















                                MRBackup Professional

                                     Version 1.0
           
                             A Hard Disk Backup Utility

                                       for the

                                  Commodore Amiga 



                                   Mark R. Rinfret






























                                          1





          MRBackup Professional                                Introduction




          Introduction

          MRBackup is  a hard  disk backup  program for the Commodore Amiga
          family of computers. It provides  a  wide  range  of  services to
          support Amiga file management and backup/restore of files to/from
          hard disk. Files can be backed up to

               Floppy disk, in AmigaDOS format

               Floppy disk, in a special "fast" format

               SCSI streaming tape

          A backup  set catalog  is created  for each  backup set, allowing
          quick retrieval of individual files when necessary.

          MRBackup is designed to behave well in your Amiga's multi-tasking
          environment. It does not "take over  the machine"  and will allow
          you to  use your  Amiga for  other chores while backups are being
          performed.  MRBackup  is  driven  by  a  flexible  set  of  user-
          controlled  parameters  and  offers  a  wide  range of backup and
          restore options. Its Intuition-based  user interface  is designed
          for a  pleasing appearance  and ease  of operation. MRBackup uses
          the Amiga's speech capabilities to provide an effective means for
          presenting prompts, error conditions and requests for floppy disk
          insertions, etc. MRBackup provides  file  compression  which will
          reduce the number of diskettes required for a backup (though more
          time will be required to do this). 




















                                          2





          MRBackup Professional                                Requirements



          Requirements

          In order to operate properly, MRBackup  Professional requires the
          following:

            -  any Amiga system with at least 1 MB memory and WorkBench 1.3
               or higher

            -  The Amiga  Replacement Project  (ARP) library (arp.library),
               V39.1 or higher (supplied with MRBackup).

            -  At least  1 floppy  disk drive  or SCSI streaming tape drive
               (Wangtek 50XX or equivalent)


          MRBackup will work with any hard drive supported  by the AmigaDOS
          operating system. 
































                                          3





          MRBackup Professional                                Installation




          Installation

          MRBackup  is  delivered  with  an installation program which will
          automatically copy all required  files  to  default  locations on
          your  hard   disk.  Specifically,  the  installation  copies  the
          following files:

               Filename                  Directory

               MRBackup                  SYS:Tools
               MRBackup.info             SYS:Tools
               MRBackupDefaults.info     SYS:Tools
               MRBackup.init             S:
               MRBackup.bflt             S:
               MRBackup.cflt             S:
               MRBackup.dflt             S:
               MRTape-Handler            L:
               arp.library               LIBS:

          To install MRBackup, simply insert the  MRBackup program diskette
          and double-click  on the  "Install MRBackup" icon. All files will
          be copied to their proper destinations.  If you  don't approve of
          the default installation locations, simply edit the file "Install
          MRBackup"  on   the  MRBackup   program  disk   to  reflect  your
          preferences.























                                          4





          MRBackup Professional                                   Operation




          Operation

          This  manual  assumes  that  you already know the basic operating
          principles of your Amiga and that you are familiar with  its user
          interface. If  this manual  refers to a procedure or feature with
          which you are not  familiar, please  refer to  your Amiga owner's
          manual.

          MRBackup may be started from the WorkBench by double-clicking its
          program icon or from  the CLI  by typing  the appropriate command
          line. The  startup procedures  for each environment are presented
          below.


          Working Directory

          MRBackup requires an area for storing  certain information during
          the backup  process. This area is called the "working directory".
          The default area is defined by the logical name "S:", but you may
          override this setting. The next two sections describe how this is
          done.


          CLI Operation

          To start MRBackup from  the  CLI  (Command  Line  Interface, also
          called the "Shell"), you can just type MRBackup
          at  the  command  prompt.  If  you  wish  to override the default
          working  directory,  enter  MRBackup  -d  <directory  name> where
          <directory name>  is the  name of a directory MRBackup can use to
          store temporary information.


          WorkBench Operation

          To start MRBackup from  the  WorkBench,  simply  double-click its
          program  or   project  icon.  To  override  the  default  working
          directory, you must change a Tool  Type entry  in the  program or
          project icons,  as appropriate.  To do  this, select the MRBackup
          program icon (one click), then select  the Info  command from the
          WorkBench menu. Find the following entry in the Tool Types list:

            DIR=S:

          Replace "S:" with the device name, directory name or logical name
          that you would like MRBackup to use for its work  area. Click the
          Save gadget  when you  are done  to record  your change. The next

                                          5





          MRBackup Professional                                   Operation



          time you start MRBackup, the new work area will be used.

          You may also direct MRBackup to  start up  with an initialization
          file  (preferences)  other  than  the default S:MRBackup.init (or
          MRBackup.init, if it exists in the  same directory  as MRBackup).
          This is done by adding a Tool Type entry of the form:

            INIT=<filename>

          where  <filename>  is  the  name  of the file containing MRBackup
          preferences settings. This file is usually created with  the Save
          Preferences command in MRBackup's Project menu. Example:

            INIT=DH0Backup.prefs

          If  you  really  want  to  get  clever,  you  can  make copies of
          MRBackup's project icon file (MRBackupDefault.info) and  tune the
          Tool  Types  entries  for  each  hard disk partition. How is this
          done?   Using   the   CLI   COPY   command,   make   a   copy  of
          MRBackupDefaults.info for each partition. Example:

               (CD to the directory where MRBackup resides)
               COPY MRBackupDefaults.info MRBackup-DH0.info
               COPY MRBackupDefaults.info MRBackup-DH1.info
               (etc.)

          For each icon, do the following:

                  Select the  icon (one  click), then  choose Info from the
                  WorkBench menu.

                  Edit the Tool entry so that it specifies the correct name
                  for   the   MRBackup   program   file.   The  default  is
                  SYS:Tools/MRBackup.

                  Edit the DIR and  INIT Tool  Type entries  as appropriate
                  for the partition that this icon represents.


          Support Files

          MRBackup obtains  some of  its operating parameters from a set of
          support files. The primary copy of these files  is usually stored
          in the S: directory, but you may create as many new copies as you
          wish to customize backup and restore parameters on  a project-by-
          project basis.  All of  these files contain ASCII text and may be
          edited with any Amiga text editor.  Lines beginning  with a semi-
          colon (; comments) are ignored, as are empty lines. Each of these

                                          6





          MRBackup Professional                                   Operation



          files, as delivered, is self-documenting. Use  your favorite text
          editor or text viewer (e.g. More) to view their contents. 

          Note:   you   may   use   other  filenames  (including  different
          extensions) if you desire.  It  is  highly  recommended  that you
          adhere to  some consistent  naming convention to avoid confusion,
          however.


            MRBackup.init
               This file contains your MRBackup operating parameters. It is
               read by  MRBackup when  it first  starts up to establish its
               default parameter settings.

            MRBackup.bflt
               This is the backup filter file.  It is  used to specifically
               include or  exclude certain  files from  a backup operation.
               See  the  section  titled   Filter  Files   for  a  detailed
               description.

            MRBackup.cflt
               This  is  the  compression  filter  file.  It  allows you to
               prevent specific files from being compressed during a backup
               operation.  See  the  section  titled  Filter  Files  for  a
               detailed description.

            MRBackup.dflt
               This is the decompression  filter  file.  It  allows  you to
               prevent  specific  files  from  being  decompressed during a
               restore operation. See the section titled Filter Files for a
               detailed description.


















                                          7






          The User Interface

          MRBackup employs  the Amiga's Intuition graphical user interface.
          This  result  is  straightforward  user  interaction  and concise
          information presentation.  MRBackup has its own user-configurable
          four-color custom screen  with  a  pleasing  3-D  appearance. All
          parameters for  backup and  restore operations  can be controlled
          from MRBackup's main window. A pull-down menu provides  access to
          MRBackup's set of operations.


          The Menu

          MRBackup operations  are invoked  by menu  selections or keyboard
          shortcuts. MRBackup has one menu, named Project. Its  entries are
          described  briefly  here.  Refer  to  the section titled MRBackup
          Operations for a more detailed description.

            Backup
               Start a backup operation.

            Colors
               Change MRBackup's color settings.

            Resume Backup
               Resume a backup which was previously interrupted.

            Restore
               Restore files from a backup set.

            Load Preferences
               Load MRBackup's operating parameters  from a  file. The name
               of the file is specified in the Preferences gadget.

            Save Preferences
               Save MRBackup's  operating parameters to a file. The name of
               the file is specified in the Preferences gadget.

            Utilities
               Start MRBackup's file management utilities.

            Quit
               Terminate MRBackup.


          MRBackup Main Window






                                          8





          MRBackup Professional                          The User Interface



          Please refer to Figure 1  for  a  picture  of  the  MRBackup Main
          Window. This  window contains  all of the parameters that control
          backup and restore operations. All information is managed through
          Intuition gadgets.  As you view this window, you will notice that
          some  have  a  raised  appearance,  while  others  appear  to  be
          recessed. The  raised gadgets respond to a single mouse click and
          will either cycle through  a set  of allowed  values or  pop up a
          requester to  obtain more  information. The  recessed gadgets are
          altered by first clicking the mouse within their  rectangle, then
          typing  a  value  from  the  keyboard. When altering one of these
          string gadgets,  always  complete  your  change  by  pressing the
          RETURN key.  Failure to  do so  might result in MRBackup ignoring
          your changes.

          You will also notice several square raised gadgets,  labeled with
          a  question  mark  (?).  These are called file requester gadgets.
          Each of these is associated with another gadget which specifies a
          device,  directory  or  file  name.  When  you  click  on  a file
          requester gadget, a  file  requester  window  is  superimposed on
          MRBackup's main  window (see  Figure 2 - The ARP File Requester).
          With it, you can navigate your file system and easily  select the
          appropriate name for the corresponding gadget.

