x86/DOS system backup via rs232?

[Jules Richardson]

On 11/12/2015 04:05 PM, Mouse wrote:
>> As per subject line, does anyone know of any util that will back up
>> an x86 PC running some variant of DOS (MS, Compaq etc.) via rs232 to
>> a remote system?  (Linux preferable on the remote, but other options
>> exist)
>
> Bring up a liveCD or moral equivalent and run SLIP, then do any of many
> networked-backup variants?

Hmm, was SLIP an option for DOS TCP/IP stacks? I'd not considered that 
because I've only ever used TCP/IP in a DOS environment against Ethernet 
hardware, but if I could get SLIP up and map a DOS drive letter to a remote 
mount point, that would probably do the trick...

>  SLIP at 115200 is only about 1% of a 10Mb
> Ethernet, but that may be enough to be useful, especially if you
> compress.

I'm not sure if something with e.g. an 8088 CPU can even come close to that 
- maybe 9600, tops.

I'd be expecting several hours of transfer for a typical 20MB ST506-type 
drive, assuming it was doing raw sectors rather than just "in use" data - 
but I think it's the only option in some cases where Ethernet or 
sneakernetting data via floppy isn't viable.

> Alternatively, maybe move the DOS disk to the other machine and copy it
> there with dd or moral equivalent?

For anything modern with IDE or SCSI, sure, but not so easy for 
ST506/ST412/ESDI :(

cheers

Jules