Very Computer

> Hello,

> How do you add an old SCO ( divvied/with FS ) disk to an existing SCO
> system. I need to retain the data on the disk that is being added ? From
> memory mkdev hd blows all contents of the old disk away. Is there anyway to
> avoid this ?

> Disk being added and existing system are/from  SCO OS 5.05

> Any help is appreciated.

> Cheers,

> Craig.

> Ok, there are two answers for this.
> The quick and easy answer:
> If you can mount the disk on the old system, or boot off of it do so. Back
the
> file systems up with tar to tape, nfs servers or anything thing else your
new
> system/disk can access. boot off of the new drive, mkdev hd the old drive,
and
> place the old data on it.

> The slow and very painful answer:
> I have not worked with SCO for about 6 months, and unfortunately my old
job has
> my notes. I went through this with the service division and or the "skunk
> works" about 8-12 months ago. As I recall each hard drive instance needs a
new
> flag for the kernel at boot/link (I do not remember). This is part of what
the
> mkdev script does.

> <tangent>
> mkdev is a set of nested scripts up to 6 scripts deep. It basically
automates
> file configuration to make it harder for things to go wrong when adding
devices
> like drives, and tape units. Once the scripts are run the kernel is linked
if
> needed, and the system can be rebooted. It is in short very odd, and very
> messy.
> </tangent>

> It may be best to do a ls -l on one of the /dev/r<filesys> to see if it
returns
> a link, but as I recall it is a real device. This being the case mkdev hd
does
> much more than format the drive, it configures the /etc/filesys(?) (sorry
I do
> not remember the exact file it was not standard for most *nix it may have
even
> been in a sub directory). It modifies entries in the devices file for the
> kernel to read on boot, as well as other files related to the specific
> subsystem your drive uses. It also sets up the device nodes in /dev for
the
> character and block devices. After this it may or may not ask for a relink
and
> reboot (sorry it has been a while, but it probably asks for the relink as
most
> things do).
> The best thing to do is to sit down with:
> a hard copy of the hd script for mkdev hd (lives in a directory in /usr I
think
> which or whence mkdev should point you in the proper direction)
> A terminal with a printer to print the lower level scripts
> A pen in a color different from your printer (I like red)
> A highlighter
> A very robust coffee machine

> The scripts are not actually obfuscated as such, but defiantly not an easy
> read. It took about 2.5 hours to understand what the mkdev tape (I think)
was
> doing, and 1.5 hours to prove it.

> Basically what you have to do is a mkdev hd by hand to bypass the parts of
the
> script you do not want to have run.

> I will be more than happy to provide as much help as I can, but if at all
> possible you really want to transfer the data from a system that can
already
> mount the file systems on your disk with out having to install said disk
under
> the OS, as doing it by had can be a real pain at best, and make your
system not
> work at worst.

> Dante

> > Hello,

> > How do you add an old SCO ( divvied/with FS ) disk to an existing SCO
> > system. I need to retain the data on the disk that is being added ? From
> > memory mkdev hd blows all contents of the old disk away. Is there anyway
to
> > avoid this ?

> > Disk being added and existing system are/from  SCO OS 5.05

> > Any help is appreciated.

> > Cheers,

> > Craig.