Home » Archimedes archive » Micro User » MU 1991-07.adf » PD-Stuff » Utilities/!RAMcram/!Help
Utilities/!RAMcram/!Help
This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.
Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.
| Tape/disk: | Home » Archimedes archive » Micro User » MU 1991-07.adf » PD-Stuff |
| Filename: | Utilities/!RAMcram/!Help |
| Read OK: | ✔ |
| File size: | 0936 bytes |
| Load address: | 0000 |
| Exec address: | 0000 |
File contents
Help for !RAMcram
=================
This application gives you the power to alter the
size of the RAMdisc when it has some files in it (not
normally possible). It is intended to release 'free'
memory 'trapped' in the RAMdisc. (e.g. If you have 20kB
of files on a 200kB RAMdisc, then approx 180kB of memory
is not being used by the RAMdisc, but no other
applications can use that memory)
When run (by double-clicking it's icon), !RAMcram will
bring up a window with 2 buttons ('OK' and 'CANCEL'),
and a memory size 'strip' similar to those used in the
desktop 'Task Display' window. At this point, you can
cancel the operation by clicking on CANCEL, or tell
RAMcram to go ahead by clicking on the OK button. If you
wish to change the minimum amount of free memory in the
RAMdisc, then drag the red bar until you acheive the
size required (exactly as in the Task Window). For
example, if you drag the bar to '128K', then RAMcram
will guarantee at least 128K is free for use in the
RAMdisc (if enough memory is free for it to do this)
If there is not enough free memory to cram the
RAMdisc, !RAMcram will complain. If there is enough
memory to cram the RAMdisc, but not enough to give the
free memory requested, the RAMdisc will remain the same
size.
Unfortunately, due to the way the Operating System
works, RAMcram must copy every file off the RAMdisc,
re-size the RAMdisc, and then put all the files back.
This means that to run, RAMcram must have at least as
much memory free as the RAMdisc has used up by files.
RAMcram will tell you if it can't find enough free
memory to compress the RAMdisc.
RAMcram also has an upper limit of 255 files. If more
files than this are on the RAMdisc, RAMcram will abort
the cram.
NOTE: I accept NO responsibility for any damage to
files or loss of files arising from the use of this
application. ONLY use RAMcram when the files on the
RAMdisc are copies of files on floppy or hard discs,
and can therefore be recovered from those discs if a
problem occurs.
Note also that directories will lose their time-stamp
when RAMcrammed (They will be re-timestamped with the
time and date when they were RAMcrammed), though any
files in said directories will have correct timestamps.
