TiVo Community Forums Archives - How to verify MFSTool backup?

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How to verify MFSTool backup?
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Posted by: TimTrace

Greetings:

TiVo newbie. Linux newbie. Two strikes, right? http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif Well, at least I've been lurking here for a while.

Got myself a shiny new Phillips HDR212 Thursday evening. Gave $180 for it at a local Wally World. Could've done better, I guess, but the wait is finally over!

As I type this (Saturday afternoon), I'm making one of those nice "virgin" backups using MFSTool (props to Tiger and Kazymyr). Everything looks to be running smoothly...

I haven't even powered the PVR up yet, and I'm getting anxious. But, after reading a few disaster stories from folks who have discovered that their backups were bad, I want to verify the integrity of my backup file before I start using the PVR.

The MFSTools Boot CD sets my TiVo drive as HDA, and my backup media - a small, ancient disk - is HDE (I plan on burning the backup to a couple of CD-Rs soon).

What's the command line/program/magic spell that I need to verify my MFSTool backup?

Best regards,

Tim ==

Posted by: TimTrace

Update: backup's done. 1.18GB in about twenty minutes at compression level 9. No errors reported at MFSTool exit.

{idle musing}I'll probably use a file splitter program to get this monster onto a couple of 74-minute CD-Rs.{/idle musing}

So, what's the command line/program/magic spell that I need to verify this MFSTool backup?

Best regards,

Tim ==

Posted by: Merle Corey

My understanding (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong) is that the only way to test the backup is to restore it to another drive, boot the drive, and see what happens.

Posted by: DBCooper

quote:
Originally posted by Merle Corey:
My understanding (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong) is that the only way to test the backup is to restore it to another drive, boot the drive, and see what happens.

That's also a good time to use ZapTiVo without risking your original drive. Your backup is ten times as big as it needs to be.

Posted by: c3

Try mfstool backup again after you have set it up and upgraded to 2.0.1. Compressed image should be 380MB or less.

Posted by: hinsdale

this may be of help to you: http://www.newreleasesvideo.com/hinsdale-how-to/

Posted by: TimTrace

Thanks, everyone. I have a few questions:

1st: Is it consensus, then, that the only way to test a MFSTool backup image is to put it into production on a different HDD?

2nd: I have a spare 9.1GB drive to use for testing purposes. Will my Phillips PVR boot OK with that small a HDD?

3rd: DBCooper says that my backup is 10x the size it should be, and that ZapTivo should shrink the disk space required for a backup image. Since ZapTivo is a "destructive" weightloss program for in-use TiVo drives, I'm a little hesitant. Is ZapTivo "ready for prime-time", or safe?

4th: C3 says to try again after the PVR is upgraded to v2.0.1. Is there something different about the way that version uses disk space? Also, let's say I set up my PVR tonight. How long before the 2.0.1 upgrade is pushed to it?

TIA,

Tim ==

Posted by: TimTrace

Hinsdale: thanks, I used your guide to point me in the right direction.

But my backup is *huge* (I guess...)

Did I miss something in your documentation?

TIA,

Tim ==

Posted by: skelm

I had a silimar problem with a 20 hour HDR212 My backups using -s -6 -o where over the 2 GB limit and truncated.

Posted by: hinsdale

quote:
Originally posted by TimTrace:
Hinsdale: thanks, I used your guide to point me in the right direction.

But my backup is *huge* (I guess...)

Did I miss something in your documentation?

TIA,

Tim ==

Yes you missed something. As is instructed (and as C3 mentioned) you will need to run guided setup and let your TiVO upgrade software prior to running the MFS Tools backup. A virgin image is no longer necessary for small backups and in fact; the further along you are in entering your season passes, thumbs, etc the more current your backup image will be if ever you need to restore.
This will result in a much smaller image using MFS Tools and you will not need to use Zaptivo which is destructive.

You will want to test your MFS backup IN the tivo but it will not work on a drive smaller than your original A drive image (approx 20 gb minimum to test a 20hr image).

