martin@mwtech.UUCP (Martin Weitzel) (07/03/90)
As I understand, the `official' manuals for 386/ix 2.0.2 are
the ones I can buy from AT&T or Prentice Hall. The "UNIX System
V/386 System Administrator's Reference Manual" specifies in
FD(7) the names for floppy disk devices.
According to the list given there the name "/dev/rdsk/f05qt" means
`5-1/4", 720 KB'. But if I check out the device-number pair, I find
that this name rather belongs to 3-1/2", 1.44 MB.
Needless to say (and as I knew for long), I can't use 5-1/4", 720 KB
floppies on 386/ix. Now my questions:
1) Which is wrong - the floppy driver of 386/ix or the manuals?
2) Will 5-1/4", 720 KB Floppies be supported in Release 2.2
(Note: This format is one of the "standard exchange formats"
of X/Open.)
A related question: Can I change the floppy driver for very
special needs? As I understand, most of the floppy driver code is
driven by some tables in the kernel(%) which specify starting and
ending cylinder, number of sectors, density of tracks, etc. May
this table be somehow modified before linking the kernel or can
it be patched at run-time? (BTW: On some other UNIX system I know,
there is *one* entry in the floppy driver tables which can be changed
with an `ioctl' at runtime - not a bad idea to support arbitrary
floppy formats. I'm curious if FDSPARAM/FDGPARAM are something similar.)
%: Hint for those who want to join into this discussion: Have a look at
"/usr/include/sys/gendev.h" around line 530 and "/usr/include/sys/fd.h".
--
Martin Weitzel, email: martin@mwtech.UUCP, voice: 49-(0)6151-6 56 83brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot) (07/05/90)
In article <830@mwtech.UUCP> martin@mwtech.UUCP (Martin Weitzel) writes:
<As I understand, the `official' manuals for 386/ix 2.0.2 are
<the ones I can buy from AT&T or Prentice Hall. The "UNIX System
<V/386 System Administrator's Reference Manual" specifies in
<FD(7) the names for floppy disk devices.
<
<According to the list given there the name "/dev/rdsk/f05qt" means
<`5-1/4", 720 KB'. But if I check out the device-number pair, I find
<that this name rather belongs to 3-1/2", 1.44 MB.
<
<Needless to say (and as I knew for long), I can't use 5-1/4", 720 KB
<floppies on 386/ix. Now my questions:
<
<1) Which is wrong - the floppy driver of 386/ix or the manuals?
<
<2) Will 5-1/4", 720 KB Floppies be supported in Release 2.2
< (Note: This format is one of the "standard exchange formats"
< of X/Open.)
Wait-a-minute. I must be missing something here. The IBM compatable PC
world has never supported 5-1/4" 720K floppies. It has only been 160K,
single-sided; 320K double-sided and finally 360K double-sided. Then the
high density 5-1/4" drive came along and we got 1.2MB.
The 720K came along with the first 3.5" floppy drive. Then it got doubled
to 1.44MB.
You can get 720K on a 5-1/4" drive when you use it in 360K mode and single
step, using all of the tracks of the HD drive.
I wouldn't personally want to use any 720K 5-1/4" disks as they wouldn't
be standard.
--
harvard\ att!nicmad\ spool.cs.wisc.edu!astroatc!vidiot!brown
Vidiot ucbvax!uwvax..........!astroatc!vidiot!brown
rutgers/ decvax!nicmad/ INET:<@spool.cs.wisc.edu,@astroatc:brown@vidiot>pim@cti-software.nl (Pim Zandbergen) (07/05/90)
brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot) writes: >I wouldn't personally want to use any 720K 5-1/4" disks as they wouldn't >be standard. 720K 5.25" is the standard format on AT&T 3B2's. I can read these floppies on a Xenix system and would like to be able to read them on a UNIX/386 system too. -- Pim Zandbergen domain : pim@cti-software.nl CTI Software BV uucp : uunet!mcsun!hp4nl!ctisbv!pim Laan Copes van Cattenburch 70 phone : +31 70 3542302 2585 GD The Hague, The Netherlands fax : +31 70 3512837
randy@chinet.chi.il.us (Randy Suess) (07/05/90)
In article <581@vidiot.UUCP> brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot) writes:
]Wait-a-minute. I must be missing something here. The IBM compatable PC
]world has never supported 5-1/4" 720K floppies. It has only been 160K,
]single-sided; 320K double-sided and finally 360K double-sided. Then the
]high density 5-1/4" drive came along and we got 1.2MB.
The 3b2 series uses 720k 5 1/4 inch floppies. XENIX and
AT&T UNIX will read them just fine, but ISC's driver won't.
-randy
--
Randy Suess
randy@chinet.chi.il.usgary@sci34hub.UUCP (Gary Heston) (07/06/90)
In article <1990Jul5.095106.6089@cti-software.nl> pim@cti-software.nl (Pim Zandbergen) writes: >brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot) writes: >720K 5.25" is the standard format on AT&T 3B2's. >I can read these floppies on a Xenix system >and would like to be able to read them on a UNIX/386 system too. They're also used by the Altos 586/986 family, and I assume other Altos machines. If a SysV/386 machine has device entries for a 720K 3.5", it should be possible to read or write 5.25" 720K discs by using either a 1.2M drive or a real 720K drive plugged into the slot (the hardware can't tell what's out there, electronically the 3.5" and 5.25" drives look the same). I'll have to try reading one of my 586 discs here at work, and see how it does. -- Gary Heston { uunet!sci34hub!gary } System Mismanager SCI Technology, Inc. OEM Products Department (i.e., computers) "The esteemed gentleman says I called him a liar. That's true, and I regret it." Retief, a character created by Keith Laumer.