00000000 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 | | 00000010 20 20 20 20 20 48 65 6c 70 20 66 6f 72 20 21 52 | Help for !R| 00000020 41 4d 63 72 61 6d 0a 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 |AMcram. | 00000030 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 3d 3d 3d 3d | ====| 00000040 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 0a 20 20 |=============. | 00000050 0a 20 20 20 20 54 68 69 73 20 61 70 70 6c 69 63 |. This applic| 00000060 61 74 69 6f 6e 20 67 69 76 65 73 20 79 6f 75 20 |ation gives you | 00000070 74 68 65 20 70 6f 77 65 72 20 74 6f 20 61 6c 74 |the power to alt| 00000080 65 72 20 74 68 65 0a 20 20 73 69 7a 65 20 6f 66 |er the. size of| 00000090 20 74 68 65 20 52 41 4d 64 69 73 63 20 77 68 65 | the RAMdisc whe| 000000a0 6e 20 69 74 20 68 61 73 20 73 6f 6d 65 20 66 69 |n it has some fi| 000000b0 6c 65 73 20 69 6e 20 69 74 20 28 6e 6f 74 0a 20 |les in it (not. | 000000c0 20 6e 6f 72 6d 61 6c 6c 79 20 70 6f 73 73 69 62 | normally possib| 000000d0 6c 65 29 2e 20 49 74 20 69 73 20 69 6e 74 65 6e |le). It is inten| 000000e0 64 65 64 20 74 6f 20 72 65 6c 65 61 73 65 20 27 |ded to release '| 000000f0 66 72 65 65 27 0a 20 20 6d 65 6d 6f 72 79 20 27 |free'. memory '| 00000100 74 72 61 70 70 65 64 27 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 |trapped' in the | 00000110 52 41 4d 64 69 73 63 2e 20 28 65 2e 67 2e 20 49 |RAMdisc. (e.g. I| 00000120 66 20 79 6f 75 20 68 61 76 65 20 32 30 6b 42 0a |f you have 20kB.| 00000130 20 20 6f 66 20 66 69 6c 65 73 20 6f 6e 20 61 20 | of files on a | 00000140 32 30 30 6b 42 20 52 41 4d 64 69 73 63 2c 20 74 |200kB RAMdisc, t| 00000150 68 65 6e 20 61 70 70 72 6f 78 20 31 38 30 6b 42 |hen approx 180kB| 00000160 20 6f 66 20 6d 65 6d 6f 72 79 0a 20 20 69 73 20 | of memory. is | 00000170 6e 6f 74 20 62 65 69 6e 67 20 75 73 65 64 20 62 |not being used b| 00000180 79 20 74 68 65 20 52 41 4d 64 69 73 63 2c 20 62 |y the RAMdisc, b| 00000190 75 74 20 6e 6f 20 6f 74 68 65 72 0a 20 20 61 70 |ut no other. ap| 000001a0 70 6c 69 63 61 74 69 6f 6e 73 20 63 61 6e 20 75 |plications can u| 000001b0 73 65 20 74 68 61 74 20 6d 65 6d 6f 72 79 29 0a |se that memory).| 000001c0 0a 20 20 20 20 57 68 65 6e 20 72 75 6e 20 28 62 |. When run (b| 000001d0 79 20 64 6f 75 62 6c 65 2d 63 6c 69 63 6b 69 6e |y double-clickin| 000001e0 67 20 69 74 27 73 20 69 63 6f 6e 29 2c 20 21 52 |g it's icon), !R| 000001f0 41 4d 63 72 61 6d 20 77 69 6c 6c 0a 20 20 62 72 |AMcram will. br| 00000200 69 6e 67 20 75 70 20 61 20 77 69 6e 64 6f 77 20 |ing up a window | 00000210 77 69 74 68 20 32 20 62 75 74 74 6f 6e 73 20 28 |with 2 buttons (| 00000220 27 4f 4b 27 20 61 6e 64 20 27 43 41 4e 43 45 4c |'OK' and 'CANCEL| 00000230 27 29 2c 0a 20 20 61 6e 64 20 61 20 6d 65 6d 6f |'),. and a memo| 00000240 72 79 20 73 69 7a 65 20 27 73 74 72 69 70 27 20 |ry size 'strip' | 00000250 73 69 6d 69 6c 61 72 20 74 6f 20 74 68 6f 73 65 |similar to those| 00000260 20 75 73 65 64 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 0a 20 20 64 | used in the. d| 00000270 65 73 6b 74 6f 70 20 27 54 61 73 6b 20 