[comp.os.minix] How do I set up MINIX on my Supra drive?

anton@sting.Berkeley.EDU (Jeff Anton) (02/25/90)

I have a new 40Mbyte Supra hard disk drive for my Atari ST 1040.
The machine is a few years old with TOS in ROM.
MINIX ST 1.1 doesn't recognize the drive.  I've tried several
approaches includeing running MINIX from GEMDOS with MINIX.PRG
and MINIX.IMG generated from the boot disk.

I would guess I need a different hard disk device driver
but I've no idea how I will do that.

Please mail me if you've got this combination to work
or if you are reasonable sure how to do it.
				Jeff Anton
				anton@scam.Berkeley.EDU

hcj@lzsc.ATT.COM (HC Johnson) (02/26/90)

In article <22392@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>, anton@sting.Berkeley.EDU (Jeff Anton) writes:
> I have a new 40Mbyte Supra hard disk drive for my Atari ST 1040.
> The machine is a few years old with TOS in ROM.
> MINIX ST 1.1 doesn't recognize the drive.  I've tried several
> approaches includeing running MINIX from GEMDOS with MINIX.PRG
> and MINIX.IMG generated from the boot disk.

1. It is not clear if its you or Supra that has a problem.
2. If you;  Minix 1.1, as shipped expects to find a minix root partition
   at partition 2. 
"
  /* Get size of RAM disk by reading root file system's super block.
   * First read block 0 from the floppy.  If this is a valid file system, use
   * it as the root image, otherwise try the hard disk (RAM_IMAGE).  
   */
#ifdef ATARI_ST
  printf("Booting MINIX-ST 1.1.  Copyright 1988 Prentice-Hall, Inc.\n");
  printf("Insert ROOT diskette and hit RETURN (or specify bootdev) %c", 0);
  root_device = (dev_nr)getdev();
  if (root_device == 0)
#endif
"
So, It is assumed that you first boot MINIX from a floppy.  At this point
you can prepare a partion, 2 being preferred for minix.

3. You can test if you have basic communication with the HD, from MINIX,
by reading section 0, which is the boot sector, and partition 1, which is
(I assume) TOS.
	dd if=/dev/rhd0 > /tmp/hd0  should not fail.
	tos -d /dev/hd1 should print familiar information on TOS c:.
If either or both FAIL, then you have INTERRUPT problems.

4. Remember TOS is polled IO, not INTERRUPT.  You would never no if disk 
interrupts failed under TOS.  MINIX only uses INTERRUPTS.  Assuming that
the 1040 is  not bad (Try someone elses HD); its a Supra problem.

5. Supra had three vintages of Atari interfaces.  OLD (Never would run MINIX), 
    Medium (could run minix with a Supra supplied software change), and NEW
   (as in with fan, and DMA OUT connector) that did work.

Howard C. Johnson
ATT Bell Labs
=====NEW address====
att!lzsc!hcj
hcj@lzsc.att.com

buggs@cup.portal.com (William Edward JuneJr) (02/28/90)

Did the MINIX newsgroup ever split into IBM & ATARI sections? Or, is it still
one big deal?

BTW, I just purchased a used MINIX package, I wonder if I could get it 
re-registered in MY name?
What's the latest version, this one is 1.1.
Walden's 'computer store' <here local> carries a hardcover version of the
textbook tellin' me that there ISN'T a softbound version, this true?

Ed June      buggs@cup.portal.com <<<<----- this is all I know!

pcm@iwarp.intel.com (Phil Miller) (03/01/90)

In article <27392@cup.portal.com> buggs@cup.portal.com (William Edward JuneJr) writes:
>
>Did the MINIX newsgroup ever split into IBM & ATARI sections? Or, is it still
>one big deal?

Nope, still one big deal.

 [...]

>What's the latest version, this one is 1.1.

Version 1.5.3, soon to be version 1.5.4.

>Walden's 'computer store' <here local> carries a hardcover version of the
>textbook tellin' me that there ISN'T a softbound version, this true?

True part: The generic version of `the book' on Minix, by A. S. Tanenbaum,
only comes in hardcover (at least as far as I know).

False part: There is a version of `the book' specific to the IBM PC which
is in paperback.  Check "Authors in Print" at your favorite local bookstore.

I own both of these.  I don't know if there are other books for other
(non-PC) architectures.

>
>Ed June      buggs@cup.portal.com <<<<----- this is all I know!


Phil Miller
pcm@iwarp.intel.com

buggs@cup.portal.com (William Edward JuneJr) (03/02/90)

>I don't know if there are other books for other (non-PC) architectures.
>Phil Miller
>pcm@iwarp.intel.com

There's something called XINU. It's 'done' on the Mac & IBM. ANYONE know
 anything on this?
I saw the hardback copy of this too, BTW.

$60.00 for a book, geez!

Ed June

pcm@iwarp.intel.com (Phil Miller) (03/04/90)

In article <27454@cup.portal.com> buggs@cup.portal.com (William Edward JuneJr) writes:
>>I don't know if there are other books for other (non-PC) architectures.
>>Phil Miller
>>pcm@iwarp.intel.com
>
>There's something called XINU. It's 'done' on the Mac & IBM. ANYONE know
> anything on this?
>I saw the hardback copy of this too, BTW.
>
>$60.00 for a book, geez!
>
>Ed June


...back (briefly) to the topic of toy vs. OS:

XINU is a layer of stuff running on top of an existing OS (MS-DOS, for
example).  Everything I've read about it makes it sound like a `teaching
tool'.

MINIX is a stand-alone OS.

The two are unrelated.

Phil Miller
pcm@iwarp.intel.com

buggs@cup.portal.com (William Edward JuneJr) (03/05/90)

>MINIX is a stand-alone OS. 
>Phil Miller
>pcm@iwarp.intel.com

Otay, thanks. I've still got my on the book at the mall. It has a section
 on the 8086! Gee, I don't need that. Also NO where does even mention the 
 Atari ST.
Is there a newer release? One that even mentions the ST?


Ed June

hojo@cbnewsb.cb.att.com (HC Johnson) (03/13/91)

In article <22392@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>, anton@sting.Berkeley.EDU (Jeff Anton) writes:
> I have a new 40Mbyte Supra hard disk drive for my Atari ST 1040.
> The machine is a few years old with TOS in ROM.
> MINIX ST 1.1 doesn't recognize the drive.  I've tried several
> approaches includeing running MINIX from GEMDOS with MINIX.PRG
> and MINIX.IMG generated from the boot disk.
> 
> I would guess I need a different hard disk device driver
> but I've no idea how I will do that.
> 
> Please mail me if you've got this combination to work
> or if you are reasonable sure how to do it.
> 				Jeff Anton
> 				anton@scam.Berkeley.EDU


When Minix 1.1 came out there were threads like:
1. Very old Supra's wouldn't work.  Likely never did.  They screwed up 
	interupts.
	Typical of supras with out fans.
2. A middle vintage would work with software timing fixes.  Supra supplied
	a posted driver to fix.  I may have this in an archive.
	Typical of supras with fan without chaining (I think!).
3. "Newer" ones worked.

Remember, MINIX, like UNIX is interrupt driven, and if the supra controller
generates extra or suppresses interrupts, MINIX dies.

Also, I did an upgrade, which is in all the archives to allow you to access
partitions 4-12 on the supra.

Disclaimer.   I don't have a Supra.  And I am glad!

Howard Johnson
ATT BELL LABS
att!lzsc!hcj
hcj@lzsc.att.com