          The following  paragraphs describe  all of the labeled gadgets in
          MRBackup's  main  window.  Please  take  the  time  to  read this
          information  carefully,  as  several  important  key concepts are
          presented here. The gadgets are described in top-to-bottom, left-
          to-right order.

               Test Date

               The test  date is used by backup operations only. If the
               test date  is  set  to  January  1,  1978  (beginning of
               AmigaDOS time),  it has no effect. Otherwise, only files
               modified on or after the test date will  be selected for
               backup.  To  change  the  test  date,  just click on the
               gadget box. A date requester will pop up  (see Figure 3-
                The Date  Requester), allowing you to easily change the
               test date. You may select the  new date  value either by
               pointing  and  clicking  on  the  various date requester
               gadgets or by typing  directly  into  each  of  the date
               fields.  For  your  convenience,  MRBackup also supports
               four (4)  date  formats  (AmigaDOS,  U.S.,  Canadian and
               International). 


               Home Path


                                          9





          MRBackup Professional                          The User Interface



               The Home  Path describes  the device  or directory where
               your files normally  reside.  During  backup operations,
               files are copied from the location specified by the Home
               Path. During restore  operations,  files  are  copied to
               this location. You may type the Home Path value directly
               into the gadget box or you may use the file requester to
               assist you.  The Home Path must specify a device, volume
               or directory name (not a file name).


               Backup Path

               The Backup Path describes  the  destination  (FROM path)
               for files  during a  backup or  the source (TO path) for
               files during a restore. Normally, the backup path is the
               name of  one of  your floppy disk drives. If one or more
               of the floppy disk icon gadgets is selected,  the Backup
               Path  is   ignored.  See  the  section  entitled  Backup
               Operations for more details on the Backup Path.


               Floppy Disk Icons

               MRBackup supports  selection of  up to  four floppy disk
               devices (DF0:  through DF3:) for backup or restore. This
               allows you to preload  your  disk  drives,  reducing the
               frequency with which you must insert diskettes. MRBackup
               will cycle  through the  selected drives  and prompt you
               for more  diskettes only  when all  have been used or an
               error is detected. When you click on one of these icons,
               a check-mark  will appear,  indicating that the drive is
               selected. Whenever floppy drives  are  selected  in this
               fashion, the Backup Path specification is ignored.


               Formatting

               This  gadget   only  has   meaning  when  performing  an
               AmigaDOS-compatible backup.  It  selects  the formatting
               method used  to initialize each backup disk. Clicking on
               this gadget causes it  to  cycle  through  its  range of
               values  which  are  Normal,  Quick  and  None, described
               below:

                 Normal    Use this setting for new disks  which have never
                           been  formatted  or  when  you  simply  want  to
                           completely  reformat  your  backup  disks.  This
                           method requires the most time.

                                         10





          MRBackup Professional                          The User Interface




                 Quick     Use  this  method  for  disks  which  have  been
                           previously formatted for AmigaDOS  use. Only the
                           filesystem   header   blocks   are  initialized,
                           requiring very little time.

                 None      This is a special  setting which  should be used
                           with care.  You might  wish to  use this setting
                           with diskettes which have  been preformatted and
                           are  known  to  be  empty or when "refreshing" a
                           backup  which  is  known  to  require  only  one
                           diskette.


               Backup Mode
               
               The Backup Mode gadget selects the type of Backup or Restore
               to be performed and  cycles through  the following  range of
               values:

                 AmigaDOS
                 Fast Disk
                 SCSI Tape
               
               The  backup  modes  are  described  in detail in the section
               entitled Backup Operations.

               
               Compression

               This gadget specifies the size of the compression  codes, in
               bits,  that  are  to  be  used when performing a backup. The
               values range from  12  bits  through  16  bits  or  None (no
               compression  performed).  Smaller  code  sizes  allow faster
               compression and lower memory  requirements while compression
               with larger  code sizes yields larger compression ratios but
               requires more time and more memory.


               Decompression

               The setting of  this  gadget  is  only  meaningful  during a
               restore operation. It specifies the maximum compression code
               size (in bits)  to  be  decompressed  when  restoring files.
               Files  that  were  compressed  with larger compression codes
               will be restored in their compressed state.



                                         11





          MRBackup Professional                          The User Interface



               Compression Est.

               This  value  is  a  compression  estimate,  specified  as  a
               percentage.  Its  range  is  0  through  99  and  it is only
               meaningful for  AmigaDOS-compatible  backups.  Refer  to the
               section entitled  File Compression for details on the use of
               this setting.


               Buffer Size (K)

               When MRBackup performs input or  output  from/to  a  file, a
               certain amount  of memory  is set aside as a buffer (holding
               area). This is done to minimize the number  of physical disk
               accesses necessary  to move  data from/to a file. The bigger
               the buffer, the fewer the disk accesses that are required to
               move  a  file.  The  default  buffer  size is 32K bytes (K =
               1024). If your system  has  expanded  memory,  you  can take
               advantage of  it by increasing your buffer size. The maximum
               buffer size allowed is 512K but  the recommended  maximum is
               the smaller  of 128K  or the largest known file size on your
               system.


               Backup Volume Prefix

               During a backup, MRBackup normally names  each backup volume
               with the  word "Backup",  combined with the current date and
               the disk  sequence  number.  You  can  customize  the backup
               volume  names  by  supplying  your own prefix. In this case,
               MRBackup will simply  append  the  disk  sequence  number to
               whatever  prefix  you  supply.  As  an  example,  the prefix
               "DH0Backup." yields "DH0Backup.1", "DH0Backup.2", etc.


               Preferences

               This  gadget  names  the  file  where  MRBackup's  operating
               parameters  (user  preferences)  are  stored. If MRBackup is
               started without an explicit "initial file" specification ("-
               i" option from CLI, "INIT=<name>" Tool Type from WorkBench),
               the current directory is  searched  for  "MRBackup.init". If
               the file  is not found there, the working directory (default
               = S:) is  searched.  You  may  change  MRBackup's parameters
               (including this  one), then  use Save  Preferences to record
               your new settings. You  may also  reinitialize MRBackup with
               another preferences file by changing this specification.


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          MRBackup Professional                          The User Interface




               Backup Filter

               This  gadget  specifies  a  file  to  be  used  to assist in
               selecting (or rejecting) files  for a  backup. If  you don't
               want to  use a  backup filter, just clear this gadget (click
               in the gadget box  and  press  the  Right-Amiga  and  X keys
               simultaneously, then  press RETURN).  The backup filter file
               delivered  with   MRBackup,   "MRBackup.bflt",      is  self
               documenting.


               Compression Filter

               The compression filter is used during backups to inhibit the
               compression of certain files (when compression  is enabled).
               The  compression   filter  file   delivered  with  MRBackup,
               "MRBackup.cflt",  is  self  documenting.  There  are several
               built-in compression filter patterns in MRBackup. They are:

                 #?.arc - ARC archives
                 #?.lzh - LHARC archives
                 #?.Z      - compressed files
                 #?.ZIP - PKAZIP archives
                 #?.ZOO - Zoo archives

               Files of  these types almost always expand when subjected to
               additional compression.


               Decompression Filter

               The decompression filter is  used during  restore operations
               to  inhibit  the  decompression  of certain compressed files
               when decompression is  enabled.  Files  specified  with this
               filter  will  be  restored  in  their  compressed state. The
               decompression   filter   file   delivered   with   MRBackup,
               "MRBackup.dflt", is  self documenting.  If you prefer not to
               use a decompression filter, simply clear this gadget.


               Listing Path

               MRBackup normally generates a  listing during  backups. This
               gadget specifies  the file or device to receive the listing.
               You may type the  listing path  directly into  the gadget or
               you may  use its requester gadget to assist you. To send the
               listing directly to the printer, you would select "PRT:". To

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          MRBackup Professional                          The User Interface



               save the  listing to  a file on the hard disk, simply select
               the appropriate directory and file name.


               Log File

               MRBackup will  optionally  generate  a  log  of  all  of its
               activities if the Log File gadget contains a valid pathname.
               This log  will  contain  time-stamped  progress  reports and
               error  messages.  To  disable  the  log,  simply  clear this
               gadget. When errors are detected during a backup or restore,
               it is good practice to check the contents of the log for the
               cause and severity of these errors.


               Error Handling

               MRBackup has several approaches to error handling. The range
               of values for error handling are:

                  Interactive    MRBackup  asks  how  the  error  is  to be
                                 handled

                  Retry          Upon  detecting  an  error,  MRBackup will
                                 retry the  operation a  number of times as
                                 specified in the Retries gadget.

                  Ignore         MRBackup will  count  the  error  but will
                                 continue   processing.   Errors   will  be
                                 reported to the log file.

                  Abort          MRBackup will immediately  abort  a backup
                                 or restore upon detecting any error.

               Normally, you will use the Interactive setting. 


               Voice On / Voice Off

               This  is   an  ON/OFF   button  which  enables  or  disables
               MRBackup's speech capability.


               Create Listing: Yes or No

               This is  a  Yes/No  button  which  enables  or  disables the
               creation of the listing file during a backup operation.


                                         14





          MRBackup Professional                          The User Interface




               Split Big Files: Yes or No

               This button  is only  meaningful for the AmigaDOS-compatible
               backup mode. It is a Yes/No switch which enables or disables
               MRBackup's handling of big files. A big file is one which is
               larger than the  capacity  of  an  empty  diskette.  If this
               gadget indicates  Yes, MRBackup  will split big files across
               multiple diskettes. Each diskette will have  a special file,
               MRBackup.bigfile,  in  addition  to  its  segment of the big
               file. This special file describes the file segment.


