1 01/19/87 compare_mst
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4 Syntax as a command: compare_mst master_spec copy_spec -control_args
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7 Function: reads a master Multics System Tape MST and a copy MST, and
8 lists all differences between them. MST data can come either from a
9 tape or from an MST image stored in a file.
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12 Arguments:
13 master_spec
14 can be either -master_volume or -master_file, or the tape volume
15 name identifying one of the MSTs to be compared. The reel
16 identification number, which is site dependent, can be up to 32
17 characters long.
18 copy_spec
19 can be either -copy_volume or -copy_file, or the tape volume name
20 identifying the other MST to be compared.
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23 Control arguments:
24 -master_volume volname, -mvol volname
25 gives the master tape volume name of the MST to be compared.
26 -master_file path, -mf path
27 gives the pathname of a file containing the master MST image to be
28 compared. This file must have been previously created by
29 generate_mst or copy_mst.
30 -copy_volume volname, -cvol volname
31 gives the copy tape volume name.
32 -copy_file path, -cf path
33 gives the pathname of the file containing the copy MST image.
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36 -density DEN, -den DEN
37 gives a tape density. It applies to the preceding -master_volume or
38 -copy_volume control argument. DEN may be 800, 1600 or 6250. The
39 tapes are mounted on a tape drive capable of reading density DEN.
40 However, the actual density at which the input tapes are written
41 determines the density used for reading. The default density is
42 1600 BPI bits per inch.
43 -save
44 saves the contents of corresponding segments with discrepancies in
45 the user's working directory under the names tp1.<segment_name> and
46 tp2.<segment_name>. An added segment is saved under the name
47 tp2.<segment_name>.
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50 Notes: Differences in segment headers and the starting address of any
51 inequalities or differing lengths of segment contents are noted.
52 Additions, deletions, and moves of segments are handled. One can
53 optionally save the contents of differing segments in the user's
54 working directory for further detailed comparisons. Any number of
55 collections can be handled, but a warning message is printed if a tape
56 does not end in a collection mark. If the active_all_rings_data
57 segment is found on the first tape, a message containing the system
58 identifiers of both tapes is printed.
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61 List of severity values:
62 compare_mst sets an external variable to indicate the success or
63 failure of copy and compare operations. This variable may be
64 examined using the severity command/active function. For example:
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66 &goto RESULT_&severity compare_mst
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68 The following severity values can be returned.
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71 0
72 The compare operation completed successfully.
73 3
74 The compare operation found discrepancies between master and copy
75 tapes.
76 4
77 The compare operation failed, due to fatal errors. These errors are
78 diagnosed in error messages.