Bootloader/software to image and restore disk images at boot/shutdown?

[LabRat 891]

I finally bought myself something I've been pining for since its release and, I have a 'deployment' for it, but need some help.

Gigabyte I-RAM FTW?

You ever seen this puppy? http://www.gigabyte-usa.com/Products/Storage/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=2180&ProductName=GC-RAMDISK and this thing is in stock, not a rare thing... http://froogle.google.com/froogle?hl=en&q=Gigabyte%20I-RAM&btnG=Search&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wf sold out...

www.techpowerup.com

[Manual, for future refrence]

Power (and sleep/wake) to the card will be through a (Adex Electronics PCITX8-3) modified PCI-X riser (that I have several of. They're handy for retro stuff).
I *think* I can figure out that part on my own. (this guy already gave me a big head-start)

https://xdevs.com/article/pci_iram/

What I need help with is facilitating a concept I've read about in "high-security" applications. (My reason has 0 to do w/ security, and more 'retro tech fun'.)
At boot, I want a bootloader-like menu to 'select' what image to load into the 4GB RAMDISK off the SSD. That way my M7CN896IDK, can 'load' anything from DOS to WinXP, and even unique 'tweaked' configurations (for specific games/applications).


I do have some experience w/ stacking bootloaders, and suspect there's probably a 'plugin/module' for one that would allow me to do this.

Basically, I want Clonezilla to run a minimized (and purpose-made) instance within a bootloader (which would be stored on a USBdrive or flash card. My board does support fairly modern USB-booting in its BIOS)
Massive bonus would be something that would image the 'loaded image' upon shutdown; I can live without that, and just manually image after major changes.

Update1: It looks like Gigabyte actually had a utility, (at least in part) precisely addressing my desire.

I been looking in to it more, and the iram has a backup and restore utility...

http://america.giga-byte.com/FileLi...cramdisc_data_backup_utility_061124_en_ch.pdf

So you can install a game on each image, and keep on swapping them...should be faster to backup and restore 4gb or less on to ram.

one question, i know you can have multiple page files, but can you tell a app/game to use a specific one?

I haven't put effort into finding it yet, but it is long-since gone off Gigabyte's site. Anyone have an archived copy they could share?

Update 2: Efforts paid off! I DL'd it, and it looks legit. I may have answered my own question, since I see a DOS folder

GIGABYTE - Support - PC Peripherals - Driver

PS: I fully intend to put together a build log, once I settle on a name.
This is the case I just bought for the build, FYI. You know it's 'retro' when the company's site is still up, but used Flash
(I'm hoping the I-RAM/GC-RAMDISK will fit where the 3.5" HDD can, opposite of the actual PCI slot. Which, is occupied by a PCI 3Dfuzion/BFGtech FX5500 256MB 128-bit DDR

 

[lexluthermiester]

I finally bought myself something I've been pining for since its release and, I have a 'deployment' for it, but need some help.

Gigabyte I-RAM FTW?

You ever seen this puppy? http://www.gigabyte-usa.com/Products/Storage/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=2180&ProductName=GC-RAMDISK and this thing is in stock, not a rare thing... http://froogle.google.com/froogle?hl=en&q=Gigabyte%20I-RAM&btnG=Search&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wf sold out...

www.techpowerup.com

View attachment 290487
[Manual, for future refrence]

Power (and sleep/wake) to the card will be through a (Adex Electronics PCITX8-3) modified PCI-X riser (that I have several of. They're handy for retro stuff).
I *think* I can figure out that part on my own. (this guy already gave me a big head-start)

https://xdevs.com/article/pci_iram/

What I need help with is facilitating a concept I've read about in "high-security" applications. (My reason has 0 to do w/ security, and more 'retro tech fun'.)
At boot, I want a bootloader-like menu to 'select' what image to load into the 4GB RAMDISK off the SSD. That way my M7CN896IDK, can 'load' anything from DOS to WinXP, and even unique 'tweaked' configurations (for specific games/applications).


I do have some experience w/ stacking bootloaders, and suspect there's probably a 'plugin/module' for one that would allow me to do this.

Basically, I want Clonezilla to run a minimized (and purpose-made) instance within a bootloader (which would be stored on a USBdrive or flash card. My board does support fairly modern USB-booting in its BIOS)
Massive bonus would be something that would image the 'loaded image' upon shutdown; I can live without that, and just manually image after major changes.

