Re: [NTLK] Mail V Hangs While Storing

On Aug 20, 2008, at 5:18 PM, James Wages wrote:

> On 8/20/08 10:06 PM, "Ron Parker" wrote:
>> make sure you have not accidentally set the internal store as default.
>
> Ron, perhaps you are simply making this recommendation about the
> internal
> RAM so as to avoid trouble with the package in question?

Yes... Mail V (when using POP) has a bug.

Each connection you make to a POP server steals 2K of storage space and
will not return it, whether internal or linear. Constantly receiving &
deleting of messages causes the free space to slowly dwindle. The 2K
literally disappears. You can delete every package and every soup
including the InOutBox soup. With everything removed, the card will
report to you that you have a 24MB Card with 9MB available.

Now, imagine doing this to your internal store.

These 2K data blocks are not seen by the Newton OS. They get spread
out, reducing the contiguous (and free) space available...
fragmentation. As the fragmentation gets worse and worse, your free
space gets lower and lower. Finally dropping below the 1MB mark.
Between 1MB and 500K (at least on my 24MB Linear card), the receiving
of emails becomes a pain (especially on larger messages). Mail V gets
slower and slower and things begin to "Hang" and disconnect with time
out errors.

> Because I prefer to direct all new data to my internal RAM.

Same here. Except, because of the Mail V issue, I have manually set the
location for storage individually. Each application has individual
preferences, to allow you to specify "Save all new items internally."
Mail V (or maybe the Inbox) does not have this preference. It uses the
default location. I've set my default location to my linear flash card.
This causes my Newton to always save new emails, beams, Newt's Cape
cache files, downloads, etc. directly to my big 24MB Flash card. Why?
So I don't have to constantly brainwipe & restore my Newton, just to
regain any precious internal storage space that Mail V might steal. All
I have to do is erase the external card and then restore it.

I have two identical 24MB Flash Cards I use for the Internet. When card
#1 drops below the 1MB mark, larger messages begin to time out and my
connection drops in the middle of messages. I start preparing to move
to Card #2.

  A) Format Card #2
  B) Restore (via Wifi) Card #2 using the last backup file of Card #1
(except item "Card Backup")
  C) Move any data I want to save from the used and fragmented Card #1
to the freshly formatted Card #2
  D) Do a new "Card Backup" of the internal RAM to the freshly formatted
Card #2
  F) Do a full backup (via Wifi) of both, the internal RAM and the Card
#2

Multiple backups now complete and my internet card has been restored.
All in under 60 minutes.

Repeat & rinse about every 30 days.

> Not sure about "fragmentation" but I've never had a problem with any
> app
> locking up or crashing, except for buggy Clarity.

I use Mail V a lot, and Newt's Cape somewhat less. Sometimes connecting
several times a day to download emails and read the news. But you're
right, this fragmentation problem is specific to Mail V and its POP
extension.

Best Regards,

Ron

--
Sent using Mail for Mac OS X. Cyberdog lives!
--
RAParker
    |\/|\
    |/-|/
    |\ | @ Quadzilla.NET
--
Fetch...Send...Stay... "Good Boy!"
--
==================================================================== 
The NewtonTalk Mailing List - http://www.newtontalk.net/
The Official Newton FAQ     - http://www.splorp.com/newton/faq/
The Newton Glossary         - http://www.splorp.com/newton/glossary/
WikiWikiNewt                - http://tools.unna.org/wikiwikinewt/
====================================================================