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Xref: sserve comp.os.386bsd.misc:1176 comp.os.386bsd.questions:5748 comp.os.386bsd.bugs:1568 Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.misc,comp.os.386bsd.questions,comp.os.386bsd.bugs Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!munnari.oz.au!news.Hawaii.Edu!ames!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!hamblin.math.byu.edu!news.byu.edu!cwis.isu.edu!fcom.cc.utah.edu!cs.weber.edu!terry From: terry@cs.weber.edu (A Wizard of Earth C) Subject: Re: A case for QIC-80 Message-ID: <1993Oct7.225426.20819@fcom.cc.utah.edu> Keywords: QIC-80 Sender: news@fcom.cc.utah.edu Organization: Weber State University, Ogden, UT References: <kaxiras.749938489@cs.wisc.edu> Date: Thu, 7 Oct 93 22:54:26 GMT Lines: 77 In article <kaxiras.749938489@cs.wisc.edu> kaxiras@falcons.cs.wisc.edu (Stefanos Kaxiras) writes: > >Hello, > >I've read some posts describing the problems associated with QIC-80 >device drivers. As I understand such a driver would take up most CPU >cycles because of timing constraints. It's going to be worthless in >network back up. Tar is going to suffer because of no I/O and computation >overlap ... etc. etc. > >OK. Fine. People who want to do this stuff can spend $$$ to buy >SCSI controllers and drives. I think you are missing the nub of the argument; QIC-80 tapes steal interrupts and buzz-loop. This won't only effect ethernet controllers; it will also effect things like disks, which also use interrupts. The upshot may be it would be faster to print out as hex and type in using DOS debug (an exaggeration). The idea that "someone should write a driver" is old enough that someone has. It's available in the newsarchives, having been posted to the developement news group. The idea that the driver should be available is against all but a few peoples better interests. Nevertheless, NetBSD currently supports loadable kernel modules, including device drivers for things like floppy tape drives. The driver can easily be loaded into the kernel without recompiling the kernel. >A point that was not taken into consideration is that QIC-80 minicartridges >are a *great* distribution medium. This is a "bell-the-cat" issue. Currently, NetBSD and FreeBSD are *not* distributed, although 386BSD has been in the past, and all future distribution that has been discussed here has been CDROM (since it is "Walnut Creek CDROM" doing it, a CDROM only distribution is to be expected. You can try contacting: ] J.T. Conklin <jtc@wimsey.com> | Your source for floppy distributions ] Winning Strategies, Inc. | of the 386BSD OS and binaries ] 61 Crestwood Drive #18 | ] Daly City, CA 94015 | Send e-mail for complete product list And see if he has anything, or you can look at this as a business opportunity. >2) Spend $$$ buy a SCSI controller and a SCSI tape drive or a CD-ROM drive >spend some more $$$ and get the tape or CD-ROM. Not true. The Mitsumi CDROM drive is supported. I don't think there is a driver in the works for the SB CDROM, but if not, there's another opportunity. What does the CDROM cost? $40 or so? >Just write up something that can be used to install BSD -and other >software -from QIC-80 minicatridges. >Instead of using the floppy drive for the installation use the tape >drive connected to the floppy drive controller ! There's nothing preventing someone from getting DOS versions of all files and using DOS backup software to write a tape; but then again, there's little incentive, since by then they've done exactly what is being avoided by having a tape in the first place. Plus there's the problem of whether or not you have exactly the same drive and same software as the guy/gal who cut the tape. If not, you can easily be screwed by an incompatable format or install software. >I believe that many people woule be happy to be able to install >FreeBSD from QIC-80 tapes. This would lead to a wider acceptance of FreeBSD. I don't personally see a margin in it, but someone might. Terry Lambert terry@icarus.weber.edu --- Any opinions in this posting are my own and not those of my present or previous employers.