I feel the need to separate this discussion to two drive types: 1. MFM & RLL 2. IDE
Jerry James Haumberger wrote: > > >> is this already an automatic feature of the > >> later hard drives... > > >Yes, AFAIK this is an automatic eature of all IDE drives. > > Good. If I listen closely to this 486 DX2 system, I can > hear the gentle "plunk" sound as the IDE drive heads move > into or out of position. For example, I suspect that when I > hear this sound shortly after activating the screen (when it > has been blanked by the screen saver under BasicLinux) and do > something on the keyboard, the HD heads that were lifted off > from above the hard drive surface during the quiet period are > moving back closer into their normal active position -- just > scarcely above the hard disk surface. I assume that the aforementioned system is IDE based and does not fall under the subject "hard drive head parking in linux". > >It's not a big issue (it will be a very rare bird that > >runs Linux on an old XT HD). If you want to protect the > >HD, just reset to DOS and run the park utility before > >powering down. > > These older machines do just fine with DOS and the Internet > without the need for something more complex, like Linux. I > keep pretty close to software/hardware combinations that were > usual for the active period of each of my classic machines. The > Linux console-only installation on this 486 DX2 is altogether > "normal", in my opinion, right along with its dual relationship > alongside PC DOS 7. I don't think it would have been a peculiar > combination back in the early 1990's (this machine has a late > 1991 BIOS). Around 1994, let's say, this would have been a > very powerful and expensive machine, but not unattainable for > those who could afford it, nor strange. Again, this does not seem to follow the subject. > All in all, though, I believe that Linux is easier on and kinder > to old hardware; and for serious professional use of classic > machines, folks should consider using Linux to prolong the > productivity of such hardware -- and they should preferably > begin with the most basic of distributions, such as your > BasicLinux, with no less than the minimum hardware requirements > you've mentioned. "...serious professional use of classic machines..." Seems oxymoronic to me. :-| > Jerry... on a 486 DX2-50MHz with 8MB RAM in BasicLinux 1.7 > and Midnight Commander at the lab of Classic Systems, Ltd. Not on it, but I do run an 80486dx33 as my firewall and route. ;-) Chuck - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-newbie" in the body of a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.linux-learn.org/faqs