44 69 73 |esktop 'Task Dis| 00000280 70 6c 61 79 27 20 77 69 6e 64 6f 77 2e 20 41 74 |play' window. At| 00000290 20 74 68 69 73 20 70 6f 69 6e 74 2c 20 79 6f 75 | this point, you| 000002a0 20 63 61 6e 0a 20 20 63 61 6e 63 65 6c 20 74 68 | can. cancel th| 000002b0 65 20 6f 70 65 72 61 74 69 6f 6e 20 62 79 20 63 |e operation by c| 000002c0 6c 69 63 6b 69 6e 67 20 6f 6e 20 43 41 4e 43 45 |licking on CANCE| 000002d0 4c 2c 20 6f 72 20 74 65 6c 6c 0a 20 20 52 41 4d |L, or tell. RAM| 000002e0 63 72 61 6d 20 74 6f 20 67 6f 20 61 68 65 61 64 |cram to go ahead| 000002f0 20 62 79 20 63 6c 69 63 6b 69 6e 67 20 6f 6e 20 | by clicking on | 00000300 74 68 65 20 4f 4b 20 62 75 74 74 6f 6e 2e 20 49 |the OK button. I| 00000310 66 20 79 6f 75 0a 20 20 77 69 73 68 20 74 6f 20 |f you. wish to | 00000320 63 68 61 6e 67 65 20 74 68 65 20 6d 69 6e 69 6d |change the minim| 00000330 75 6d 20 61 6d 6f 75 6e 74 20 6f 66 20 66 72 65 |um amount of fre| 00000340 65 20 6d 65 6d 6f 72 79 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 0a |e memory in the.| 00000350 20 20 52 41 4d 64 69 73 63 2c 20 74 68 65 6e 20 | RAMdisc, then | 00000360 64 72 61 67 20 74 68 65 20 72 65 64 20 62 61 72 |drag the red bar| 00000370 20 75 6e 74 69 6c 20 79 6f 75 20 61 63 68 65 69 | until you achei| 00000380 76 65 20 74 68 65 0a 20 20 73 69 7a 65 20 72 65 |ve the. size re| 00000390 71 75 69 72 65 64 20 28 65 78 61 63 74 6c 79 20 |quired (exactly | 000003a0 61 73 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 54 61 73 6b 20 57 |as in the Task W| 000003b0 69 6e 64 6f 77 29 2e 20 46 6f 72 0a 20 20 65 78 |indow). For. ex| 000003c0 61 6d 70 6c 65 2c 20 69 66 20 79 6f 75 20 64 72 |ample, if you dr| 000003d0 61 67 20 74 68 65 20 62 61 72 20 74 6f 20 27 31 |ag the bar to '1| 000003e0 32 38 4b 27 2c 20 74 68 65 6e 20 52 41 4d 63 72 |28K', then RAMcr| 000003f0 61 6d 0a 20 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 67 75 61 72 61 6e |am. will guaran| 00000400 74 65 65 20 61 74 20 6c 65 61 73 74 20 31 32 38 |tee at least 128| 00000410 4b 20 69 73 20 66 72 65 65 20 66 6f 72 20 75 73 |K is free for us| 00000420 65 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 0a 20 20 52 41 4d 64 69 |e in the. RAMdi| 00000430 73 63 20 28 69 66 20 65 6e 6f 75 67 68 20 6d 65 |sc (if enough me| 00000440 6d 6f 72 79 20 69 73 20 66 72 65 65 20 66 6f 72 |mory is free for| 00000450 20 69 74 20 74 6f 20 64 6f 20 74 68 69 73 29 0a | it to do this).| 00000460 20 20 20 20 49 66 20 74 68 65 72 65 20 69 73 20 | If there is | 00000470 6e 6f 74 20 65 6e 6f 75 67 68 20 66 72 65 65 20 |not enough free | 00000480 6d 65 6d 6f 72 79 20 74 6f 20 63 72 61 6d 20 74 |memory to cram t| 00000490 68 65 0a 20 20 52 41 4d 64 69 73 63 2c 20 21 52 |he. RAMdisc, !R| 000004a0 41 4d 63 72 61 6d 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 63 6f 6d 70 |AMcram will comp| 000004b0 6c 61 69 6e 2e 20 49 66 20 74 