@database ???? @master ???? @width 80 @width 76 @node Main "Preliminary" @toc Sommaire ============================================================================ Preferences program for ABackup 5.10 Copyright (C) 1993-1996 by Reza ELGHAZI & Denis GOUNELLE ============================================================================ Without written authorization, any commercial usage or selling is absolutly forbidden. You may copy and spread this program under the following conditions: 1. All the files must be provided 2. The files are not modified in any way 3. You can't ask for more than $6 for this In spite of several tests, no warranty is made that there are no errors in ABackup. YOU USE THIS PROGRAM AT YOUR OWN RISK. In no event the authors will be liable for any damage, direct or indirect, resulting of the use of ABackup. @endnode @node Sommaire "Table of contents" The Preferences program for ABackup works in the same way as the other Preferences programs supplied with the Amiga Operating System. So, this documentation only describes the differents parameters, and how they control ABackup processing. It is suggested that you install this program in the "SYS:Prefs" directory, together with the other Preferences programs. If you prefer to copy it otherwhere, don't forget to update the "PREFSPATH" Tool Types in ABackup's icon, so it will be able to find the Preference program. @{" Backup options " Link "BackupOpt"} @{" Restore options " Link "RestoreOpt"} @{" Verify options " Link "VerifyOpt"} @{" Compression options " Link "CrunchOpt"} @{" Tape options " Link "TapeOpt"} @{" Interface options " Link "GUIOpt"} @{" External programs options " Link "ExternalOpt"} @{" Miscellaneous options " Link "MiscOpt"} @endnode @node BackupOpt "Backup options" Backup to Specifies backup destination: - a cyclic gadget let you select the archive type (device, file, tape) - two lists let you select the units to use, if the archive type is set to "Device". The list on the left shows all the connected units, the one on the right shows the units to use. To transfer a unit from one list to another, just click on it's name in the list. - a string gadget, and a request calling button, let you select the name of the archive file, if the archive type is set to "File". Buffer size Specifies the size of the buffer used by the child task for asynchronous writes, as well as for streamer writes. When correctly tuned, this parameter can cause an important increase in backup speed. Log file If a filename is specified, a statistics line will be added in this file, each time you make a backup. This line will show the backup date, time, source and destination, the number of files backed up, the total number of bytes written, and the optional comment associated to this backup. Comment Specifies the default comment associated to the backup. See the "Add Comment" option below. Report Activates the creation of a backup report. This report may be send to the printer or to a file. You can ask for a detailed or a brief report. Verify Activates the verification of disk writes. This option slows down the backup, but makes it safer. @{b} CAUTION ! Even when this option is activated, it is impossible to certify that the backup is correct. If you want to make sure that the archive is 100% error free, use the archive verify function of ABackup. @{ub} Use child task Activates the use of a distinct task for disk writes, in order to perform asynchronous writes. Depending on the size of the buffer (see above), this may cause an important increase in backup speed. Backup links Activates the backup of links created with the AmigaDOS "MakeLink" command. Add Comment If this option is activated, ABackup will ask you to enter a small comment, at the end of each backup. This comment will be displayed when opening the archive, before a restore or a verify operation, and added in the backup log. Add icon Activates the creation of an icon (".info" file) for archive files. Compress data Activates data compression. ABackup won't try to compress files smaller than 512 bytes. Files already compressed by Lha, Zoo, PowerPacker or XPK are detected, and not compressed. See @{" Compression options " Link "CrunchOpt"}. Compress catalog Activates the compression of the archive catalog, with the same algorithm as the one used for data compression. Encrypt data Activates data encryption, with an user specified password you will be asked for before backup start. @{b} CAUTION ! This password will be MANDATORY for any restore or verify operation. If you forget it, backed up data will be definitively lost. Even the authors of the program won't be able to help you to recover your data . @{ub} Set archive bit Activates the setting of the archive bit (see AmigaDOS "Protect" command) on every successfully backed up file. This bit is reset by AmigaDOS, each time a file is modified, so this will help you to perform incremental backups (modified files only), selecting files by protection bits (see ABackup documentation). Duplicate catalog If this option is activated, ABackup will duplicate the archive catalog (which is normally added at the end of the archive) to a file. The name of this file may be specified as an argument when starting ABackup. If not, it will be asked for at the end of the backup. This option is very useful for tape backups, because you won't have to read all the tape to fetch the catalog and then to rewind the tape to start the restore or verify operation. @endnode @node RestoreOpt "Restore options" Restore from Specifies the source archive, containing data to restore. For more information, see the "Backup to" option in @{" Backup options " Link "BackupOpt"}. Restore to Specifies the directory where to restore files. If this gadget is empty, files will be restored to the directory in which they where located at backup time. Existing files Tells what to do when a file, which is about to be restored, already exists on your hard disk. Possible actions are: - Always replace (the existing file will be overwritten) - Never replace (the file won't be restored) - Ask before replacing (ABackup will ask you if you want to replace the file) - Replace if older (the existing file will be overwritten only if older than the file in the archive) - Rename file (ABackup will ask you a new name for the file to restore) Bad files Tells what to do when ABackup failed to restore a file. In this case, the file on your hard disk may be truncated, or damaged. Possible choices are: - Always delete (the file will be deleted) - Never delete (the file will be kept) - Ask before deleting (ABackup will ask you if you want to delete the file) Report Activates the creation of a restore report. This report may be send to the printer or to a file. You can ask for a detailed or a brief report. Directory tree Activates the restoration of the directory tree. If this option is deactivated, all the files will be restored in the same directory. Restore date When a file is restored, AmigaDOS gives it the restoration date, as