               Test Archive Bits

               If this button is enabled, MRBackup  will only  backup files
               whose  archive  bits  are  clear.   AmigaDOS clears a file's
               archive bit whenever that file is  modified. Using  the Test
               Archive Bits  option allows  you to  backup only files which
               have changed since the last time you did  a backup  with the
               Set Archive  Bits option  (below) enabled. This filtering is
               done in addition to any other  filtering options  you may be
               using. Please  note that  the AmigaDOS interpretation of the
               archive bit is reversed from that of the  MS-DOS environment
               where  a  set  bit  indicates  that  the  file  has not been
               archived.


               Set Archive Bits

               If this button is enabled, MRBackup will set the archive bit
               on every  file that it backs up. The setting of archive bits
               is deferred until the backup is successfully completed.


          The Status Display Window

          The Status  Display window  is used  to inform  you of MRBackup's
          progress during backup and restore operations. The Status Display
          gadgets are described here in left-to-right, top-to-bottom order.

               Disk Number

               This gadget indicates the number of the floppy  diskette (or
               tape cartridge) which is currently being accessed for backup
               or restore.



                                         15





          MRBackup Professional                          The User Interface



               Backup Volume Name

               This gadget reports the name of the backup  volume currently
               being used for a backup or restore operation. 


               Errors

               This  gadget  displays  the  total number of errors detected
               during a backup or restore operation.


               Destination Capacity

               This gadget shows, in relative terms, how much space remains
               on the  current backup  volume. As  the destination media is
               filled, the gadget's slider will move  to the  right, toward
               the "F" (full) indicator.


               Blocks

               This gadget  displays the  current destination capacity as a
               number of 512 byte blocks.


               Bytes In

               This gadget displays the total number  of bytes,  in K (1024
               byte increments), which have been read into MRBackup.


               Bytes Out

               This gadget  displays the total number of bytes, in K, which
               MRBackup has written to the destination media.


               Ratio

               This  gadget  displays,  as  a  percentage  of  change,  the
               effective  compression  ratio  for backups and decompression
               ratio for restores.   For example,  when a  value of  35% is
               displayed  during  a  backup  operation, then the cumulative
               size for all files backed up  has  been  reduced  by  35 per
               cent.



                                         16





          MRBackup Professional                          The User Interface



               Overhead

               This gadget  displays, as  a percentage of total media space
               available, the amount of  backup  media  space  not directly
               associated with  file data  storage. Overhead  space is used
               for file and directory headers, etc.


               Current File or Directory

               At the start of a backup,  this gadget  reports the  name of
               each directory  being scanned  for files. During a backup or
               restore operation, this gadget reports the name of  the file
               currently being accessed.


               Status

               This is  a one-line  text message  which reports the current
               state of MRBackup or the last significant event or error.


               STOP

               This gadget allows you  to  terminate  a  backup  or restore
               operation. As  a safety measure, a requester will ask you to
               confirm this action before it takes effect.

               Please note that when using a  large buffer  size, there may
               be a  very noticeable  delay when clicking the STOP or PAUSE
               gadgets. Just  be  patient  -  MRBackup  will  recognize the
               request as soon as the current buffer operation completes. 


               PAUSE / PROCEED

               This  gadget  temporarily  suspends  all  backup  or restore
               activity. If you are  closely monitoring  the progress  of a
               backup or  restore and  the phone rings, you can click PAUSE
               and be confident that things won't "get away from you". When
               you click  the PAUSE  gadget, its  label changes to PROCEED.
               MRBackup will be  suspended  until  this  gadget  is clicked
               again.


               Chip, Fast, Total



                                         17





          MRBackup Professional                          The User Interface



               These three  gadgets display the amount of CHIP RAM and FAST
               RAM available, as well as the  combined total.  They provide
               you  with  a  means  to  monitor memory availability. If the
               combined total  should  drop  below  a  reasonable threshold
               (arbitrarily, let's  pick 128K), you might want to click the
               PAUSE  gadget,  cancel  other  applications  that  might  be
               running and  then click the PROCEED gadget to allow MRBackup
               to resume. This action  would forestall  a failure  due to a
               potential low-memory condition.








































                                         18





          MRBackup Professional                          The User Interface




          The Utilities Window

          The  Utilities   Window  provides  a  variety  of  AmigaDOS  file
          management operations. The top  portion  of  the  window contains
          gadgets  for  specifying  file  selection  criteria and reporting
          status. The middle portion is a combined information  display and
          file requester  for interactively selecting individual files. The
          bottom portion of the window primarily contains "command buttons"
          which  select  the  operation  to  be  performed  on the selected
          file(s).

          When performing a Utilities operation, the affected files  have a
          source  (From)  and,  where  appropriate, a destination (To). The
          file  information  display  box  in  the  center  of  this window
          multiplexes (switches)  between the  From and To modes, depending
          upon the settings of the ON/OFF  switches affecting  the From and
          To selections.


               OFF/ON

               The OFF/ON  switches determine  whether the source (From) or
               destination (To) directory is displayed in  the file display
               area. These switches are mutually exclusive and only one can
               be ON at a time, though both can  be OFF  at the  same time.
               Clicking on  either will  cause the display box to be filled
               with   information   relevant   to   the   appropriate  path
               specification.


               From

               This gadget holds the source device or directory name. 


               To

               This gadget holds the destination device or directory name.


               From/To Arrow (Parent) Gadgets

               The From  and To  gadgets each  have an  arrow gadget to the
               right of their respective text boxes. Clicking on  the arrow
               causes  the  selection  to  move  up  one  level in the file
               hierarchy (the immediate parent). For instance,  if the From
               selection  is  currently  "DH0:Src/Lib/Amiga",  clicking its

                                         19





          MRBackup Professional                          The User Interface



               associated arrow  gadget will  change the  From selection to
               "DH0:Src/Lib".


               Drive

               Clicking on the Drive gadget will cause the currently active
               selection (From or To,  as determined  by the  OFF/ON switch
               settings) to  cycle to  the next disk drive (including RAM:,
               RAD:).


               FileSpec

               The FileSpec gadget (file  specification) is  applied to the
               From  selection  to  restrict  the files visible in the file
               information  box.  Typically,  an   AmigaDOS/ARP  file  name
               pattern is entered here. For instance, "#?" or "*" (default)
               allows all filenames to be seen.  "#?.Doc" would  allow only
               filenames ending in ".Doc" to be seen. The FileSpec does not
               apply to directory names, which are always visible.


               Info

               The Info gadget provides  status information  related to the
               current utility operation being performed.


               All Files

               Clicking on  the All  Files gadget will select everything in
               the file information box (including entries which are out of
               view). Selected entries are displayed in reverse video.


               Clear

               Clicking on  the Clear  gadget will  cause all  files in the
               file display area to be deselected.


               State (unlabled)

               There  is  an  unlabeled  box  centered   beneath  the  file
               information box.  This gadget is used to display the current
               state of the Utilities "engine".
                

                                         20





          MRBackup Professional                          The User Interface




          Utility Command Buttons

          At the bottom  of  the  Utilities  window  is  a  set  of gadgets
          (command  buttons)  which  are  labeled  with  the  names  of the
          Utilities  processing  options.  Each   one  will   be  discussed
          separately below.  One thing that they all have in common is that
          the From selection  must  be  active  before  they  may  be used.
          Clicking  any  command  button  before  the  current  process has
          completed will terminate the current process.


               Compress

               This  command  button  causes  the  selected   files  to  be
               compressed, using  the current  Compression bit code setting
               and  compression  filter  file  in  the  MRBackup Parameters
               window. The From and To path specifications may indicate the
               same or different  pathnames.  If  they  are  the  same, the
               original  file   will  be  deleted  and  replaced  with  its
               compressed version (having a ".Z" suffix).


               Decompress

               This  command  button  causes  the  selected   files  to  be
               decompressed,  using  the  current  Decompression  bit  code
               setting and decompression filter  file, as  specified in the
               MRBackup main  window. The  From and  To path specifications
               may indicate the same  or different  paths. If  they are the
               same, the  compressed file  (having the ".Z" suffix) will be
               replaced by its decompressed version (".Z" suffix removed).


               Copy

               The Copy  command  button  requires  different  From  and To
               specifications.  The  selected  files  are  copied to the To
               path.


               Rename

               The Rename command button  requires  that  the  From  and To
               specifications name different directories on the same device
               (renaming across devices is not allowed). All selected files
               will be  moved (renamed)  from their current location to the
               To directory.

                                         21





          MRBackup Professional                          The User Interface





               Delete

               Only the From  specification  is  required  for  Delete. All
               selected files will be deleted from your system. Be careful!


               SetDate

               The  SetDate  command  button  changes the file modification
               date for all selected files  (the  To  specification  is not
               required).  Upon  selecting  the SetDate command button, you
               will be presented  with  MRBackup's  date  requester. Simply
               select the date you wish to apply.


               Set Bits

               The  Set  Bits  command  button provides the capabilities of
               the AmigaDOS "Protect" command.  Above the  Set Bits command
               button,  you   will  see  eight  gadgets  with  the  letters
               "H,S,P,A,R,W,E,D". These letters are defined as follows:

                    H - Hidden file (not currently supported)
                    S - Script (recognized by NewShell, AShell)
                    P - Pure (used by "resident" programs)
                    A - Archived (set => file is archived)
                    R - File is readable
                    W - File is writeable
                    E - File is executable
                    D - File is deleteable

               Set the appropriate gadgets  for the  bits you  wish to set,
               then click  the Set Bits command button. The bit pattern you
               have selected will be logically OR-ed  with the  current bit
               settings for the selected files.

