root@herctec.UUCP (Super user) (08/10/90)
My setup: Xenix 286 2.3.2, Update level R My problem: I just installed a Colorado Memory Systems "Jumbo" mini tape drive that attaches to my floppy controller. I installed this in a DOS machine and it worked beautifully. Soooo, I thought I'd put it in my Xenix box and do that yearly backup I've always been meaning to get around to... Followed everything by the book (several times), but "format /dev/rctmini" pauses for a few seconds, then spins the floppy drive, then eventually comes back with "can't open /dev/rctmini." Is there something about the CMS mini drive that I should know? I couldn't find a comprehensive list of supported tape drives in the Xenix documentation... Anybody? -- ===== Dylan Rhodes: Tech Support Manager, Hercules Computer Technology ====== Voice: 415-540-6000 BBS: 415-540-0621 uucp: hoptoad!asylum!herctec!shark I doubt if Hercules has an opinion on this; if they do, it's probably not mine. ===============================================================================
brad@bradf.UUCP (Bradley W. Fisher) (08/11/90)
In article <28@herctec.UUCP>, root@herctec.UUCP (Super user) writes: > > My setup: | | Xenix 286 2.3.2, Update level R | | My problem: I just installed a Colorado Memory Systems "Jumbo" | mini tape drive that attaches to my floppy controller. I installed this | in a DOS machine and it worked beautifully. Soooo, I thought I'd put it | in my Xenix box [.........] | | Followed everything by the book (several times), but "format | /dev/rctmini" pauses for a few seconds, then spins the floppy drive, | then eventually comes back with "can't open /dev/rctmini." | The last time I ran up against one of these drives, I had the same problem. A client asked me to move it from a DOS box to their new SCO XENIX unit. After having the same kind of problems,I finally found out that there are two versions of the PAL on the controller board ... one for DOS, and one for XENIX (or so the fourth person I talked to at CMS said!). Fortunately, I was able to talk my client into putting the CMS back into the DOS machine ... and putting a Wangtek 5150EK into the XENIX box. -- I'm just a wanna be UNIX guru (IJWBUG) | Micro Maintenance, Inc. | 2465 W. 12th St. #6 -== Brad Fisher ==- | Tempe, Arizona 85281 ...!asuvax!mcdphx!hrc!microm!bradf!brad | 602/894-5526
campbell@Thalatta.COM (Bill Campbell) (08/13/90)
In article <265@bradf.UUCP> brad@bradf.UUCP (Bradley W. Fisher) writes: :In article <28@herctec.UUCP>, root@herctec.UUCP (Super user) writes: :> :> My setup: :| :| Xenix 286 2.3.2, Update level R :| :| My problem: I just installed a Colorado Memory Systems "Jumbo" :| mini tape drive that attaches to my floppy controller. I installed this :| in a DOS machine and it worked beautifully. Soooo, I thought I'd put it :| in my Xenix box [.........] :| :| Followed everything by the book (several times), but "format :| /dev/rctmini" pauses for a few seconds, then spins the floppy drive, :| then eventually comes back with "can't open /dev/rctmini." :| :The last time I ran up against one of these drives, I had the same :problem. A client asked me to move it from a DOS box to their new SCO :XENIX unit. After having the same kind of problems,I finally found out that :there are two versions of the PAL on the controller board ... one for DOS, and :one for XENIX (or so the fourth person I talked to at CMS said!). : :Fortunately, I was able to talk my client into putting the CMS back into the :DOS machine ... and putting a Wangtek 5150EK into the XENIX box. : :-- :I'm just a wanna be UNIX guru (IJWBUG) | Micro Maintenance, Inc. : | 2465 W. 12th St. #6 : -== Brad Fisher ==- | Tempe, Arizona 85281 :...!asuvax!mcdphx!hrc!microm!bradf!brad | 602/894-5526 The basic problem is the the proper device when using the CMS drives is /dev/rmt0 NOT /dev/rctmini. -- ....microsoft--\ Bill Campbell; Celestial Software ...uw-entropy----!thebes!camco!bill 6641 East Mercer Way ....fluke------/ Mercer Island, Wa 98040 ....hplsla----/ (206) 232-4164
root@herctec.UUCP (Super user) (08/13/90)
