Denney, Richard M. wrote:
>
> I am a new user of ftape. I installed it on two RedHat Linux installations
> (kernel 2.0.34-6; IBM Aptiva S90 and L61, pentium II computers). I got both
> to run fine for two weeks or so with two Iomega Ditto 3200 Easy parallel
> port drives on qft0 using bpck-fdc.o driver.
>
> One of the installations is still working fine. However, after not using
> ftape for a few days, the other ftape installation has stopped working. When
> I attempt to access the drive, it gives the error:
>
> vtblc -f /dev/nrawft0
> Error opening tape dev: Device not configured.
>
> There is no doubt it should be on device 0. (It also fails on devices 1, 2,
> and 3). I have tried reinstalling the setup by deleting the
> /usr/src/ftape-4.02 directory, untarring the ftape-4.02.tar file (same one
> as had worked before), altering the MCONFIG file in /usr/src/ftape-4.02 so
> that only bkpk-fdc is activated.
>
> #MCONFIG (snip) NOTE: THIS IS THE ONLY UNCOMMENTED FDC_OPT += LINE:
> BPCK_DEV=0
> FDC_OPT += -DCONFIG_FT_PARPORT_$(BPCK_DEV)=-1\
> -DCONFIG-FT-PAR-$(BPCK_DEV)=1\
> -DCONFIG_FT_BPCK-$(BPCK_DEV)=1
> #
>
> The "make" command in /usr/src/ftape-4.02 proceeds without error,
> generating the expected *.o drivers in /lib/modules/2.0.34/misc (ftape.o,
> bkpk-fdc.o, trakker.o, ztape.o, and zcompressor.o drivers).
>
> The "make install" command in usr/src/ftape-4.02 proceeds with no
> errors. It indicates that some of the drivers in /dev already exist and asks
> me if I want to overwrite them. I say yes, and it completes with DONE!.
>
> The INSERT file is as follows and asigns bpck-fdc to the "0" devices:
>
> # beginning of INSERT file
> /sbin/insmod ./ftape.o ft_fdc_driver=bpck-fdc,none,none,none
> ft_tracings=3.3.3.3.3
> /sbin/insmod ./zftape.o ft_major_device?number=27 # ${27-FT_MAJOR}
> /sbin/insmod ./bpck-fdc.o
> # end of INSERT file
>
> Running "INSERT" from /usr/src/ftape-4.02/modules proceeds with no
> errors. Doing /sbin/lsmod after the module is loaded yields the expected
> information:
>
> bpck-fdc 9 0
> zftape 19 0
> ftape 34 [bpck-fdc ztape] 0
> 3c509 2 1 (autoclean)
> nls_cp437 1 3 (autoclean)
> nls-cps437
>
> Despite all appearing well to this point,
> vtblc -f /dev/nrawft0 gives "device not configured"
> tar t-f /dev/qft0 or /dev/nqft0 give "device not configured"
>
> I have reinstalled ftape four times, now, without success. There
> doesn't appear to be anything wrong with the drive since it works using
> Ditto tools under Win98 on the same computer (boot manager installation).
>
> The only thing I have done since the drive was working was to play
> around with lp to get an HP laserjet 4 working on the local parallel port.
> It is working via lp0. The printer is plugged into the tape drive so that
> printing goes through the bypass parallel connection of the drive.
>
Hi Richard,
I think that's where the problem is! Take your printer away, be sure to
compile a kernel with lp as a _module_ and _without_ PLIP support (or,
if you need PLIP, with PLIP as a module too).
> The specs of the parallel port are IRQ 7, DMA 3, 0x3BC on both the
> computers and have not been changed since the drive was working.
>
Here is the conflict: 0x3bc is the adress for lp0. You should be able to
verify this by doing "cat /proc/ioports" and "cat /proc/interrupts" as
root: I suspect you would see lp occupying 0x3bc. So you have to
configure lp to run as module. Do the following, after you have compiled
the kernel as above:
- Check /etc/inetd.conf. The line "printer stream ... /usr/bin/lpd..."
should be commented.
- The lpd daemon should start at boot time and remain active. Check with
"ps -acux | grep lpd".
- In /etc/modules.conf use "options lp io=0x3bc irq=5",
IRQ-driven operation is somewhat faster than polling for printing.
- Check that irq 5 is not conflicting with your sound driver. In case it
does, compile sound as a module too and be sure not to listen to your
favorite music, while you are printing ;-)
- FYI, in Linux there are 3 lp devices:
File name major minor DOS name IRQ Ports
/dev/lp1 6 1 LPT1 7 0x378-0x37a
/dev/lp2 6 2 LPT2 5 0x278-0x27a
/dev/lp0 6 0 LPT3 5 0x3bc-0x3be
You choose! But: the port you want to use must be physically present.
Good luck!
Chris