               The  R,  W,  E  and  D indicators are somewhat confusing, as
               their meaning is inverted. A set bit actually means that the
               related operation  is inhibited.  For instance,  when "W" is
               displayed, it actually means  that  the  "W"  bit  is clear,
               allowing  file  write  operations.  To write-protect a file,
               then, you must SET its "W" bit.


               Clear Bits


                                         22





          MRBackup Professional                          The User Interface



               Clear Bits works in much the same fashion as Set Bits except
               that  the  selected  bits  are turned off. Only the selected
               bits will be affected  -  all  others  retain  their current
               setting.













































                                         23





          MRBackup Professional                            File Compression



          File Compression

          Compression Method

          MRBackup employs  Lempel-Ziv compression.  While this method does
          not yield the  highest  compression  ratios,  it  is  one  of the
          fastest software compression algorithms available. Its ability to
          be "tuned" through the use  of  user-specified  code  size limits
          allows you  to make  certain performance  trade-offs. Larger code
          sizes will make greater  temporary demands  on system  memory but
          will result in higher compression ratios. 

          When  a  file  is  compressed,  special  codes are written at the
          beginning  of  the  compressed  file  to  indicate  that   it  is
          compressed  and  to  record  the  size  of  the  codes  used  for
          compression. Thus, you need not remember what code  size was used
          to compress a particular file.


          Compression Estimating

          MRBackup's compression  estimating feature is only meaningful for
          AmigaDOS-compatible backups. MRBackup does  not  know  in advance
          what a  file's size  will be  after it  is compressed. Therefore,
          when determining whether a  file will  fit on  the current backup
          diskette,  the  file's  full  size  is used. This can result in a
          significant amount of wasted space on  each diskette.  If you set
          the compression estimate to a non-zero value, MRBackup will apply
          this estimate  when  determining  space  available.  A reasonable
          value to  start with  is 35  (%). This means that you expect most
          files  to  be  65%  of  their   original  size   (100%-35%)  when
          compressed. Please  note that  this may lead to occaisional "disk
          full" errors, depending on  how aggressive  your estimate  is. In
          this  case,  MRBackup  will  delete the partially copied file and
          force a new diskette. This is a feature you'll have  to develop a
          "feel" for.  Over time,  you'll have  a pretty  good idea of what
          your typical compression yield is and  can make  more intelligent
          estimates. Of  course, you  can always play "safe" and leave this
          value at zero.










                                         24






          Filter Files

          The term "filter" may sound strange  to you,  but you've probably
          heard  and  even  used  it  many times without giving it a second
          thought. Surely you've heard  of the  coffee filter,  which keeps
          the coffee  grounds out  of your  freshly brewed pot of java. Air
          filters keep dust and dirt out  of your  electronic equipment and
          your environment. Oil filters keep your auto's engine clean. 

          MRBackup employs  filename filters  to accomplish something quite
          analogous. A set of filenames is "fed into" a filter and a subset
          of those  filenames is  allowed to "pass through" it. Each filter
          is simply a text file containing zero or  more filename patterns.
          Each filter  (backup, compression,  decompression) has a specific
          purpose and operates on a particular set of filenames.


          Filter File Format

          Each filter file is simply a text file which can  be created with
          any plain  text editor  or a  word processor which can save plain
          ASCII text. The file may contain any number of patterns,  one per
          line. You  may place comments in the file by placing a semi-colon
          (;)  in  the  first  character  position.  Empty  lines  are also
          ignored. 


          Filter Patterns

          Filter patterns  are expressed  "relative" to a device or volume.
          That is, they don't  include a  volume or  device name  (the part
          preceding and  including the  colon in a full AmigaDOS filename).
          What they are relative to is implicit in their use. For instance,
          the backup  filter patterns are relative to the "home" device, as
          are  the  compression  filter  patterns.  Since  decompression is
          performed  during  a  restore,  decompression filter patterns are
          implicitly relative to the "backup" device. 

          Filter patterns may be simple filenames, such as

            Trashcan
            Trashcan.info

          or they may be quite exotic and complex  patterns with "wildcard"
          notation,  character  class  specifications,  etc.  Here  is  the
          definition of special characters  which can  be used  in a filter
          pattern:





                                         25





          MRBackup Professional                                Filter Files




            Character      Meaning

            ?              Match any single character.

            %              Match the null string.

            #<p>           Match zero or more occurrences of pattern <p>.

            *              Match any pattern (same as #?).

            <p1><p2>       Match pattern <p1> followed by pattern <p2>.

            ( )            Parentheses group patterns together.

            (<p1>|<p2>)    Match if  either <p1> or <p2> match (parentheses
                           are required.).

            []             Character class (ex: [a-z] or [0-9] ).  

            ~<p>           Negation:  match   anything   BUT   pattern  <p>
                           Example: "~*.info"  means all files except those
                           ending in ".info" (quotes for illustration only)

            '              Escape  next  special   character.   Useful  for
                           filenames  which  contain any special characters
                           above.


          The most common mistake that you are likely to make when creating
          your filter  patterns is  to omit the "leading context" from your
          patterns. For instance, if  you  want  to  omit  all  files named
          "junk.txt" from  an operation,  you must remember that the simple
          filename  is  actually  part  of  a  larger  specification  which
          includes  all  higher  level  directory  names. Thus, to omit all
          files named "junk.txt", we might use the following pattern:

            (junk.txt|#?/junk.txt)

          This is a pattern grouping which recognizes "junk.txt" at the top
          level of  a volume  or (you  can equate the vertical bar | to the
          word "or") at any level in the directory hierarchy. The pattern

            #?junk.txt

          is not "safe" since it  will  match  ANY  sequence  of characters
          preceding  "junk.txt"  (somejunk.txt,  myjunk.txt,  morejunk.txt,
          etc.) which is not what we wanted.

                                         26





          MRBackup Professional                                Filter Files





          Backup Filter

          The Backup Filter is  used to  assist in  the selection  of files
          that are  to be  copied during  a backup operation. When MRBackup
          performs its initial scan, the backup  filter is  applied to each
          file or directory name as it is encountered. 

          The  Backup  Filter  has  a  dual  personality.  By  default, its
          patterns are  used  to  exclude  selected  files  from  a backup.
          However, there  are two special patterns which change the meaning
          of the Backup Filter patterns. These  patterns are  :INCLUDE: and
          :EXCLUDE:.

          If  the  :INCLUDE:  pattern  appears  in  the Backup Filter file,
          subsequent patterns will be used to include files  in the backup.
          Only files  which match  these patterns  will be  included in the
          backup. This can be a useful mechanism for  backing up "disjoint"
          directory  hierarchies  without  having  to  provide many exclude
          patterns.

          If the :EXCLUDE:  pattern  appears  in  the  Backup  Filter file,
          subsequent  patterns  will  be  used  to  exclude  files from the
          backup. If the :INCLUDE:  pattern is  also present  in the filter
          file,  the  exclude  patterns  will  be applied only to the files
          which  satisfied  the  include  patterns.  That  is,  the include
          patterns take  precedence, regardless  of the appearance order of
          :INCLUDE: or :EXCLUDE:.


          Compression Filter

          The Compression Filter is employed during  a backup  operation to
          inhibit file  compression on  certain files.  It has no effect if
          the Compression gadget has been set to None. 

          Over time, you will notice that certain files have a  tendency to
          expand,  rather  than  compress,  when  subjected  to  MRBackup's
          compression  scheme.  Such  strange   behavior!  The  compression
          algorithm  takes  advantage  of  the fact that most files contain
          data whose values are  not evenly  distributed. There  tend to be
          many redundant  data patterns  which can  be represented by fewer
          bits.  However,  certain  files,  such  as  programs, animations,
          graphics images, etc., do not compress well. MRBackup will detect
          this condition, abandon compression for that  file and  perform a
          straight copy.  Unfortunately, this  results in  a waste of time,


                                         27





          MRBackup Professional                                Filter Files



          since a significant portion of the file may  have been compressed
          before the condition was detected. 

          MRBackup helps you alleviate this situation by providing you with
          a Compression Filter. As you detect  files for  which compression
          is  a   problem,  enter   the  appropriate   patterns  into  your
          Compression  Filter  file  and  MRBackup  will  cease  trying  to
          compress  them.  If  you  use  a reasonable naming convention for
          certain classes of files (e.g. <file>.ilbm for IFF bitmap files),
          you can easily omit whole classes of files from compression.


          Decompression Filter

          While file  compression is  a nice  backup feature,  you may also
          want to maintain certain files on your hard drive in a compressed
          state.  If  you  perform  a  restore operation with decompression
          enabled, however, files that you wish  to remain  compressed will
          be decompressed.  The Decompression  Filter allows you to specify
          the files  which you  would like  to restore  in their compressed
          state. That is, patterns in the Decompression Filter inhibit file
          decompression.



























                                         28






          Backup Operations

          The data and programs on your Amiga might  well be  worth more to
          you (in  terms of  cost to replace) than the machine itself. Hard
          disks fail. Systems "crash", causing irrecoverable damage to hard
          disk   partitions.    Backups   are    insurance   against   such
          probabilities. However,  they often  don't get  done. The excuses
          are many  and varied.  "I'm too  busy", "I  meant to, but...", "I
          don't have enough  floppy  disks",  etc.  We  are  all  guilty to
          varying degrees.  Even the author of this backup program has been
          caught "with his pants  down" on  a couple  of occaisions (excuse
          #1). Needless to say, backups are not a fun way to use your Amiga
          and they require discipline to be done on a regular and effective
          basis. MRBackup  goes a  long way  toward making  this chore more
          pleasant. 


          The Backup Modes

          In a previous  section,  we  touched  briefly  on  the  fact that
          MRBackup supports three backup modes:

                 AmigaDOS

                 Fast Disk

                 SCSI Tape

          MRBackup provides  you the flexibility to choose the mode that is
          best suited to your needs (or budget!). 