68 65 72 65 20 69 |lain. If there i| 000004c0 73 20 65 6e 6f 75 67 68 0a 20 20 6d 65 6d 6f 72 |s enough. memor| 000004d0 79 20 74 6f 20 63 72 61 6d 20 74 68 65 20 52 41 |y to cram the RA| 000004e0 4d 64 69 73 63 2c 20 62 75 74 20 6e 6f 74 20 65 |Mdisc, but not e| 000004f0 6e 6f 75 67 68 20 74 6f 20 67 69 76 65 20 74 68 |nough to give th| 00000500 65 0a 20 20 66 72 65 65 20 6d 65 6d 6f 72 79 20 |e. free memory | 00000510 72 65 71 75 65 73 74 65 64 2c 20 74 68 65 20 52 |requested, the R| 00000520 41 4d 64 69 73 63 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 72 65 6d 61 |AMdisc will rema| 00000530 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 73 61 6d 65 0a 20 20 73 69 |in the same. si| 00000540 7a 65 2e 0a 20 20 0a 20 20 20 20 55 6e 66 6f 72 |ze.. . Unfor| 00000550 74 75 6e 61 74 65 6c 79 2c 20 64 75 65 20 74 6f |tunately, due to| 00000560 20 74 68 65 20 77 61 79 20 74 68 65 20 4f 70 65 | the way the Ope| 00000570 72 61 74 69 6e 67 20 53 79 73 74 65 6d 0a 20 20 |rating System. | 00000580 77 6f 72 6b 73 2c 20 52 41 4d 63 72 61 6d 20 6d |works, RAMcram m| 00000590 75 73 74 20 63 6f 70 79 20 65 76 65 72 79 20 66 |ust copy every f| 000005a0 69 6c 65 20 6f 66 66 20 74 68 65 20 52 41 4d 64 |ile off the RAMd| 000005b0 69 73 63 2c 0a 20 20 72 65 2d 73 69 7a 65 20 74 |isc,. re-size t| 000005c0 68 65 20 52 41 4d 64 69 73 63 2c 20 61 6e 64 20 |he RAMdisc, and | 000005d0 74 68 65 6e 20 70 75 74 20 61 6c 6c 20 74 68 65 |then put all the| 000005e0 20 66 69 6c 65 73 20 62 61 63 6b 2e 0a 20 20 54 | files back.. T| 000005f0 68 69 73 20 6d 65 61 6e 73 20 74 68 61 74 20 74 |his means that t| 00000600 6f 20 72 75 6e 2c 20 52 41 4d 63 72 61 6d 20 6d |o run, RAMcram m| 00000610 75 73 74 20 68 61 76 65 20 61 74 20 6c 65 61 73 |ust have at leas| 00000620 74 20 61 73 0a 20 20 6d 75 63 68 20 6d 65 6d 6f |t as. much memo| 00000630 72 79 20 66 72 65 65 20 61 73 20 74 68 65 20 52 |ry free as the R| 00000640 41 4d 64 69 73 63 20 68 61 73 20 75 73 65 64 20 |AMdisc has used | 00000650 75 70 20 62 79 20 66 69 6c 65 73 2e 0a 20 20 20 |up by files.. | 00000660 20 52 41 4d 63 72 61 6d 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 74 65 | RAMcram will te| 00000670 6c 6c 20 79 6f 75 20 69 66 20 69 74 20 63 61 6e |ll you if it can| 00000680 27 74 20 66 69 6e 64 20 65 6e 6f 75 67 68 20 66 |'t find enough f| 00000690 72 65 65 0a 20 20 6d 65 6d 6f 72 79 20 74 6f 20 |ree. memory to | 000006a0 63 6f 6d 70 72 65 73 73 20 74 68 65 20 52 41 4d |compress the RAM| 000006b0 64 69 73 63 2e 0a 0a 20 20 20 52 41 4d 63 72 61 |disc... RAMcra| 000006c0 6d 20 61 6c 73 6f 20 68 61 73 20 61 6e 20 75 70 |m also has an up| 000006d0 70 65 72 20 6c 69 6d 69 74 20 6f 66 20 32 35 35 |per limit of 255| 000006e0 20 66 69 6c 65 73 2e 20 49 66 20 6d 6f 72 65 0a | files. If more.