Interesting OS/2 product for GNAT users....

Interesting OS/2 product for GNAT users....

[David Weller]

I've come into contact with a lot of people who would use GNAT on
OS/2 if they could run it under a normal FAT partition.  This isn't
very reliable, since the install expects an HPFS partition (Robert
can correct me on all this).  Anyway, I know several that simply
can't move to HPFS because of the labor invilved of moving their data
off the hard drive to repartition it.  Well, I think I found an
answer.

Below is an excerpt from an announcement about a product called
PartitionMagic.  I think it will be useful to those folks.  To be
fair, I've never used this product, and _definitely_ don't profit
from anything they sell, it just seemed like a really cool utility.
I'll be picking up a copy soon, so you can e-mail me in about six
weeks to ask me how I like it.

Anyway, here it the press release
(Ctrl-L inserted in case you want to hit "n")
\f

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PowerQuest Announces "PartitionMagic"

Utility Shrinks/Expands Drive Partitions like Magic!
November 14, 1994, Orem, Utah -- At the 1994 Fall Comdex in Las Vegas,
PowerQuest Corporation announced "PartitionMagic," a unique software
utility that allows computer users to dynamically shrink or expand FAT
and HPFS disk partitions while keeping all files and data intact.
Partition Magic also converts FAT partitions into HPFS, which is of
particular interest to OS/2 users.

"PartitionMagic is a radically new program, not a 'Me-Too!' product,"
said Eric J. Ruff, President of PowerQuest Corporation.  "Until now,
computer users could never resize disk partitions without resorting to
the tedious and time-consuming process of backing up all files and
drives, running FDISK to create new partitions (which destroys all
data), then running FORMAT, and finally reinstalling the operating
system and restoring all the files.  With PartitionMagic, you just
click with the mouse and wait a minute.  Our simple graphical user
interface is the same for OS/2, DOS, and Windows."

PartitionMagic has been thoughtfully designed with Power-Failure-
Proof(tm) management, which means that, in case of a power failure, no
data will be lost while performing any PartitionMagic operation.  In
addition to being extremely fast, PartitionMagic is designed to
preserve the user's files and data at all costs.

Ruff explains one simple use of PartitionMagic: "Imagine a user with a
400MB disk divided into two drives (C: and D:) of 200MB each.  This
configuration, typical of many installations, is not optimal since any
free space is divided between the two partitions.  With PartitionMagic,
I can shrink C: to eliminate its free space and then expand D: to
combine the free space into one much more usable block -- and this
entire process will take only a few clicks of the mouse and a few
minutes of my time.  I don't have to back up any data, and I don't need
to run FDISK or FORMAT!"

PartitionMagic for OS/2 will ship January 1995.  Although
PartitionMagic is initially targeted toward the OS/2 user, a 32-bit
DOS executable version of the program will be included with the
product so users who want a separate partition for OS/2, or any
operating system, can shrink partitions first to make room for the new
partition. 

PartitionMagic will retail for $129.95.  PowerQuest provides site-
license pricing for volume users and special quantity-bundle pricing
for OEMs.  Special discounts are available on orders placed before
January 15, 1995.  PartitionMagic may be ordered through Indelible Blue
at 1-800-776-8284 or (919) 878-9700; or direct from PowerQuest at
1-800-379-2566 or (801) 226-8977.


-- 
Proud (and vocal) member of Team Ada! (and Team OS/2)        ||This is not your
   	      Ada -- Very Cool.  Doesn't Suck.               ||  father's Ada 
For all sorts of interesting Ada tidbits, run the command:   ||________________
"finger dweller@starbase.neosoft.com | more" (or e-mail with "finger" as subj.)
	|"Quitting C++ isn't so difficult, provided you show as much |
	|	persistence stopping as you did starting." dweller   |

Re: Interesting OS/2 product for GNAT users....

[Robert Dewar]

It is quite possible to install GNAT on an OS/2 FAT partition. There are
a couple of minor glitches in past releases, but they are easily got by.
THe new release should be free of these glitches. We know lots of people
running OS/2 GNAT on a FAT partition.

Of course, in the absence of extra tools, you are stuck with 8 char file
names, and you may well want to use the -o switch of the binder to specify
an alternative name (otherwise the main program will be limited to 6
characters).

To stick to 8-char file names, either keep library unit names short, or use
the -gnatk8 switch to crunch longer names to 8 characters.