no rom basic

From: Eric Smith <eric_at_brouhaha.com>
Date: Mon Feb 8 23:58:20 1999

jpero_at_cgocable.net wrote:
> You done exactly right on everything except LLF which is big NO
> No on modern drives, potientially losing it!

I wish just for once that someone would actually cite a specific drive
model for which this is true. I've LLF'd many of them with no ill
effects.

The ANSI X3.298-1997 standard, "Information Technology - AT Attachment-3
Interface (ATA-3)" says that the FORMAT TRACK command is vendor-specific
and recommends against systems using it, but nowhere does it suggest
that an acceptable implementation would be to trash a drive.

I have seen some drives that treat the command as a NOOP, simply
returning success impediately without actually doing anything, but I've
yet to see one which actually causes any harm to the drive.

If anyone cares to present contrary evidence, please cite specifics.
I'm not interested in FOAF anecdotes.
Received on Mon Feb 08 1999 - 23:58:20 GMT