          AmigaDOS Backup Mode

          The  AmigaDOS  backup  mode  provides  full   compatibility  with
          AmigaDOS and  its tool set. That is, you can manipulate the files
          in an AmigaDOS backup set with the standard  Amiga tools  such as
          DIR, LIST, COPY, TYPE, etc. When backing up to diskette, MRBackup
          creates disk volumes (currently OFS) which are accessible  to the
          AmigaDOS filesystem.  MRBackup also  employs no hardware-specific
          "tricks" in this mode.  If  the  disk  hardware  is  supported by
          standard Amiga  software, MRBackup will handle it (if you find an
          exception to this, please let us know!).

          One important item to note is that you are not required to backup
          files to  floppy diskettes. If you are fortunate enough to have a
          "spare" hard disk or a hard  disk with  removable media,  you can





                                         29





          MRBackup Professional                           Backup Operations



          use  either  for  your  backup  destination. You can also perform
          backups from one directory to another. 

          MRBackup  preserves  all  file  attributes  when  backing  up and
          restoring files. The file protection word (HSPARWED), comment and
          modification date are all maintained. This is true for all backup
          modes.


          Fast Disk Backup Mode

          The Amiga's  original filesystem, while providing a great deal of
          recoverability, suffers from poor performance. This is especially
          notable  when  accessing  floppy  disks.  This  can  be  overcome
          somewhat by adding more disk buffers  via the  AddBuffers command
          or  using  a  floppy  disk  accelerator (caching program) such as
          ASDG's Facc-II. 

          MRBackup addresses  this  problem  by  providing  a  new diskette
          format. In  a sense, this format is analagous to a streaming tape
          drive. Floppy disk head  movement is  minimized. The  diskette is
          formatted as  data is written to it and slightly more data can be
          written  to  the   diskette   (without   using   any  compression
          techniques). Also,  files are  automatically split across volumes
          in Fast Disk mode, meaning that there is no unused  space on your
          backup diskettes.  At the  same time,  a high degree of integrity
          and recoverability  has  been  designed  in.  Though  this format
          cannot  be  read  by  the  AmigaDOS  filesystem(s), you will most
          likely prefer to use it for most general-purpose  backups because
          it is so fast. 

          If  you  feel  uncomfortable  about  storing your files in a non-
          standard format, take heed! MRBackup's fast  disk backup  mode is
          NOT proprietary!  If you  would like documentation describing the
          fast disk backup format, send  $5.00  to  TTR  Development  for a
          diskette containing documentation and C language source files.

          Another interesting  feature of  Fast Disk  mode is  that you can
          backup TO A FILE OR  ANY  STREAM-ORIENTED  DEVICE!  The  file, in
          essense, simulates a very large capacity floppy diskette. You can
          then manage this  backup  file  as  a  single  entity.  If you're
          fortunate enough  to be connected to a networked file server with
          lots of available disk space, the advantages are  tremendous! You
          can  perform  a  full  backup without changing disks, saving your
          backups in  remote  files  which  fully  preserve  their AmigaDOS
          attributes. 



                                         30





          MRBackup Professional                           Backup Operations



          SCSI Tape Backup Mode

          As you  might have  guessed, this  mode supports a streaming tape
          drive with a SCSI  (Small Computer  Systems Interface) interface.
          It  is  essentially  the  same  as  Fast  Disk  mode, except that
          additional  support  and  modified  error-handling  behavior  are
          invoked for the tape drive. 

          A SCSI  tape handler  is provided  with MRBackup.  To use it, you
          must perform the following steps:

                  Copy  the  tape  handler,   mrtape-handler   to   the  L:
                  directory:

                     COPY MRBackup:L/mrtape-handler L:

                  Add   the   supplied   device  mountlist  entry  to  your
                  DEVS:Mountlist file, using a  text editor.  The mountlist
                  entry provided  with MRBackup  is named "mountlist.tape".
                  It contains the following:

                  MRTAPE:  Handler = l:mrtape-handler
                           StartUp = "128/scsi.device/4/0"
                           Stacksize = 4000
                           Priority = 5
                           GlobVec = -1
                  #

                  You may need to change the "Startup" line. The expression
                  to  the  right  of  the  equal sign (=) has the following
                  format: 

                  "<buffer_size>/<device_driver>/<device_number>/<flags>"

                  The beginning  and ending  double quotes  are required if
                  you are  using the  standard AmigaDOS  Mount command (not
                  required with the ARP mount command). 

                  The <buffer_size> parameter is specified in  multiples of
                  K  (K=1024).  The  example  value of 128, above, provides
                  double-buffering  for  the  WangTek  model  5XXX-ES  tape
                  drives, which have an internal 64K buffer.

                  The <device_driver> parameter specifies the device driver
                  to be used to talk to the device.  Use "scsi.device" with
                  the  CBM  A2091  SCSI  controller.  Consult  your owner's
                  manual if you are using a non-Commodore SCSI controller.


                                         31





          MRBackup Professional                           Backup Operations



                  The <device_number>  parameter specifies  the SCSI device
                  number, usually established by jumpers or DIP switches on
                  your tape drive.

                  The <flags> entry is provided for  a future compatibility
                  option and should be set to zero.


          Once  the  above  steps  have  been performed, you must mount the
          MRTAPE: device. This is done with the following command:

            MOUNT MRTAPE:

          You may then specify MRTAPE: as  your Backup  Path. You  may also
          automate the device mounting process by placing the above command
          in your S:Startup-Sequence (or S:StartupII) file.


          Backup Schemes

          You may not have  even  thought  of  it,  but  there  are several
          approaches to backing up your system. Each has its advantages and
          disadvantages. You may use  one or  more of  them, depending upon
          your use  of the Amiga. MRBackup is so flexible that you may come
          up with several more not detailed here. 


          The Full Backup

          A full backup is the most desirable method if time  and available
          backup media  are not factors. A complete "snapshot" of your hard
          disk partition(s) is taken,  fully reflecting  the state  of your
          machine at  that point  in time. If you are using floppy disks to
          backup a large partition, however,  you  may  find  this approach
          quite burdensome.  Given MRBackup's flexibility however, you will
          quite likely find a  mix of  backup techniques  that satisfy your
          needs.

          Another  thing  to  remember  is  that  much  of  your commercial
          software already has a backup - the original disk (or  the backup
          you made  of the  original disk  if you followed typical vendor's
          instructions). If you have lots of  commercial software installed
          on  your  hard  disk,  you should probably consider excluding the
          files which  don't  change  (programs,  examples,  etc.)  via the
          backup filter.  This will  dramatically cut  down on the time and
          media required for a "full" backup.



                                         32





          MRBackup Professional                           Backup Operations



          Incremental Backups

          Incremental backups provide a reasonable alternative  to the full
          backup  if  the  proper  procedures are followed. The incremental
          backup consists of a full system backup followed by one or more 
          partial backups. The partial backups record  only the  files that
          have changed since the full backup was performed.


          The "File Modification Date" Incremental Backup

          Each time  a file  is written (modified), the AmigaDOS filesystem
          sets the file's modification date to  the current  date and time,
          as  set  in  the  Amiga's  time-of-day  clock.  MRBackup can take
          advantage of  this  fact  by  comparing  file  modification dates
          against  the  Test  Date  setting  in the main window. Only files
          changed on or after the Test Date are selected for backup. 

          A typical backup scenario for a date-sensitive backup might be:

            1. Perform a full system backup to backup media set 1.

            2. Perform incremental backup to backup media set 2.

            3. Perform incremental backup to backup media set "n".

            4. Repeat the sequence starting with step 1.

          In the sequence above, there is  an implied  delay between steps.
          Depending upon  your requirements and confidence level (degree of
          self-discipline?), the delay may  range from  several hours  to a
          week or more (not much more!). You might choose a one month cycle
          (i.e. step 1 is repeated on  the first  Saturday of  each month).
          Notice that  multiple media  sets (tapes,  floppies, files, etc.)
          are required. When performing  incremental backups,  you must not
          destroy your previous backup set(s). 

          There is some room for variation here, however. You might want to
          maintain just two sets  of  backup  media.  The  first  set would
          contain the  full backup,  while the second set would contain all
          files which changed since the full backup was done. In this case,
          each time  you perform  the incremental backup, more backup media
          will be required to hold the additional files, assuming a dynamic
          system where files are being changed on a daily basis. 


          The "Archive Bit" Incremental Backup


                                         33





          MRBackup Professional                           Backup Operations



          In addition  to maintaining  the file modification date, AmigaDOS
          also maintains an archive indicator bit  in each  file protection
          word. Specifically,  AmigaDOS clears  the archive  bit whenever a
          file is modified. Backup software, such as MRBackup, can set this
          bit when  a file  has been  successfully backed up. When the Test
          Archive Bits gadget is set to ON, only files with cleared archive
          bits will  be backed  up. If  the Set Archive Bits gadget is also
          on, MRBackup will set the archive  bits of  all files  which have
          been backed up.

          The sequence to observe when performing the archive bit backup is
          similar to that used for the date sensitive  backup. However, you
          MUST use a different set of backup media for each unique step. 

          As an  aside, MRBackup  does not  prevent you from doing a backup
          which combines date testing with archive bit testing. However, it
          is advised  that you choose one method or the other for desirable
          results.


          The Project Backup

          If you're a developer, you may be concentrating all of  your work
          in a specific directory hierarchy. Likewise, if you're a graphics
          artist, you may have a specific area in which you  work. In these
          instances, it  is recommended that you do daily "full" backups of
          these selected areas. This can  be  accomplished  by  setting the
          Home Path  to the  name of  the topmost directory for the project
          area and setting the Test Date  gadget  to  January  1,  1978 and
          setting the Test Archive Bits gadget to "No". 

