What's the best way to slurp up DEC RX50s?

From: Doc <doc_at_mdrconsult.com>
Date: Fri Jun 21 13:20:56 2002

On Fri, 21 Jun 2002, Ethan Dicks wrote:

> I did find a device on the Linux side of the boxin question with something
> close - it's double-sided, though. If it matters, I think it's running
> an ancient Slackware distro (4.0?) 2.0.36 kernel. I only upgrade software
> at gunpoint. I haven't tried anything with it yet, due to the DS nature.
> I suppose I could go digging in the source and create a minor device
> number that did what I want, at least in terms of geometry. The one I'm
> looking at, BTW, is minor number 120 (IIRC), if that even is a portable
> quantity. Major numbers aren't once you start fiddling with devices and
> recompiling the kernel.

  /dev/fdX800 is major 2 minor 120, 800k, 80 tracks, double-sided 10
sector, *3.5"* device. Won't fly on 5.25".
  I've written 360k SS images on 720k DS disks with no problems, as long
as the drive is single-sided. I don't know that I've tried it with a HD
drive without preformatting the disk to SS first.

> > > I have a wad of Ultrix 32m and MicroVMS diskettes...
> >
> > Ooohhh.... Ultrix! Will it run on KA630 or KA655? The PUPS version
> > of 32M is like 11/780 or older or something.
>
> They came from our MicroVAX-I or MicroVAX-II, c. 1986-1987, so the KA630
> should be no problem. Dunno about the KA655, though. My newest Qbus CPU
> is a uVAX-II (got RAM, but no CPU). I think it all fits on an RD52; an
> RD53 would be plenty of room.
>
> > Erzatz-11 eval says you can read-write RX50 on a HD 5.25" drive. I
> > expect that emulators, or at least E-11, will like those....
>
> I guess I can go that route, too. I hadn't dug into E-11 enough to know
> that I could use a real 5.25" drive with the emulator. It begs the
> question, though - how well does a *real* RX50 drive work with a PeeCee,
> with or without E-11? Any advantage?

  Why would anybody WANT to? :)
  I haven't ever even hooked up my RX50. So far, TK50 & netboots have
been sufficient.

        Doc
Received on Fri Jun 21 2002 - 13:20:56 BST