eric@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Eric Fielding) (03/08/90)
We have a CD-ROM reader attached to a IBM PC-AT via a SCSI board. I have been wondering if it would be possible to connect it to our DECstation 3100. I assume that we just need to get the right cable and check for the right SCSI termination (since we also have a Maxtor 8760S on the DECstation). The main question is what kind of software is needed. Presumably there is a low-level driver (perhaps the "generic SCSI driver of Ultrix 3.1?", but then is there also a higher-level program needed? We have lots of CD-ROMs now that are readable under DOS (I think this means the so-called "High Sierra" format), what do these look like to an U*ix machine? ++ERic Fielding eric@geology.tn.cornell.edu eric@crnlthry.bitnet
jtkohl@MIT.EDU (John T Kohl) (03/10/90)
In article <9867@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> eric@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Eric Fielding) writes: > We have a CD-ROM reader attached to a IBM PC-AT via a SCSI board. I have > been wondering if it would be possible to connect it to our DECstation 3100. It should "work" "out of the can". I have tested a read-write optical CD on my DS3100 with no problems. > Presumably there is a low-level > driver (perhaps the "generic SCSI driver of Ultrix 3.1?", Yep, the Ultrix driver works fine. > but then is there > also a higher-level program needed? We have lots of CD-ROMs now that are > readable under DOS (I think this means the so-called "High Sierra" format), > what do these look like to an U*ix machine? My guess is that they will look like large files with a strange data encoding format. Since they're obviously not Unix/Ultrix file systems, you will initially only be able to access them via something that interprets the format in user code. You could write a file-system-switch entry to support the High Sierra format if you wished; then you could link this into your Unix kernel and eventually do something like mount -t high-sierra /dev/rz?c /cd-rom and look at the files in a "normal" fashion. -- John Kohl <jtkohl@ATHENA.MIT.EDU> or <jtkohl@Kolvir.Brookline.MA.US> Digital Equipment Corporation/Project Athena (The above opinions are MINE. Don't put my words in somebody else's mouth!)
gjc@paradigm.com (03/11/90)
>> but then is there >> also a higher-level program needed? We have lots of CD-ROMs now that are >> readable under DOS (I think this means the so-called "High Sierra" format), >> what do these look like to an U*ix machine? > DECUS has a program and a subroutine library for reading those ISO-9660 format CD-ROMS. It was submitted for VMS systems but it probably wouldn't be difficult to port to Ultrix. Obviously you should check comp.sources.unix archives too.