          Also,  you  may  wish  to  define specific backup and compression
          filters for each special project area. 


          The Backup Process

          Once you're sure that  all backup  settings are  correct, you may
          begin the  backup process.  This is  done by selecting the Backup
          command from the Project menu or by typing the keyboard shortcut,
          Right-Amiga  +  B.  MRBackup's  main  window will disappear and a
          smaller Status  Display window  will appear.  This window informs
          you of the progress of the backup. As the backup proceeds, pop-up
          requesters will instruct you to insert/remove  media as necessary
          as  well  as  alert  you  to  other  bits  of  information, error
          conditions, etc.



                                         34





          MRBackup Professional                           Backup Operations



          The first backup step performed is a scan of all  files specified
          by the Home Path. While MRBackup is scanning, the Current File or
          Directory gadget in the  Status Display  window will  display the
          name of  the directory  being scanned. Once the scan is complete,
          MRBackup  will  present  its  file  selector.  The  file selector
          displays  the  list  of  files  that were considered eligible for
          backup, according to the  backup parameters  you have  chosen. It
          then gives  you the  option to  omit certain  files (or groups of
          files) from this list. See the section entitled The MRBackup File
          Selector for details on its operation.

          Assuming  that  you  completed  the  file  selection  process  by
          clicking the OK button in the file selector window, MRBackup will
          proceed  to  backup  your  files.  If  you  have  selected either
          AmigaDOS or Fast  Disk  backup  mode,  you  will  be  prompted to
          insert/remove  diskettes  as  MRBackup  requires your assistance.
          MRBackup does not currently provide support for the  Amiga Floppy
          Disk Carousel since, according to our knowledge, it doesn't exist
          - ha ha!. 

          When the backup is  complete, make  a quick  check of  the Errors
          gadget in  the Status Display window. If it is non-zero, it would
          be a good idea to check the backup log to determine the nature of
          the errors before assuming that the backup set is acceptible. 

























                                         35





          MRBackup Professional                          Restore Operations



          Restore Operations

          The  file  restoration  process  is  the inverse of a backup. You
          would most likely  do  a  full  restore  when  rebuilding  a disk
          partition. A partial restore might be done to recover files which
          were deleted accidentally. 

          The following MRBackup settings come into play when  performing a
          restore operation:

                  Home Path - the target ("to" location) for the restore. 

                  Backup  Path  -  the  source  ("from"  location)  for the
                  restore.

                  Disk Selection Icons - optional selection  of backup path
                  (overrides Backup Path).

                  Backup Mode  - indicates  the type  of backup  set we are
                  restoring from.

                  Decompression - sets the upper code  size limit  for file
                  decompression.  Files  compressed  with code sizes larger
                  than this limit  will  be  restored  in  their compressed
                  state.

                  Buffer -  specifies the  amount of  memory to be used for
                  file I/O buffering (same as backup).

                  Decompression Filter - compressed files whose names match
                  one  or  more  of  the  patterns in this file will not be
                  decompressed during a restore.

                  Log File  - records  errors and  progress messages during
                  the restore.

                  Error Handling  - establishes  the type of error handling
                  employed during the restore.

                  Voice  On/Off   -   enables/disables   MRBackup's  speech
                  capability.

          There are  some interesting  (and important) items to be aware of
          when  performing  a  file  restore  operation.  During  a backup,
          MRBackup preserves the complete directory hierarchy for the files
          which are backed  up.  This  may  be  cause  for  some confusion.
          Consider  the  following  example.  You perform a backup with the


                                         36





          MRBackup Professional                          Restore Operations



          Home Path set to  "DH0:"  (your  first  hard  disk  partition). A
          portion of the files selected might look like

               ARexx
               ARexx/Docs
               ARexx/Examples
               ARexx/Tools
               Docs
               Docs/Amiga
               Docs/Graphics
               Docs/Utilities
               ... etc.

          If you  later restore the backup set with the Home Path again set
          to "DH0:", your files will be restored to  the same  level in the
          hierarchy. 

          When you do a backup and specify a subdirectory as the Home Path,
          the full directory hierarchy  from  the  "top"  of  the partition
          through all  levels included  by the  Home Path is preserved. For
          levels higher  than  the  Home  Path,  only  the  directories are
          preserved (files  are ignored).  When you  restore such a backup,
          the Home Path must be changed to the name of  the partition (e.g.
          DH0:,  DH1:,  etc.)  to  which  you  want the files recovered. Of
          course, if you wish to restore your backup  set to  a lower-level
          hierarchy, you are free to select any valid Home Path.

          It  is  important  to  note  that  MRBackup will not overwrite an
          existing  file  with  a  file  which  has  the  same  or  earlier
          modification  date.   During  the  restore,  a  message  will  be
          displayed to the screen and written to the log file for each file
          that is  skipped because  of this condition. If you really intend
          to restore the older  versions, you  must first  delete or rename
          the newer files (or rename the directory that they reside in).















                                         37






          The MRBackup File Selector

          The file  selector is  presented to you during backup and restore
          operations to enable you to  "fine  tune"  the  list  of selected
          files. Before  we discuss  its operation, let's take a quick look
          at the graphical objects that make up the  file selector.  In the
          discussion that  follows the  term entry refers to both files and
          directories.

               Current Level
                  This gadget  reports the  nesting level  of the directory
                  you are currently viewing. The top level is zero.

               Up
                  When you  click the  Up gadget, the next higher directory
                  level  is  displayed  and  the  Current  Level  gadget is
                  updated accordingly.

               Include Pattern
                  This is  a string  gadget which works in conjunction with
                  any of the Select buttons (later). The Include Pattern is
                  a  filename  matching  pattern  (as  used in the MRBackup
                  filters) which is applied  to each  filename when  one of
                  the Select  buttons is clicked. Only those names matching
                  the pattern will be selected. If  the Include  Pattern is
                  blank, no include matching is performed.

               Exclude Pattern
                  This is  a string  gadget which works in conjunction with
                  any of the Select buttons (later). The Exclude Pattern is
                  very  similar   to  the   Include  Pattern,  except  that
                  filenames matching  the  pattern  will  be  excluded from
                  selection  when  a  Select  button  is  clicked.  If both
                  Include and Exclude patterns  are specified,  the Include
                  pattern is applied first. 

               Select all
                  When the  Select all  button is clicked, all files in the
                  selector file list are selected.

               Select all, this level and below
                  This button causes all entries at  the current  level and
                  lower (higher level numbers) to be selected.

               Select all, this level only
                  This button causes all entries at the current level to be
                  selected.





                                         38





          MRBackup Professional                  The MRBackup File Selector




               Deselect all
                  This button has  slightly  different  behavior, depending
                  upon the Current Level setting. When the Current Level is
                  zero (top  level), all  entries are  deselected. When the
                  Current Level is non-zero, all file and directory entries
                  except the parent directories  for the  current level are
                  deselected.

               Deselect all, this level and below
                  This button  causes all  entries at and below the Current
                  Level to be deselected.

               Deselect all, this level only
                  This button causes all entries at the Current Level to be
                  deselected. 

               Entries
                  This gadget  reports the  total number  of entries (files
                  and directories) contained in the file selector list.

               No. Selected
                  This gadget reports the total number of entries currently
                  selected.

               Disk Est.
                  For  backup  operations,  this  gadget  provides  a rough
                  estimate of the number  of  disks  required  to  hold the
                  files currently selected. If file compression is enabled,
                  the  Compression  Estimate  value  (entered  by  you)  is
                  factored into  the disk estimate. The disk estimate value
                  is meaningless for restore operations.

               OK
                  Click this  button when  your file  selection is complete
                  and  you  wish  to  proceed  with  the  current operation
                  (backup or restore).

               CANCEL
                  Click this button when you wish to terminate  the current
                  operation (backup or restore).

               Current Directory (unlabeled)
                  The long gadget at the bottom of the file selector window
                  displays the full name  of the  current directory.  It is
                  empty when the Current Level is zero.



                                         39





          MRBackup Professional                  The MRBackup File Selector



          The  files  available  for selection/deselection are presented in
          the large box at the left of the file selector. Just to the right
          of this box, you will see a scroll bar. When there are more files
          at a given level  than can  be viewed  in the  selection box, the
          drag  bar  (rectangle  within  the  scroll  bar) will be sized in
          proportion to the number  of visible  vs. total  entries. You may
          click and  drag this  bar to  reveal other entries at the current
          level. You may also  scroll  the  list  one  item  at  a  time by
          clicking on  either of the small buttons at the bottom which have
          arrow indicators on them. 

          Each time you click on an  entry  in  the  list,  it  will toggle
          between selected  and deselected.  An entry in the selected state
          is highlighted by a dark background.  Directory entries  and file
          entries are represented by different colors. To view the contents
          of directories (and  their  subdirectories),  position  the mouse
          pointer over  a directory  entry and double-click (two clicks, in
          rapid succession) on the entry. The  display box  will be redrawn
          with  the  contents  of  that  directory  and  the  Current Level
          indicator will be incremented. To return  to the  previous level,
          simply click on the Up button.




























                                         40





          MRBackup Professional                         The ARexx Interface



          The ARexx Interface

          The  Amiga's   multitasking  operating   system  is  one  of  its
          distinguishing features. The typical  Amiga  user  is  apt  to be
          running several  programs at any given time. With the addition of
          ARexx (the Amiga implementation  of the  Rexx language), programs
          equipped with  an ARexx  "port" can  communicate, share resources
          with one another or be  operated  under  "remote  control"  of an
          ARexx program.


