#Hardcards for Amiga 2000
10 messages in this thread
What /b switch? The examples on pages 57 & 58 of the bridgeboard
user's guide don't show any such. My file is T3.EXE (on the PC side). I
just tried "AWRITE tb\T3.EXE dh1:T3.EXE /b" from PC side of my hard disk
e:\tb\T3.EXE to Amiga side dh1:T3.EXE . It looked like it was working, but
when I tried to do a "DIR" afterward from the PC window it gave me a e:
failure ("Abort, Retry, Ignore?), and then my keyboard wouldn't print in
the CLI window already open, when I went back to the Amiga side. And the
T3.EXE file wasn't on the Amiga side that I could see, either.
Sounds like you got caught with another 'gotcha' of the Janus software
that isn't documented very well. Unfortunately, the ARead/AWrite commands
don't work too well when you have JLinked a virtual drive on the MessyDOS
side. You have to un-link the virtuals to use either ARead or AWrite. You
also have to use the /b switch to transfer binaries. as Don pointed out. It
does work, as long as you're aware of the limitations.
Hopefully, this will be fixed in the 2.0 release of the Janus software
(I have no knowledge of this, I'm only "hoping").
Right…the /b switch isn't documented, but is required for a
binary file transfer. By any chance, is E: a virtual drive? IF so, the
transfer won't work…you need to move t3.exe onto your A: (or B:) drive or
any real drive on the MS-DOS side and then unlink any virtual drives you
have.
Humm…as I re-read you message…it appears that E: and DH1: are
the same physical drive….which side are they hooked to? If they're on
the Amiga side…do as I said above, move the file from E: to A:, unlink
all your virtual drives (JLINKed drives) and then do the transfer. If the
HD is ; the MS-DOS side….transfer it to q Amiga side floppy drive and
then from the AMiga side floppy to the JANUS drive.
The reasoning for this is that you're trying to force the Bridge
side to do two things at once…and it's not multi-tasking so chokes on
it.
Thanks, Don. It's hard to figure out how to use new features when there's
no documentation. How did you find out about the /b switch ? I'll try it
as you suggested.
I think the information about the /b originaly came from someone at
CBM who posted the information here. I might be wrong about that…it's
been a while since I first heard of it.
Thanks, Don. I tried the AWRITE using /b and it worked fine. I never would
have figured it out if you hadn't told me. I wonder about the other Amiga
users who don't happen to subscribe to CIS. Don't you think CBM might have
a technical support phone number that customers might call when they have
problems like this ?
Your first souce of support should be your dealer…they should have
been aware of the switch, or could have found out thru their rep.
CBM does have a support line, but unfortunately, doesn't provide all
the answers. It's staffed by folks who try, but don't know all the answers.
They probably would have known about the /b switch, but I can't say that for
sure.
I don't know the number, but suspect if you call the main CBM number,.
they'll put you thru. Check with 215 information…but I believe CBM's main
number is (215) 431-9100.
Since I live far away from any Amiga dealer, I had to buy through
mail order, and it would have been very inconvenient to ship the whole
thing back to them just for the bridgeboard. Besides, I'm not a hardware
guy and wouldn't even know how to open a computer up, let alone remove
boards, etc. So I took it to an "authorized Amiga repair" facility. I don't
think it's unreasonable to expect an authorized repair facility to be able
to get the same service from CBM in replacing a defective board (bought
from an authorized dealer) as a dealer would.
I did call the support line. The people there are very friendly,
but whatever kind of support they offer, I don't think technical support is
it. I knew more about the software than they did, when I called. – Emb
There are two reasons why support is different with dealers and service
centers. I have outlined a few of the pitfalls in an earlier post. Most
of the problems lie in the capital needed to be a service center or dealer.
I'm sure that if we imposed the same requirements on service centers that
we did on dealers (25K line of credit, 15K initial order, 2.5K minimum per
order, and so forth) (scaled down, of course, since parts cost less than
product) that we'd have a lot less service centers, but the ones we'd have
would be well stocked and knowledgeable. Like a growing number of dealers.
Second reason they don't receive the same service is because service and
dealers are not the same department, and service is not as visible as I,
the engineering team, or the CATS team are on the nets. So it's easy to
attack them because they can't defend themselves or tell you both sides of
the story (which incidentally, is the first thing I do when I receive a
compaint: it's easy to tell which side is lying or stretching the truth).
Don't conclude that all service centers including Commodore's are inept and
don't care.
I really suggest that you try to pick up the third issue of Amiga
Transactor, and look for Dan Schein's article "Survival Uide to the
Bridgeboard." If you can't getPCat try to find the first issue of
Transactor and look under the bridgeboard section of "Amiga Dispatches" (or
a title very close to that). Good luck! andre