Backup Script

[Jack Rasnick]

This message is for Paul Casteels,
Paul, I tried to email you this return but my ISP (att.net) says that it
doesn't deliver to ISPs that send spam mail.  Your ISP is University of
Antwerp?  Anyhow let me know you got this email.  Had you had this problem
before or is it unique to att.net (which is very good at spam filtering).
Sorry I couldn't email you as what you said about NTFS is very interesting.

Jack

Paul,
I'm working on some bash scripts to do this for windows 98 right now.  I
hope to have it working by the end of this weekend.  I'm new to linux and
bash seem too finicky as a language.  So I'm looking for a good general
purpose, but higher-level language.  Guess it might be pretty hard to create
a linux boot floppy with python on it<grin>.  Is perl too large for floppy?
Guess I better figure out how to create a linux boot CD with python.

Anyhow, sorry to hear about linux NTFS problems.  Maybe I should consider
FAT32 instead.  I plan on getting a new pc with WinXP very soon and want a
backup of the clean install ASAP.  On Win98 I use a second minimum install
of Win98 to winzip up the original as a backup.  Works great, but its labor
intensive.  Its saved my butt many a time!

I'll send you a copy for you to look at if you want.  Wouldn't mind seeing
yours also.  Be interesting to see how you found those empty sectors to zero
out (defrag?)

Jack


----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Casteels <Paul.Casteels at ua.ac.be>
To: <rasnick at att.net>
Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2002 2:00 AM
Subject: Re: Backup Script

> Hello,
>
> I am also interested in this.
> The main problem I found is that Linux cannot reliably handle reading
> and writing of NTFS partitions.
> What I do now is, under Windows2000, fill the empty space on my disk
> with zeros, boot Linux, treat the Windows disk as a device : gzip/dd can
> work efficiently now. Simple shell scripts can do, I don't need Python
> for this : I boot Linux from a floppy.
> Can you let me know, if you can come up with something better ?
>
> Best regards,
>
>
> --
> Paul Casteels Paul.Casteels at ua.ac.be Tel: +32.3.8202455
> Fax: +32.3.8202470
> University of Antwerp Dpt.Physics
> Universiteitsplein 1
> B-2610 Wilrijk
> Belgium
>