Zane asked:
>However, I just realized, I am trying to make this overly difficult. I'm
>wanting to use these drives on PDP-11's which means they need to be
>formated on one. So the question I should really be asking is how to get
>them formated on a RQDX3 that's in a PDP-11. The reason for trying to
>format them on the VS2000 was just to make sure they worked (and for some
>reason I was thinking it was a good idea, go figure).
The VS2000 low-level format will be compatible with the RQDX3. (The
VS2000 format isn't compatible with the RQDX1/2, though.)
Megan suggested:
>Then what you want is the XXDP+ kit, and the ZRQC formatter.
The ZRQC?? formatter will do the trick, too, but the VS2000 formatter
is far more convenient and robust. I keep a VS2000 around for no
other purpose than formatting MFM disks when I have to. Suggesting
that someone use ZRQC?? when they have a VS2000 available is like
suggesting that they learn how to fly an airplane rather than simply
using an airline ticket :-).
Zane asked about ZRQC??:
>So what does it want for input? Don't know if this is a stupid question,
>but am asking since I've never actually used XXDP+ and I didn't get any
>documentation at all with the Packs, despite the fact that the rest had
>related Docs.
I'd go the VS2000 route myself, but if you insist on XXDP+ I can
fax you a couple pages out of the MicroPDP technical manuals that
will get you started. If you thought the VS2000 prompts were
cryptic, you've never seen the ZRQC?? prompts :-).
Also, since nobody else has mentioned it, *none* of this stuff is any
great secret. A lot of this is very well explained in Terry Kennedy's
collection of DECUSERVE conferences, THIRD-PARTY-DISKS.TXT, available
by anonymous ftp from ftp.spc.edu.
--
Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa_at_trailing-edge.com
Trailing Edge Technology Voice: 301-767-5917
7328 Bradley Blvd Fax: 301-767-5927
Bethesda, MD, USA 20817
Received on Tue Sep 22 1998 - 10:25:29 BST