Re: Lots of data

[Fraser Farrell <fraser@trilobytes.com.au>]

>I runing DS on 133MhZ Pentium with 32MB
>RAM and 4.7GB disc. One DS disc using
>Michael's pipeline it is about 35 hours
>of computer work....

Maciej,

A couple of ideas to improve your speed.

 - More RAM. Recent linuxes will run in 32MB, but if they are working
hard then the swap partition will get used a lot. Even a modest
increase in RAM will help. My old Internet server (a 586-100) had
noticeably better performance after an upgrade from 32 to 48MB RAM.

You may have to acquire your extra RAM secondhand, or from a dead
computer of similar age. Few places manufacture 72-pin RAM now, and
they charge high prices. Although you may be lucky and be able to use
today's cheaper 133-pin SDRAM instead.


 - Second, don't share your hard disk controller with a slow drive.
There are three common standards for the IDE controller interface.
ATA33 is the oldest and slowest but it works for everything. Your
4.7GB hard disk should be able to use the faster ATA66 standard; but
probably won't use the current ATA100 standard.

BUT if a fast drive shares an IDE controller (and cable) with a slow
drive, then -both- are forced to run at the slow speed. Slower
ATA33-speed drives include things like CD-ROM, Zip disk, tape units.
The latest DVD and CD-RW drives do support ATA66.

A drive may also be forced to run slow if a traditional IDE ribbon
cable is used; because the error rates at higher speed are excessive
and the IDE controller interprets this as "only supports ATA33 speed".
The ATA66/ATA100-standard cables include extra ground wires to reduce
signal crosstalk & interference; although they still have the usual
40-hole plugs on them.

Your Pentium almost certainly has two IDE connectors, so put the hard
disk by itself on Connector 1 with a good cable; and any CD-ROM etc
on Connector 2 with another cable. This should speed up all hard disk
activities.

There are also many settings you can tweak from within Linux using the
"hdparm" program.


If this doesn't help and you budget is still zero, then steal a faster
computer... ;-)



cheers,
Fraser Farrell