Date: Sun, 07 Sep 1997 19:25:07 -0000 (GMT) From: Chris Dillon <cdillon@tri-lakes.net> To: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org Subject: Adding new tape geometries to ft... Message-ID: <XFMail.970907195520.cdillon@tri-lakes.net>
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Ok, just to make sure I'm not barking up the wrong tree before I embark on
adding new geometries to the floppy-tape driver, let me show you all what
happens when I throw a DC2120XL tape in my Colorado Jumbo 350. I'm doing
this now because I have had a better look at the source, and it looks as
if it should have detected this as a type of tape it wouldn't be able to
handle:
/* Look up geometry in the table */
for (i = 1; i < NGEOM; i++)
if (ftgtbl[i].g_fmtno == fmt && ftgtbl[i].g_lenno == len) break;
if (i == NGEOM) {
printf("ft%d: unknown tape geometry\n", ftu);
ftg = NULL;
return(-1);
}
ftg = &ftgtbl[i];
if (!ftg->g_trktape) {
printf("ft%d: unsupported format %s w/len %s\n",
ftu, ftg->g_fmtdesc, ftg->g_lendesc);
ftg = NULL;
return(-1);
}
However, rather than an immediate error, it begins to work, UNTIL
it reaches the end of the first track.. It then reverses direction, and
the tape continues to advance at about 1cm every second (short bursts).
Here's exactly what I did (console error output included):
tar cf - /usr/ports/distfiles/ | ft "test"
(works fine until it hits the end of the first tape track...)
ft0: unrecoverable write error on block 3200
(I yank the tape out of the drive now... its been about 5 minutes)
ft0: unrecoverable write error on block 3201
ft0: unrecoverable write error on block 3202
ft0: unrecoverable write error on block 3203
ft0: unrecoverable write error on block 3204
(and so on.. each one in succession about every 30 seconds)
It now requires a system restart to stop the messages, as ft is unkillable.
Of course, the drive works fine in DOS (do backups/restores there all
the time).
Is this what SHOULD happen when an unknown tape is inserted in the drive,
or is it supposed to detect that first-hand and not even begin the
operation? If this is a drive firmware problem (could only be the drive
itself, since I've gone through three different floppy controllers with
the same problem), i may just have to bite the bank account and go buy a
SCSI based drive. (though a Conner TR4 SCSI drive is only $90 from
CorpSys.. I can't argue with that price, but how good is it?)
--- Chris Dillon
--- cdillon@tri-lakes.net
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