[This message has been edited by hinsdale (edited 08-25-2001).]

Posted by: c3

quote:
Originally posted by TimTrace:
4th: C3 says to try again after the PVR is upgraded to v2.0.1. Is there something different about the way that version uses disk space? Also, let's say I set up my PVR tonight. How long before the 2.0.1 upgrade is pushed to it?

We know fore sure that 1.3 uses more space than 2.0.1, but that by itself should not take gigabytes. My guess is that demo material will be deleted/unallocated after the initial setup for home use, so the image will be smaller. The smallest image I have is 94MB that went through 3 OS upgrades 1.2->1.3->2.0.1 beta->2.0.1.

Posted by: c3

Oh, after your subscription is validated, you should get 2.0.1 during your next call. You can force a call. Don't unplug your TiVo until everything has been processed.

Posted by: TimTrace

Update: setup and updated to v2.0.1 today. Rerunning the backup procedure netted a 380MB image.

C3 said that one of his systems had a 94MB image. Did I do something wrong, or is 384MB "good to go"?

Posted by: NFLnut

quote:
Originally posted by TimTrace:
Update: setup and updated to v2.0.1 today. Rerunning the backup procedure netted a 380MB image.

C3 said that one of his systems had a 94MB image. Did I do something wrong, or is 384MB "good to go"?

Now Grasshopper ... DON'T get greedy my friend!! http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/wink.gif

------------------
NFLnut
- Private First Class, TiVo Marine Corps

Current Rank: 2.0.1

Philips HDR31201
Philips DSR6000R

Posted by: hinsdale

quote:
Originally posted by TimTrace:
Update: setup and updated to v2.0.1 today. Rerunning the backup procedure netted a 380MB image.

C3 said that one of his systems had a 94MB image. Did I do something wrong, or is 384MB "good to go"?

You are good to go if you have tested your image on a drive and verify it works in the TiVO.

My backup image was 390mb.. you can putz around and clear out some partitions manually or use the -v option and other methods to reduce the size some but 390 fits easily onto a cdr so why bother. The size of the backup has to do with how your tivo's software was upgraded.. what version u started with and what jumps were made 1.1-->1.2-->1.3.. 2.01 beta-->2.01, etc. in the upgrade process. Some software upgrade jumps leave leftovers from previous version.

Posted by: c3

quote:
Originally posted by TimTrace:
Update: setup and updated to v2.0.1 today. Rerunning the backup procedure netted a 380MB image.

C3 said that one of his systems had a 94MB image. Did I do something wrong, or is 384MB "good to go"?

On another system that went through 1.2->1.3->2.0.1 gave me 384MB image. My guess is that some data for 1.3 is still on the TiVo in case something goes wrong with the 2.0.1 partition, it can go back to 1.3 without any problem. If that theory holds, then the next OS upgrade will clean up the 1.3 data.

Posted by: TimTrace

Final update: got down to 360MB by adding the -V switch to MFSTool Backup. This was on a new v1.3 PVR with a single upgrade to v2.0.1.

Posted by: hinsdale

quote:
Originally posted by TimTrace:
Final update: got down to 360MB by adding the -V switch to MFSTool Backup. This was on a new v1.3 PVR with a single upgrade to v2.0.1.

After restoring your MFS Tools backup image created using the -v option to a hard drive, you will need to boot the drive up in your TiVo PRIOR to running TiVoMad so that the /var that you removed can be replaced during the TiVo boot up. After it boots up once, then u can remove the drive for TiVoMad upgrading.

Posted by: TimTrace

Yeppers. That's why I'll probably keep the 384MB backup, instead.

What exactly is in the /VAR folder, anyway?

Posted by: Worf

/var contains stuff like logs. TiVo will automatically recreate /var if it gets deleted, so it doesn't matter if it's wiped (unless you like looking at the old logs and seeing what TiVo did http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/smile.gif ).

In fact, TiVo will wipe /var if it decides that /var is low on disk space, or somehow corrupted.