In article <265@bradf.UUCP> brad@bradf.UUCP (Bradley W. Fisher) writes: >In article <28@herctec.UUCP>, root@herctec.UUCP (Super user) writes: >> >| >| My problem: I just installed a Colorado Memory Systems "Jumbo" >| mini tape drive that attaches to my floppy controller. I installed this >| in a DOS machine and it worked beautifully. Soooo, I thought I'd put it >| in my Xenix box [.........] [My original report of various problems deleted] >| >The last time I ran up against one of these drives, I had the same >problem. A client asked me to move it from a DOS box to their new SCO >XENIX unit. After having the same kind of problems,I finally found out that >there are two versions of the PAL on the controller board ... one for DOS, and >one for XENIX (or so the fourth person I talked to at CMS said!). Someone on the net was nice enough to tell me this via e-mail, and CMS actually called me the same day after I sent them a fax. They seem to have good support. Specifically, I found out that the latest firmware revision 40 will not work under Xenix. The support person offered me two choices: a> we could trade our drive in for one with firmware revision 38 (an older, but Xenix-compatible one) or buy their own Xenix tape driver for something close to $100. I don't know a whole bunch about the functionality of this driver, so I'm still debating...but I'm glad CMS gave me the choice to swap it for a working tape drive, for no charge. > >Fortunately, I was able to talk my client into putting the CMS back into the >DOS machine ... and putting a Wangtek 5150EK into the XENIX box. Looks like that's what I'll be doing...until I find the time to get a working one for my baby! > > -== Brad Fisher ==- | Tempe, Arizona 85281 >...!asuvax!mcdphx!hrc!microm!bradf!brad | 602/894-5526 -- ===== Dylan Rhodes: Tech Support Manager, Hercules Computer Technology ====== Voice: 415-540-6000 BBS: 415-540-0621 uucp: hoptoad!asylum!herctec!shark I doubt if Hercules has an opinion on this; if they do, it's probably not mine. ===============================================================================
root@herctec.UUCP (Super user) (08/14/90)
In article <5378@thebes.Thalatta.COM> campbell@Thalatta.COM (Bill Campbell) writes: > >The basic problem is the the proper device when using the CMS >drives is /dev/rmt0 NOT /dev/rctmini. > Ha ha! Not according to the Xenix manual and CMS personel! The CMS Drive in question is a mini tape drive, not a QIC, remember... although I *did* try rmt0 in an act of desparation, after I'd tried everything else! Check out 16.2.2 in the Xenix System Administrator's Guide if you doubt me. The "basic problem" was that the firmware revision was wrong...I only wish it was something so simple... >-- >....microsoft--\ Bill Campbell; Celestial Software -- ===== Dylan Rhodes: Tech Support Manager, Hercules Computer Technology ====== Voice: 415-540-6000 BBS: 415-540-0621 uucp: hoptoad!asylum!herctec!shark I doubt if Hercules has an opinion on this; if they do, it's probably not mine. ===============================================================================
uhclem@trsvax.UUCP (08/14/90)
<> R1>The last time I ran up against one of these drives, I had the same R1>problem. A client asked me to move it from a DOS box to their new SCO R1>XENIX unit. After having the same kind of problems,I finally found out that R1>there are two versions of the PAL on the controller board...one for DOS, and R1>one for XENIX (or so the fourth person I talked to at CMS said!). Quite right. We convinced CMS to make the PAL change for XENIX a couple of years ago because the original (DOS) PAL requires a command protocol that takes 10 - 15 Msec per command WITH ALL x86 INTERRUPTS DISABLED! This did dreadful things to the RS-232 performance on your XENIX system, but it didn't make any difference under single-tasking DOS. A "new" PAL reduces the handshaking timing down below 1 msec, so hopefully you don't drop too many RS-232 characters. But it does mean the drive PAL has to match the drivers. The Techmar/CMS QIC-60 system also needed a PAL change because interrupts didn't work and no one had noticed or cared until we tried to use it with XENIX. "It works OK under DOS, what more do you want?" was heard a lot. :-( "Thank you, Uh Clem." Frank Durda IV @ <trsvax!uhclem> ...decvax!microsoft!trsvax!uhclem ...hal6000!trsvax!uhclem