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Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd Path: sserve!manuel!munnari.oz.au!sgiblab!spool.mu.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!usc!news.service.uci.edu!unogate!mvb.saic.com!ncr-sd!sceard!mrm From: mrm@sceard.Sceard.COM (M.R.Murphy) Subject: Re: 386BSD and IDE drives Message-ID: <1992Sep25.062922.20867@sceard.Sceard.COM> Reply-To: mrm@Sceard.COM (M.R.Murphy) Organization: The Mole and Badger Association of Northern San Diego County References: <19posaINNp6j@disaster.Germany.EU.net> <1992Sep23.212547.15460@fcom.cc.utah.edu> <19r0h6INNp42@aludra.usc.edu> <1992Sep24.022400.19483@fcom.cc.utah.edu> Date: Fri, 25 Sep 92 06:29:22 GMT Lines: 47 In article <1992Sep24.022400.19483@fcom.cc.utah.edu> terry@cs.weber.edu (A Wizard of Earth C) writes: >In article <19r0h6INNp42@aludra.usc.edu> eddy@aludra.usc.edu (George Edmond Eddy) writes: >>terry@cs.weber.edu (A Wizard of Earth C) writes: >> >>> I personally wouldn't buy an IDE because of geometry translation, >>>and there's one Maxtor SCSI drive, so far, in the same boat. I like the >>>UFS caching and optimization to actually result in a speedup, and it >>>can't on a geometry translated drive (see my other tirade 8-)). >> Personally, I'd buy an IDE drive because they're cost effective for low-end systems, and because if set up correctly, they seem to work fine with 386bsd. That based on a limited sample of 6 drive types from 4 manufacturers. The key is that the geometry must be specified correctly for the drive in the BIOS, the drive itself, and in 386bsd. I'm really pleased with IDE performance on 386bsd systems. Then, again, I'm easily pleased. >>this would have been really cool to know before i plopped down $400 >>on an IDE, i would have come up with the extra $100 for the scsi >>controller, and went with that. SCSI drives also may do geometry translation. 386bsd is happy with a Syquest 44MB drive using an ST-01, and the drive isn't telling the controller what it *really* has for geometry. It lies, but it works. [...] >A lot of this can be alleviated by picking the user defined drive type and >entering the correct geometry as part of the CMOS setup. You of course >have to be able to *find* this information out, however. One way to do this is to use the telephone to ask the information operator for the telephone number of the manufacturer of the drive, call the manufacturer, get the tech support number, and either ask the automated fax system for the desired information, wheedle it from the techie on the phone, or just buy the manual for the drive. All of these techniques worked for me, one time or another. :-) [...] >Now I wouldn't buy an IDE drive at all, since I expect to eventually install >386BSD on all machines in unlocked offices. 8-). 8-). Better to buy IDE drives. They're less expensive to replace when the machines are stolen from the unlocked offices. -- Mike Murphy mrm@Sceard.COM ucsd!sceard!mrm +1 619 598 5874