          The MRBackup ARexx Port

          MRBackup  provides  an  ARexx  interface which allows many of its
          operating parameters and features to be accessed this  way. It is
          possible  to  run  multiple  "copies" of MRBackup. Thus, MRBackup
          creates a unique ARexx  port name  for each  instance of MRBackup
          that is  run. You  can determine the ARexx port name by selecting
          the About item from MRBackup's Project menu. The  ARexx port name
          will always be of the form:

            MRBackup_#<number>

          where  <number>  is  the  number  assigned to a given instance of
          MRBackup. Typically, with one copy of MRBackup running, the ARexx
          port name will be MRBackup_#1.


          Using ARexx with MRBackup

          This is  not an ARexx tutorial. If you are unfamiliar with ARexx,
          you will  have  to  obtain  appropriate  documentation.  ARexx is
          bundled  with  AmigaDOS  version  1.4  and beyond. It can also be
          purchased from

            William S. Hawes
            P.O. Box 308
            Maynard, MA  01754
            (617) 568-8695

          MRBackup's  implemenation  of  ARexx  requires  that  the results
          option be  enabled, since  many commands  return a value. Include
          the following statement in all of your MRBackup ARexx scripts:

            options results

          Commands which don't have  a specific  return value  will set the


                                         41





          MRBackup Professional                         The ARexx Interface



          result variable  to either  "OK" or "FAIL" to indicate success or
          failure.

          Each MRBackup ARexx script  must  have  a  filename  extension of
          ".mrbk" (e.g.  DailyBackup.mrbk). Here is an example script which
          manipulates MRBackup's voice setting (on or off) and demonstrates
          its effects:

               /* voice.mrbk */
               /* MRBackup: turn voice on and off. */

               signal on ERROR
               signal on BREAK_C

               /* Enable command results. */
               options results

               /* Make sure that MRBackup is running. */
               if ~(Show('P', 'MRBackup_#1')) then do
                   say "You must run MRBackup first."
                   exit 1
               end

               /* Select MRBackup's ARexx port. */
               address "MRBackup_#1"

               /* Bring MRBackup's screen to the front. */
               poptofront

               /* Inform the user as to what is going to happen. */
               'notealert "This test turns the voice option off and on."'

               /* Turn the voice capability off. */
               'setvoice "no"'
               /* Check the result of the previous command. */
               if result ~= "OK" then do
                   say "I could not turn the voice option off!"
                   exit 1
               end

               /* The following message should be suppressed. */
               'speak "You should not hear this message."'
               if result ~= "OK" then do
                   say "Attempt to speak failed."
                   exit 1
               end

               call Delay(50)

                                         42





          MRBackup Professional                         The ARexx Interface




               /* Enable MRBackup's voice capability. */
               'setvoice "yes"'
               if result ~= "OK" then do
                   say "I could not turn the voice option on!"
                   exit 1
               end

               /* This time, the user should hear the message. */
               'speak "This message is being brought to you by Ay Rexx."'
               if result ~= "OK" then do
                   say "Attempt to speak failed."
                   exit 1
               end

               exit 0

               /*--- Control-C interrupts come here. ---*/

               break_c:

               say "*** Control-C recieved.  Stopped by user. ***"
               exit 5


               /*--- ARexx-detected errors come here. ---*/
               error:

               say "Error"
               exit 6

               /*--- End of script. ---*/


          You  will  find  a  set  of  example  ARexx scripts in the "ARexx
          Scripts" directory  on  your  MRBackup  program  diskette. Please
          refer  to   them  when   you  need  help  in  creating  your  own
          MRBackup/ARexx applications.


          MRBackup's ARexx Commands

          This section details each  of  the  ARexx  commands  supported by
          MRBackup.   In   the   following   discussion,  certain  notation
          conventions are adopted:

                  Command parameters  (arguments) are  often specified with
                  enclosing angle  brackets <>. The enclosed word or phrase

                                         43





          MRBackup Professional                         The ARexx Interface



                  connotes the type of  value which  should be substituted.
                  For instance,  a parameter denoted as <path> could take a
                  value such as "DH0:Devs/Printers".

                  Optional parameters are enclosed  in square  brackets [].
                  In these  cases, the command's behavior with the optional
                  parameter specified is contrasted with its  behavior when
                  the optional parameter is given.

                  Literal  text   values  (e.g.  "OK",  "FAIL",  etc.)  are
                  specified as quoted strings.


          MRBackup's ARexx commands are listed here, in alphabetical order.


          command       backup

          result        "OK"or "FAIL"

          description   This command starts a  backup  operation.  Prior to
                        issuing the  backup command,  all backup parameters
                        (filter specifications, compression settings, etc.)
                        should be set to their desired values.


          command       getbackpath

          result        MRBackup's current Backup Path specification.

          description   This  command   obtains  the  current  Backup  Path
                        specification  and   returns  it   via  the  result
                        variable.


          command       getbfilterpath

          result        MRBackup's current Backup Filter specification.

          description   This  command  obtains  the  current  Backup Filter
                        specification  and   returns  it   via  the  result
                        variable.

          command       getbufsize

          result        The current Buffer Size value.



                                         44





          MRBackup Professional                         The ARexx Interface



          description   The getbufsize  command obtains  the current Buffer
                        Size value (expressed as  a multiple  of "K", where
                        "K" = 1024) and returns it via the result variable.


          command       getcfilterpath

          result        The current Compression Filter specification.

          description   The  getcfilterpath  command  obtains  the  current
                        Compression Filter specification and returns it via
                        the result variable.


          command       getdfilterpath

          result        The current Decompression Filter specification.

          description   The  getdfilterpath  command  obtains  the  current
                        Decompression Filter specification  and  returns it
                        via the result variable.


          command       getcompression

          result        "None",  "12-Bit",  "13-Bit",  "14-Bit",  "15-Bit",
                        "16-Bit"

          description   The  getcompression  command  obtains  the  current
                        Compression  code  size  setting and returns it via
                        the result variable.


          command       getdecompression

          result        "None",  "12-Bit",  "13-Bit",  "14-Bit",  "15-Bit",
                        "16-Bit"

          description   The  getcompression  command  obtains  the  current
                        Deompression code size setting  and returns  it via
                        the result variable.


          command       gethomepath

          result        MRBackup's Home Path specification.



                                         45





          MRBackup Professional                         The ARexx Interface



          description   The  gethomepath  command  obtains  MRBackup's Home
                        Path specification and returns  it  via  the result
                        variable.


          command       getlistpath

          result        MRBackup's Listing Path specification.

          description   The getlistpath  command obtains MRBackup's Listing
                        Path specification and returns  it  via  the result
                        variable.


          command       getlogpath

          result        MRBackup's Log Path specification.

          description   The getlogpath  command obtains MRBackup's Log Path
                        specification  and   returns  it   via  the  result
                        variable.


          command       getformatting

          result        "None", "Quick", "Normal"

          description   The   getformatting   command   obtains  MRBackup's
                        current Formatting setting and  returns  it  in the
                        result variable.


          command       gettestdate 

          result        the current Test Date value

          description   The  gettestdate  command  fetches the current Test
                        Date value (used for backup operations) and returns
                        it  in  the  ARexx  result  variable.  The  date is
                        formatted according to the current date format.


          command       listing <yes_or_no>

          result        "OK" or "FAIL"

          description   The listing command enables  or disables MRBackup's
                        listing  output,  depending  upon  the  <yes_or_no>

                                         46





          MRBackup Professional                         The ARexx Interface



                        parameter  which  must  be  either  "YES"  or "NO".
                        Example: 

                           listing "YES"


          command       notealert <message>

          result        "OK" or "FAIL"

          description   The notealert command provides access to MRBackup's
                        informational requester. The text of <message> will
                        be presented  in a  requester. The  user must click
                        the requester's OK button  before program execution
                        will  proceed.  The  <message>  string  may contain
                        embedded newline (line feed) characters.


          command       poptofront

          result        "OK" or "FAIL"

          description   The poptofront insures  that  MRBackup's  screen is
                        the frontmost screen.


          command       quit

          result        "OK" or "FAIL"

          description   The quit  command instructs  MRBackup to terminate.
                        When used, this must be the last command  issued to
                        MRBackup.


          command       restore

          result        "OK" or "FAIL"

          description   The restore command instructs MRBackup to perform a
                        file  restore  operation  according  to  MRBackup's
                        current settings. 


          command       setarcbits <yes_or_no>

          result        "OK" or "FAIL"


                                         47





          MRBackup Professional                         The ARexx Interface



          description   The   setarcbits   command  instructs  MRBackup  to
                        enable/disable the  setting  of  file  archive bits
                        during a backup operation. If the <yes_or_no> value
                        is "YES", archive bits will be  set upon successful
                        completion of a backup.


          command       setbackpath [ <path> ]

          result        "OK" or "FAIL"

          description   The setbackpath command instructs MRBackup to adopt
                        a  new   Backup  Path   specification.  The  <path>
                        parameter, if supplied, must be the name of a valid
                        device, directory  or filename  (depending upon the
                        current backup  mode). If  <path> is not given, the
                        user  will   be  presented   with  MRBackup's  file
                        requester.


          command       setbfilterpath [ <path> ]

          result        new backup filter file name

          description   The  setbfilterpath  command  instructs MRBackup to
                        adopt a new Backup Filter specification. The <path>
                        parameter, if  given, must  be the  name of a valid
                        text  file   containing   MRBackup   backup  filter
                        specifications.  If  <path>  is not given, the user
                        will be presented with MRBackup's file requester so
                        that a file may be selected. Note that this command
                        always  returns  the  backup  filter  file  name in
                        effect upon  its return.  To test for failure, test
                        the ARexx rc variable for a non-zero result.

          command       setbufsize <value>

          result        new buffer size value

          description   The setbufsize command instructs MRBackup to  use a
                        new buffer  size for backup/restore operations. The
                        <value>  parameter  is  expected  to  be  a  number
                        expressed  as  a  multiple  of  "K" (K = 1024). For
                        example, a <value>  of  64  would  result  in 65536
                        bytes   being   allocated  for  MRBackup  buffering
                        operations. The return value  is always  the buffer
                        size (again,  in K) in effect upon return from this


                                         48





          MRBackup Professional                         The ARexx Interface



                        command. If an  error  is  detected,  the  ARexx rc
                        variable will contain a non-zero error code.


          command       setcfilterpath [ <path> ]

          result        new compression filter file name

          description   The  setdfilterpath  command  instructs MRBackup to
                        adopt   a   new   Compression   Filter   file  name
                        specification. If  <path> is  given, it must be the
                        name of  an  existing  text  file  containing valid
                        MRBackup filter patterns. If <path> is omitted, the
                        user  will   be  presented   with  MRBackup's  file
                        requester so that a file may be selected.