Edit: It looks like Gigabyte actually had a utility, (at least in part) precisely addressing my desire.

I haven't put effort into finding it yet, but it is long-since gone off Gigabyte's site. Anyone have an archived copy they could share?

PS: I fully intend to put together a build log, once I settle on a name.
This is the case I just bought for the build, FYI. You know it's 'retro' when the company's site is still up, but used Flash
(I'm hoping the I-RAM/GC-RAMDISK will fit where the 3.5" HDD can, opposite of the actual PCI slot. Which, is occupied by a PCI 3Dfuzion/BFGtech FX5500 256MB 128-bit DDR

I would bump those to 2GB or 4GB DIMMs. It's an easy and cheap upgrade that will give you far more options.

 

[LabRat 891]

I would bump those to 2GB or 4GB DIMMs. It's an easy and cheap upgrade that will give you far more options.

The FPGA (that acts as the memory controller) on board supposedly will-
A. -only accept up to 1GB DDR400 non-ECC, Unbuffered UDIMMS(as we call them today)
B. -not support ECC, Buffered, Registered DDR1 RDIMMs(as we call them today)
That said, knowing there's effectively 0 risk trying, I have 2GB and 4GB ECC DDR1 sticks to try.
The Kingston-IBM 4GB sticks are WAYY too fat for more than probably one on the last/first slot. But, I do have extra 4GB sticks from my S939 and Dual940 fun, which would fit.

This (card, errr... drive, ummm Disk) is for a Win98SE-centered VIA C7 1GHz build; so, 4x1GB is (potentially) more than enough (just barely enough for XP)

I'd really like an inobtrusive (and on-same-machine) way to swap and make images on/off the RAMdisk, though.
Not only for many OSes, but for hyper-optimizing an entire stripped-down Win9x install for a particular game or application.

The SATA/Southbridge on my board is named on Gigabyte's supported-list, and what I want to do was a supported feature w/ a now-gone Gigabyte-supplied utility. So, I'm hoping disk-disk transfers should go smoothly...

 

[lexluthermiester]

The FPGA (that acts as the memory controller) on board supposedly will-
A. -only accept up to 1GB DDR400 non-ECC, Unbuffered UDIMMS(as we call them today)
B. -not support ECC, Buffered, Registered DDR1 RDIMMs(as we call them today)
That said, knowing there's effectively 0 risk trying, I have 2GB and 4GB ECC DDR1 sticks to try.

Oh, I am sorry! I looked at the labels on the DIMMs and thought they were DDR3... To be fair 2GB DIMMs should work. 8GB for a RAMDrive would be very useful.

This (card, errr... drive, ummm Disk) is for a Win98SE-centered VIA C7 1GHz build; so, 4x1GB is (potentially) more than enough (just barely enough for XP)

Ah, that makes sense. 4GB would be solid then.

 

[LabRat 891]

To be fair 2GB DIMMs should work. 8GB for a RAMDrive would be very useful.

If it was like DDR3, where you can find a few 16GB non-ECC Unbuffered UDIMM options (and 8GB UDIMMs are commonly 'max-supported, officially.)...

I'm not sure I have on hand or have ever seen 2GB non-ECC unbuffered PC2100-PC3200 DDR1 DIMMs. I'm always learning of new (to me) obscure old components, though.
Since it's DDR1, I'm wondering if there were any 2GB non-ECC unbuffered PC2100-PC3200 DDR1 Laptop SODIMMs? I would be willing to go out of my way to import SODIMM-DIMM adapters for DDR1. Signal Integrity shouldn't be a huge issue at such low and tolerant datarates.

Oh, I am sorry! I looked at the labels on the DIMMs and thought they were DDR3

PC3-200!
Aren't Acronyms F'ing Fun?
AAFF

 

[lexluthermiester]

If it was like DDR3, where you can find a few 16GB non-ECC Unbuffered UDIMM options (and 8GB UDIMMs are commonly 'max-supported, officially.)...

Yeah, that was my mistake. I read the "PC3" part of the PC3200 speed rating and jumped to a conclusion.

I'm not sure I have on hand or have ever seen 2GB non-ECC unbuffered PC2100-PC3200 DDR1 DIMMs.

You might be right. I can't remember if 2GB DDR1 non-registered DIMMs ever existed..