*BSD News Article 37917


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Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.questions
Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!msuinfo!uwm.edu!spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!ix.netcom.com!netcom.com!kientzle
From: kientzle@netcom.com
Subject: Q: Non-SCSI CD-ROM drives w/ FreeBSD
Message-ID: <kientzleCzC0J3.5ox@netcom.com>
Summary: Which ones work?
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 1994 23:13:51 GMT
Lines: 18

I'm planning to buy a PC specifically to run FreeBSD.  (For the
record, I've never owned a PC nor have I ever used FreeBSD.)  While it
would be nice to have a SCSI CD-ROM drive, the extra cost of a SCSI
controller + SCSI CD-ROM rules that out for now.

According to the FAQ, the `Mitsumi' CD-ROM drives are functional but
slow.  The FAQ says nothing, however, about the NEC IDE CD-ROM drives
I've seen advertised.  Do the Mitsumi drives use an IDE interface?  Or
something else?

Do the NEC IDE CD-ROM drives work with FreeBSD?  If so, how do they
compare to the Mitsumi drives?  Or, should I save pennies for six
months so I can get a SCSI CD-ROM?  I'm especially interested in
FreeBSD 2.0, as I expect it to be in final release by the time I can
actually buy the system (in about two months).

Any feedback appreciated.
				- Tim Kientzle