| 000006f0 20 66 69 6c 65 73 20 74 68 61 6e 20 74 68 69 73 | files than this| 00000700 20 61 72 65 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 52 41 4d 64 | are on the RAMd| 00000710 69 73 63 2c 20 52 41 4d 63 72 61 6d 20 77 69 6c |isc, RAMcram wil| 00000720 6c 20 61 62 6f 72 74 0a 20 74 68 65 20 63 72 61 |l abort. the cra| 00000730 6d 2e 0a 0a 20 20 4e 4f 54 45 3a 20 49 20 61 63 |m... NOTE: I ac| 00000740 63 65 70 74 20 4e 4f 20 72 65 73 70 6f 6e 73 69 |cept NO responsi| 00000750 62 69 6c 69 74 79 20 66 6f 72 20 61 6e 79 20 64 |bility for any d| 00000760 61 6d 61 67 65 20 74 6f 0a 20 20 66 69 6c 65 73 |amage to. files| 00000770 20 6f 72 20 6c 6f 73 73 20 6f 66 20 66 69 6c 65 | or loss of file| 00000780 73 20 61 72 69 73 69 6e 67 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 74 |s arising from t| 00000790 68 65 20 75 73 65 20 6f 66 20 74 68 69 73 0a 20 |he use of this. | 000007a0 20 61 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 69 6f 6e 2e 20 4f 4e | application. ON| 000007b0 4c 59 20 75 73 65 20 52 41 4d 63 72 61 6d 20 77 |LY use RAMcram w| 000007c0 68 65 6e 20 74 68 65 20 66 69 6c 65 73 20 6f 6e |hen the files on| 000007d0 20 74 68 65 0a 20 20 52 41 4d 64 69 73 63 20 61 | the. RAMdisc a| 000007e0 72 65 20 63 6f 70 69 65 73 20 6f 66 20 66 69 6c |re copies of fil| 000007f0 65 73 20 6f 6e 20 66 6c 6f 70 70 79 20 6f 72 20 |es on floppy or | 00000800 68 61 72 64 20 64 69 73 63 73 2c 0a 20 20 61 6e |hard discs,. an| 00000810 64 20 63 61 6e 20 74 68 65 72 65 66 6f 72 65 20 |d can therefore | 00000820 62 65 20 72 65 63 6f 76 65 72 65 64 20 66 72 6f |be recovered fro| 00000830 6d 20 74 68 6f 73 65 20 64 69 73 63 73 20 69 66 |m those discs if| 00000840 20 61 0a 20 20 70 72 6f 62 6c 65 6d 20 6f 63 63 | a. problem occ| 00000850 75 72 73 2e 0a 20 20 4e 6f 74 65 20 61 6c 73 6f |urs.. Note also| 00000860 20 74 68 61 74 20 64 69 72 65 63 74 6f 72 69 65 | that directorie| 00000870 73 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 6c 6f 73 65 20 74 68 65 69 |s will lose thei| 00000880 72 20 74 69 6d 65 2d 73 74 61 6d 70 0a 20 20 77 |r time-stamp. w| 00000890 68 65 6e 20 52 41 4d 63 72 61 6d 6d 65 64 20 28 |hen RAMcrammed (| 000008a0 54 68 65 79 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 62 65 20 72 65 2d |They will be re-| 000008b0 74 69 6d 65 73 74 61 6d 70 65 64 20 77 69 74 68 |timestamped with| 000008c0 20 74 68 65 0a 20 20 74 69 6d 65 20 61 6e 64 20 | the. time and | 000008d0 64 61 74 65 20 77 68 65 6e 20 74 68 65 79 20 77 |date when they w| 000008e0 65 72 65 20 52 41 4d 63 72 61 6d 6d 65 64 29 2c |ere RAMcrammed),| 000008f0 20 74 68 6f 75 67 68 20 61 6e 79 0a 20 20 66 69 | though any. fi| 00000900 6c 65 73 20 69 6e 20 73 61 69 64 20 64 69 72 65 |les in said dire| 00000910 63 74 6f 72 69 65 73 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 68 61 76 |ctories will hav| 00000920 65 20 63 6f 72 72 65 63 74 20 74 69 6d 65 73 74 |e correct timest| 00000930 61 6d 70 73 2e 0a |amps..| 00000936
.