[comp.sys.sun] SCSI Floppy Disk Drives for Sun Sparcs

jaffe@elbereth.rutgers.edu (Saul) (11/26/90)

Recently, I purchased a Sun SLC for myself.  As many of you probably
know, the SLCs do not support any internal devices like hard disks,
or floppies.  At the time that I purchased the SLC, I was assured by
a number of people that (1) SCSI Floppy drives were available and
that (2) Sun had kernel support for SCSI Floppy drives.

I now am being told that neither of those statements are true.  None
of the vendors I've spoken to are selling SCSI Floppies for Sparc
stations and Sun claims there is absolutely no support for SCSI
Floppy devices in the kernel sources (I'm currently working with
4.0.3c).

I would really like the floppy device for a number of reasons.
First, a lot of software is getting distributed on floppies rather
than cartridge tapes.  Second, I would like to be able to use
software like DOS Windows to use IBM-PC software for applications
that are not yet available on the Sun.  The interesting thing is
that I *was* sold DOS WIndows when I bought the machine and the
documentation that came with it claims that SCSI Floppies are
supported.

Any information would be appreciated and I will summarize any
answers I get.
-- 
---
Saul Jaffe
Rutgers University
ARPA: Jaffe@elbereth.rutgers.edu
UUCP: ...!rutgers!elbereth.rutgers.edu!jaffe

jaffe@elbereth.rutgers.edu (Saul) (12/05/90)

Recently, I purchased a Sun SLC for myself.  As many of you probably know,
the SLCs do not support any internal devices like hard disks, or floppies.
At the time that I purchased the SLC, I was assured by a number of people
that (1) SCSI Floppy drives were available and that (2) Sun had kernel
support for SCSI Floppy drives.

I now am being told that neither of those statements are true.  None of
the vendors I've spoken to are selling SCSI Floppies for Sparc stations
and Sun claims there is absolutely no support for SCSI Floppy devices in
the kernel sources (I'm currently working with 4.0.3c).

I would really like the floppy device for a number of reasons.  First, a
lot of software is getting distributed on floppies rather than cartridge
tapes.  Second, I would like to be able to use software like DOS Windows
to use IBM-PC software for applications that are not yet available on the
Sun.  The interesting thing is that I *was* sold DOS WIndows when I bought
the machine and the documentation that came with it claims that SCSI
Floppies are supported.

Any information would be appreciated and I will summarize any answers I
get.

Saul Jaffe
Rutgers University
ARPA: Jaffe@elbereth.rutgers.edu
UUCP: ...!rutgers!elbereth.rutgers.edu!jaffe