Icon comment backup

[agorgor]

Hi all,

I've 2 mac which is os9 and osX. I've backup data file which belongs to os9 to osx. All file in os9 have comment which can be seen in 'command i' Even I mount osX hardisk to those file through os9, comment still appear. But osX can't see those comment.
I've finish reinstall os9 and copy file back to os9 USING osX. All comment gone!
The reason to use osX copy file back to os9 is, os9 will give me a bomb once copy huge file/directory. (15G) During the backup I need to copy a little bit a little bit to osX.
Comment is very important to me which I can't loose it. Is there anyway to prevent os9 bomb? Is there a solution to backup icon comment?
I've try firewire taget mode, os9 mount target disk. Bomb. Seems like a system bufferover flow or something, nothing doing with tcpip/ethernet.
Also I've try osX build ftp server. No use. Lost comment or even not able to open file.
cp through terminal and tar gunzip, drag and drop to os9 also no use. Pls help meeeeeee -______________-

[symphonix]

OSX and OS9 use different methods for storing comments. OS9 uses the "Resource Fork". OSX, as of 10.4, uses "Metadata". OSX 10.1 to 10.3 used the resource fork to maintain compatibility, though I'm not sure if the converter that runs (as part of Spotlight's indexing process when Tiger is first installed) will convert external drives, or OS9 comments.

[agorgor]

Thanks a lot symphonix. It helps a lot already. Althrough I have no idea on Resource Fork which is the first time I heard. But at leasd I can look into it. Better than searching internet using "os9 icon comment" It gives me uncountable links....
Would you mind give me some link which talk about Resource fork?

[Mikuro]

Actually, the resource fork was never used to store comments in OS 9. It was all metadata, just like the label. It was stored in the desktop database. OS X actually uses OS 9's desktop database to a degree (if it's present, that is). But they use a new system for comments.

I think the reason for this change is to support OS X's multi-user nature. Different users can each assign their own comments to files in OS X (I could be wrong, since I've never personally tried it). Since OS 9 stored that data in a public space, it's not suitable for use by multiple users.

The good news is that there are programs available for OS X that can display Classic comments. I think both Kilometre and Path Finder will display OS 9 comments. Kilometre says it lets you "Synchronize modern comments and classic comments", which sounds like exactly what you want.

[agorgor]

Thank you Mikuro. That's excatly what I want! You save my life.
Also I'll need to learn more about metadata and forks.