A Program for Reading Filesystems Through Character Devices

[Donn Seeley]

I'm reposting this offer because I have reason to suspect that it got
bit-bucketed when S. California got cut off from the net for more than
a week (for the second time this summer)...

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I have a program called 'grab' which I wrote something over a year ago
which allows one to recover files from filesystems using the character
devices corresponding to those filesystems.  The filesystems may be 4.1
BSD (VAX) format, 2.8 BSD (PDP11) format or Version 6 (PDP11) format;
the program will compile on any of these three types of Unix systems
and will read filesystems made on any of the three.  It understands and
handles 2.8 BSD 'short inodes' if you have them.  The program will copy
individual files, directory trees, device nodes, symbolic links and so
on; it will list directories and can give a breakdown of the inode
information in each file in a directory; it will list and copy files
given the inode number, performing a function of 'fsck' which is not
available on Version 6; and it can produce 'tar' format output on a
tape device or a file, allowing off-line filesystems to be backed up.
'Grab' can also serve as a fast file copy program; it runs almost
twice as fast as 'cp' in some cases.

We currently use this program to transfer information between systems
which share disks but I can see where it might be useful to people
running 4.2 BSD or perhaps even VMS who want to read older Unix-format
filesystems.  Since 4.2 BSD is imminent (and I just finished updating
the program to run on 4.1a BSD), I thought I would see if anyone on
the net is interested in the program.  If you would like to get 'grab',
send me a note at either of the two addresses below...

Donn Seeley  UCSD Chemistry Dept. RRCF  ucbvax!sdcsvax!sdchema!donn
             (619) 452-4016             sdamos!donn at nprdc