it's last modification date. If this option is activated, ABackup will set the date of the file to the date of the file when it was backed up. Restore link If this option is activated, ABackup will also restore links (see AmigaDOS "MakeLink" command). Empty directoris If this option is activated, ABackup will also restore empty directories. Use catalog file If this option is activated, ABackup will load the archive catalog from a file. The name of this file may be specified as an argument. If not, it will be asked for before loading the archive catalog. @endnode @node VerifyOpt "Verify options" Report Activates the creation of a verify report. This report may be send to the printer or to a file. You can ask for a detailed or a brief report. Compare data By default, ABackup just tries to restore the files in the archive, but doesn't check if data in the files is correct. However, as the program uses checksums, this is quite a good verification. If this option is activated, ABackup will also compare the restored data with the original data on your disk. This option slows down verification. Of course, ABackup will only be able to compare files still located on your disk, and not modified. In order to detect an eventual modification, the program will check both size and date of the files. Ignore files date If this option is activated, ABackup won't check the date of the original file, before comparison with the archived file. Select files By default, ABackup verifies all the files in the archive. If this option is activated, you will be able to select the file to verify, by the mean of the usual selection window. @endnode @node CrunchOpt "Compression options" Method Specifies the compression algorithm to use. You can at least choose between "Internal" (using ABackup internal compression) and "External" (using an external compression program, see below). If the XPK library is intalled on your system, the "XPK library" choice will be possible too. Please note that you can't use external compression for partition backups. XPK Libs/XPK Mode If the selected compression method is "XPK library", these gadgets let you select one of the XPK algorithm, and the mode for this algorithm. Compressor/Decompressor These two gadgets let you specify the name and the arguments of compression and decompression external programs. The naming conventions for arguments are: %0 (ou %s) : full path name of the source file %1 : path name of the source file %2 : name of the source file (without path) %3 (ou %d) : full path name of the target file %4 : path name of the target file %5 : name of the target file (without path) As an example, here is the value to enter in these gadgets, if you want to use the LhA program (copyright by Stefan Boberg): Compressor : LhA a -X %d %s Décompressor : LhA e -X %s %5 %4 (You may omit the -X option for LhA, but then you will have to call ABackup with the ECSUFFIX=.lha argument). When using external compression, it is suggested to make these programs resident, or to copy them in RAM:, in order to reduce the time required to load them in memory. As these programs are called by ABackup for each file to compress or to decompress, reducing loading time of one second means, for example, reducing backup time of 15 minutes, if you backup 1000 files. When ABackup will run the external compression or decompression program, it will send it's output to the "T:ABackup.log" file. You can look at this file to find any problem that may occur during compression or decompression. Filter Specifies a list of file's name extentions that will be excluded from compression. For example, if the list contains "lzx", files which name ends by ".lzx" won't be compressed. @endnode @node TapeOpt "Tape options" Device driver Specifies the name of the SCSI device driver (default: "scsi.device"). SCSI Port Specifies the SCSI port number of the tape drive. Block size Specifies the block size supported by the tape drive. Rewind Activates automatic tape rewind, at the end of the operation. Auto retension Activates automatic tape retension, at the beginning of the operation. Eject Activates automatic cardrige ejection, at the end of the operation. This function is not supported by all tape drives. FAST mem. buffer Allocates the buffer memory, used for input/output operations, in FAST memory instead of CHIP memory. Inquiry If the SCSI device driver and port number are correct, this gadget allows you to get information from the tape driver. This information will be displayed in a requester. @endnode @node GUIOpt "Interface options" Screen type Specifies the screen to use : the Workbench screen, a Custom screen, or a Public screen. Public screen name Specifies the name of the public screen to use, when the screen type is set to "Public" If the screen type is set to "Custom", you can select the mode for this screen. The screen mode request used will be either the one of the asl.library, or the one of the reqtools.library. If both libraries are missing (V38 or higher required), you won't be able to change the screen mode. Screen font Specifies screen font of the custom screen. Text font Specifies text font for ABackup windows, whatever screen type is selected. Palette If the screen type is set to "Custom", you can modify the palette of this screen. The reqtools.library (V38 or higher) is required. @endnode @node ExternalOpt "External programs options" This window let you parameter files visualisation, which is started by a double-click over a file's name, on the selection window of ABackup. ASCII Name of the text files viewer program. ILBM Name of the IFF pictures viewer program. Other Name of the viewer program for the other file types. Run asynchronously Tells to start the viewer program in the background, so ABackup won't be locked until the viewing is finished. Confirm each visualisation If this option is activated, ABackup will ask you confirmation before each file viewing. This will allow you, if necessary, to modify the name of the program to call. @endnode @node MiscOpt "Miscellaneous options" Alert Specifies how ABackup will warn you when an error occurs, or when it needs some action from you. Possible choices are: - None (ABackup will only display a requester) - Beep (ABackup will send a audible signal) - Flash screen (ABackup will make the screen flash) - Beep & flash (ABackup will send an audible signal AND flash the screen) Files size Specifies the unit for files size: bytes, kilo-bytes, mega-bytes, or automatic (select the highest possible unit). Temporary directory Specifies the name of the working directory. For security reasons, it is not recommanded to specify a directory located on a partition being backed up. Default selection path Specifies the name of the directory in which the selection files are stored (see ABackup documentation for more information about selection recording). Print disk labels Activates automatic disk label printing, at the end of the backup. Label length (lines) Specifies the number of lines per label. @endbase @endnode