gsteckel@vergil.East.Sun.COM (Geoff Steckel - Sun BOS Software) (07/06/90)
In article <1990Jul5.095106.6089@cti-software.nl> pim@cti-software.nl (Pim Zandbergen) writes: > >720K 5.25" is the standard format on AT&T 3B2's. >I can read these floppies on a Xenix system >and would like to be able to read them on a UNIX/386 system too. >-- >Pim Zandbergen domain : pim@cti-software.nl This flavor was standard on a number of early 80's machines (mostly ones you've never heard of). Interactive's 2.2 (but NOT 2.0.2) has a minor device for the floppy which does 720K (80 tracks, 9 sectors, 2 heads) for 5.25" or 3.5". The `automatic format sensing' described in the manual does NOT work for this format. I hope this is useful to somebody. geoff steckel (gwes@wjh12.harvard.EDU) (...!husc6!wjh12!omnivor!gws) Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Sun Microsystems, despite the From: line. This posting is entirely the author's responsibility.
aland@infmx.UUCP (Colonel Panic) (07/07/90)
In article <830@mwtech.UUCP> martin@mwtech.UUCP (Martin Weitzel) writes: >As I understand, the `official' manuals for 386/ix 2.0.2 are >the ones I can buy from AT&T or Prentice Hall. The "UNIX System >V/386 System Administrator's Reference Manual" specifies in >FD(7) the names for floppy disk devices. > >According to the list given there the name "/dev/rdsk/f05qt" means >`5-1/4", 720 KB'. But if I check out the device-number pair, I find >that this name rather belongs to 3-1/2", 1.44 MB. Are you sure the 3.5" HD isn't f03ht ? >Needless to say (and as I knew for long), I can't use 5-1/4", 720 KB >floppies on 386/ix. Now my questions: Here is the chart for AT&T UNIX V/386 3.2.2. I would expect ISC to be similar: Diskette Type Device ----------------------------------------------- 5.25" 1.2MB DSHD /dev/[r]dsk/f_q15dt -or- /dev/[r]dsk/f_5ht 5.25" 360KB DSDD /dev/[r]dsk/f_d9dt 5.25" AT&T UNIX PC /dev/[r]dsk/f_d8dt 5.25" AT&T 3B2 720KB /dev/[r]dsk/f_5qdt 3.5" 1.44MB DSHD /dev/[r]dsk/f_3ht 3.5" 720KB DSHD /dev/[r]dsk/f_3dt >Martin Weitzel, email: martin@mwtech.UUCP, voice: 49-(0)6151-6 56 83 -- Alan Denney # Informix # aland@informix.com # {pyramid|uunet}!infmx!aland "These tests will have no effect on your grades. They will merely determine your future social status and financial success, if any."
davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (Wm E. Davidsen Jr) (07/08/90)
SCO UNIX (like Xenix) has drivers for 8, 9, 15, and 18 sectors per
track, single and double sided, 48, 96, or 135 tpi. You can look at the
standard devices (or the docs, somewhere) and figure out which bits do
what. Their device names are of this form, options in [], choices in
{}.
[r]fd{0,1}{48,96,135}{ss,ds}{8,9,15,18}
I belive that their UNIX offering has all of these, plus the ability
to bypass the forst track or entire first cylinder. I can't remember the
naming for this stuff, and my UNIX box home is in parts around me.
I assume that ISC and ESIX have something similar, since they're based
on the same starting point.
--
bill davidsen - davidsen@sixhub.uucp (uunet!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen)
sysop *IX BBS and Public Access UNIX
moderator of comp.binaries.ibm.pc and 80386 mailing list
"Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -megsn@sclcig.uucp (Georg Nikodym) (07/08/90)
In article <830@mwtech.UUCP> martin@mwtech.UUCP (Martin Weitzel) writes: >As I understand, the `official' manuals for 386/ix 2.0.2 are >the ones I can buy from AT&T or Prentice Hall. The "UNIX System >V/386 System Administrator's Reference Manual" specifies in >FD(7) the names for floppy disk devices. > >According to the list given there the name "/dev/rdsk/f05qt" means >`5-1/4", 720 KB'. But if I check out the device-number pair, I find >that this name rather belongs to 3-1/2", 1.44 MB. > >Needless to say (and as I knew for long), I can't use 5-1/4", 720 KB >floppies on 386/ix. Now my questions: > >1) Which is wrong - the floppy driver of 386/ix or the manuals? > >2) Will 5-1/4", 720 KB Floppies be supported in Release 2.2 > (Note: This format is one of the "standard exchange formats" > of X/Open.) Good trick, unless you have some seriously weird floppy drives, I don't think that there is a such thing as a 5.25" 720KB floppy. Floppy stuff: 5.25" 360KB (low/regular density) 5.25" 1.2MB (high density) 3.5" 720KB (low density) 3.5" 1.44MB (high density) Anyway, what was the question? Can you read and write floppy disks? If so, who cares what the device file is called, that can be changed. If not, well I suggest first that you try out the various device files deductively, that way you'll be able to determine for yourself whether or not the driver works (I suspect, though, that since you probably installed the OS from floppies that the driver works just fine). Good luck -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Georg S. Nikodym - (416) 442-2238 | | | | Southam Business Information and Communications Group, Don Mills, Ontario | | gsn@sclcig.UUCP -or- ...!uunet!attcan!telly!moore!sclcig!gsn | | | | "The floggings will continue until morale improves" -Jose Castel-Branco | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------