                        This  command   always  returns  the  name  of  the
                        Compression Filter file in effect upon  its return.
                        To  check  for  command  failure, test the ARexx rc
                        variable for a non-zero value.


          command       setcompression <code_size>

          result        "OK" or "FAIL"

          description   The setcompression  command  instructs  MRBackup to
                        use  a  new  compression  code  size for subsequent
                        backups. The valid values for <code_size> are:

                        "None",  "12-Bit",  "13-Bit",  "14-Bit",  "15-Bit",
                        "16-Bit"


          command       setdecompression <code_size>

          result        "OK" or "FAIL"

          description   The setdecompression  command instructs MRBackup to
                        use  a  new  decompression  code  size   limit  for
                        subsequent   backups.    The   valid   values   for
                        <code_size> are:

                        "None",  "12-Bit",  "13-Bit",  "14-Bit",  "15-Bit",
                        "16-Bit"


          command       setdfilterpath [ <path> ]

                                         49





          MRBackup Professional                         The ARexx Interface




          result        new decompression filter file name

          description   The  setdfilterpath  command  instructs MRBackup to
                        adopt  a  new   Decompression   Filter   file  name
                        specification. If  <path> is  given, it must be the
                        name of  an  existing  text  file  containing valid
                        MRBackup filter patterns. If <path> is omitted, the
                        user  will   be  presented   with  MRBackup's  file
                        requester so that a file may be selected.

                        This  command   always  returns  the  name  of  the
                        Decompression  Filter  file  in   effect  upon  its
                        return.  To  check  for  command  failure, test the
                        ARexx rc variable for a non-zero value.


          command       sethomepath [ <path> ]

          result        new Home Path specification

          description   The sethomepath command instructs MRBackup to adopt
                        a new  Home Path specification. If <path> is given,
                        it must be  a  valid  pathname  that  satisfies the
                        requirements for  the Home  Path. If  <path> is not
                        given, the user is  presented with  MRBackup's file
                        requester so that a new Home Path may be selected.

                        This command  always returns  the name  of the Home
                        Path  in  effect  upon  its  return.  To  check for
                        command failure,  test the  ARexx rc variable for a
                        non-zero value.


          command       setinfogadget <message>

          result        "OK"

          description   This command provides a  means for  an ARexx script
                        to  place  a  text  <message>  in  MRBackup's  Info
                        gadget. Example:

                           setinfogadget 'I am about to start the backup.'


          command       setlistpath [ <path> ]

          result        new listing pathname

                                         50





          MRBackup Professional                         The ARexx Interface




          description   The setlistpath command instructs MRBackup to adopt
                        a  new  Listing  Path  specification.  If <path> is
                        given, it must be a valid  device name  (e.g. PRT:,
                        PAR:, etc.)  or file  name. If <path> is not given,
                        the user will  be  presented  with  MRBackup's file
                        requester to allow a selection.

                        The setlistpath  command always returns the Listing
                        Path specification in effect  upon  its  return. To
                        test for  an error, check the ARexx rc variable for
                        a non-zero value.


          command       setlogpath [ <path> ]

          result        new log file name

          description   The setlogpath command instructs  MRBackup to adopt
                        a new  Log Path  specification. If <path> is given,
                        it must  be  a  suitable  device,  console  or file
                        specification  for   MRBackup's  log  messages.  If
                        <path> is not given,  the  user  will  be presented
                        with  MRBackup's  file  requester  to  allow  a new
                        selection.

                        The setlogpath command always returns the  Log Path
                        specification  in  effect  upon its return. To test
                        for an error, check the  ARexx  rc  variable  for a
                        non-zero value.


          command       settestdate [ <date_string> >

          result        new Test Date specification

          description   The settestdate command instructs MRBackup to adopt
                        a new Test Date specification. If  <date_string> is
                        given,  MRBackup  attempts  to  convert  it  to  an
                        AmigaDOS date value (DateStamp).   If <date_string>
                        is   not   given,   MRBackup's  date  requester  is
                        activated to allow the user to  enter the  new test
                        date.

                        The result  will always  be the Test Date in effect
                        upon return from this  command. If  a <date_string>
                        conversion error occurs, the ARexx rc variable will
                        be set to a non-zero result.

                                         51





          MRBackup Professional                         The ARexx Interface





          command       setformatting <format_option>

          result        same as getformatting

          description   The setformatting command tells  MRBackup what type
                        of floppy  disk formatting  to employ  when doing a
                        backup to floppy  disk  (AmigaDOS  mode  only). The
                        <format_option> must  be one  of "None", "Quick" or
                        "Normal". The result will always be  the formatting
                        option in  effect upon return from this command. If
                        a bad <format_option> is  specified,  the  ARexx rc
                        variable will be set to a non-zero value.


          command       setvoice <yes_or_no>

          result        "OK" or "FAIL"

          description   The setvoice command enables or disables MRBackup's
                        voice capability, depending upon  the value  of the
                        <yes_or_no> parameter. A "YES" value enables voice,
                        while a "NO" value disables it. Example:

                           setvoice "NO"


          command       speak <message>

          result        "OK" or "FAIL"

          description   The speak command requests  MRBackup  to  utter the
                        text  contained  in  the  <message>  parameter. The
                        <message> is only  spoken  if  MRBackup's  voice is
                        enabled  (see  getvoice/setvoice).  Since  MRBackup
                        uses the  Amiga's  translator,  you  might  want to
                        experiment with certain sentences and phrases which
                        aren't handled correctly. For  instance, "MRBackup"
                        sounds like "merbackup" while "M R backup" produces
                        more desirable results.


          command       splitfiles <yes_or_no>

          result        "OK" or "FAIL"



                                         52





          MRBackup Professional                         The ARexx Interface



          description   The   splitfiles   command   enables   or  disables
                        MRBackup's splitting of "big files", depending upon
                        the setting of the <yes_or_no> flag.  A "YES" value
                        enables file  splitting while a "NO" value disables
                        it. Note that this setting is only relevant  to the
                        AmigaDOS backup mode. 


          command       testarcbits <yes_or_no>

          result        "OK" or "FAIL"

          description   The  testarcbits  instructs  MRBackup  to  test  or
                        ignore file archive bits  during backup operations,
                        depending  upon   the  value   of  the  <yes_or_no>
                        parameter.  If  <yes_or_no>  is  "YES",  only files
                        whose archive  bit is  clear will be candidates for
                        backup.


          command       utilities

          result        "OK" or "FAIL"

          description   The   utilities    command   activates   MRBackup's
                        utilities   window.   Script   execution   will  be
                        suspended  until  the  user  closes  the  Utilities
                        window.

          command       yesno <question>

          result        "YES" or "NO"

          description   The  yesno  command  provides  access to MRBackup's
                        YES/NO requester. The  <question>  parameter should
                        be a string containing a question. Script execution
                        will  be  suspended  until  the  user  responds  by
                        clicking either the YES or NO buttons in MRBackup's
                        requester. Upon return,  the  result  variable will
                        contain the user's response.









                                         53





          MRBackup Professional                           Technical Support



          Technical Support

          If you  have a  problem with MRBackup, think you've discovered an
          "undocumented feature" or just need help,  please call  us! We'll
          do  our   best  to   help  you  get  the  most  out  of  MRBackup
          Professional. Please be sure to send in your product registration
          card!


                    TTR Development, Inc.
                    1120 Gammon Lane,
                    Madison, Wisconsin
                    (608) 277-8071




































                                         54





                                  Table of Contents





          Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2

         Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3

         Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4

         Operation  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
            Working Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
            CLI Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
            WorkBench Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
            Support Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6

         The User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   8
            The Menu  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   8
            MRBackup Main Window  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   8
            The Status Display Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  15
            The Utilities Window  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  19
            Utility Command Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  21

         File Compression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  24
            Compression Method  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  24
            Compression Estimating  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  24

         Filter Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  25
            Filter File Format  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  25
            Filter Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  25
            Backup Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  27
            Compression Filter  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  27
            Decompression Filter  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  28

         Backup Operations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  29
            The Backup Modes  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  29
               AmigaDOS Backup Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  29
               Fast Disk Backup Mode  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  30
               SCSI Tape Backup Mode  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  31
            Backup Schemes  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  32
               The Full Backup  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  32
               Incremental Backups  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  33
                  The "File Modification Date" Incremental Backup . . .  33
                  The "Archive Bit" Incremental Backup  . . . . . . . .  33
               The Project Backup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  34
            The Backup Process  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  34

         Restore Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  36

         The MRBackup File Selector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  38

                                         55





                                  Table of Contents




         The ARexx Interface  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  41
            The MRBackup ARexx Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  41
            Using ARexx with MRBackup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  41
            MRBackup's ARexx Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  43

         Technical Support  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  54










































                                         56

