetsystems.com>
> > > >
> > > > > What I do for fast, reliable, cheap backup is mount hard drives in
> > > > > removable carriers.
> > > > >
> > > > > -- Rod
> > > > >    http://www.sunsetsystems.com/
> > > > >
> > > > > On Tuesday 01 January 2002 11:15 am, Henry House wrote:
> > > > > > On Tue, Jan 01, 2002 at 09:31:50AM -0800, Peter Jay Salzman
wrote:
> > > > > > > i'm sure someone here keeps track of this stuff...
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > what's some really high-quality floppy disks brands?  i'd be
> > > > > > > willing to pay unreasonable prices just as long as they're
> > > > > > > reliable.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > i'm sick and tired of floppy disks dying on me.  what's the
best
> > > > > > > brands to get?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I would not use any type of removable winchester storage for
data
> > > > > > too valuble to lose. That goes for floppies, zip cartriges, and
> > > > > > anything else that contains a rotating, flexible platter. By
their
> > > > > > very nature these devices are mechanically unreliable. If you
want
> > > > > > reliability, use tapes or CD-RW (which is actually pretty cheap
> > > > > > now).
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Failing that, I suggest you find the most expensive type
available
> > > > > > and go with that. Also, I would avoid any product made by
Verbatim.
> > >
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