root <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
> Hi,
>
> I have a microsolutions backpack 800TD parrallel port tape drive. A while
> ago I tried to install ftape-4.02 and set up my tape drive without much
> sucess. A later version of ftape said that the 800TD wasn't actually
> properly supported and that it should be used at one's own risk. Has
> support for the 800TD been implemented yet, and has anyone sucessfully
> installed one? I would appreciate any information or suggestions.
All I know is that Iomega Ditto Easy 800/3200 work with ftape-4.x
Please use the latest snapshot of ftape-4.x, located under
http://www.math1.rwth-aachen.de/~heine/ftape/archives/ftape-4.x/unstable
It might not work due to initialization problems, but give it a try.
In case it does not work, you can help to add support for your tape
drive by running your DOS tape driver program (probably a version of
QBackup ?) with the latest dosemu version. Lately I verified that
qbackup works with dosemu-0.98.4. Note that older versions of dosemu
do not work, they die with a division by zero exception, caused by an
unsufficient timer emulation.
After you have verified that your DOS driver program is able to detect
your tape drive when running under dosemu, you should try to produce
an IO trace log.
Ah, well, to make your dos driver program work with dosemu you have to
change /etc/dosemu.conf as follows (assuming your parallel port uses
0x378/irq 7):
Add irq 7 to the $_irqpassing variable:
$_irqpassing = "7"
Add the parallel ports to the "$_ports" variable:
$_ports = "0x378 0x379 0x37a 0x37b 0x37c"
If you parallel port doesn't support EPP then you can forget the 0x37b
and 0x37c entries.
After you have verified that the DOS program works with dosemu, you
should produce a trace log by adding the "-D+T" debug flag.
In case that you are using dosemu-0.98.4 you shouldn't do THAT, but
first apply the patch included below and then use the "-D+t" (a
lower-case 't') debug flag.
The trace log should contain lines like
[8 hex digits] 378 < ff
.
.
.
Caveats:
- on my v2.2.2 kernel dosemu won't run properly on the console, but
this might be caused by the vesafb frame buffer device. In case you
experience problems when running dosemu on the console you should
run "xdos" under X. Maybe you need to run "xhost localhost" when
doing so (this is IMHO a bug of xdos or X).
- when running dos on the console you should disbable gpm (console
mouse support)
- your DOS tape driver program might not _really_ work. This is not a
problem for producing trace logs. It suffices when the program is
able to detect the tape drive properly. If it is able to read the
header segments, good. If not, also good. You probably aren't able
to make a backup when running the DOS program under dosemu.
- The trace log will be large. Note that I had problems running dosemu
like
dosemu -D+T -o debugfile
but
dosemu -D+T -O > debugfile 2>&1
works fine. "large" means up to 10 ro 20 Mbytes, depending on
whether you try to read the header segment or not. If the tape drive
is detected properly then you will end up with ~7Mbytes. Maybe.
- It might be necessary to apply the patch included below to
dosemu. This is because the meaning of the "+T" trace flag has
changed in 0.98.4, it is much too verbose now. Maybe it already has
been reverted to its original meaning in 0.98.8 (latest version),
but I didn't try it.
- To give dosemu access to your DOS partitions simply add it to the
"$_hdimage" variable in /etc/dosemu.conf. You might as well add your
DOS partition using Linux (e.g. using "/mnt/" as mountpoint), this
way it will show up under D:\mnt or E:\mnt, depending on how many
partions have been added to the "$_hdimage" variable.
Please contact me again in case you have problems.
Good luck
Claus
--
Claus-Justus Heine
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.math1.rwth-aachen.de/~heine/
Ftape - the Linux Floppy Tape Project
Home Page : http://www.math1.rwth-aachen.de/~heine/ftape/
CVS Repos. : http://iris3.math1.rwth-aachen.de:8000/cvsweb/
Bug Reports : http://iris3.math1.rwth-aachen.de:8080/gnats/
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Mailing-list: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
dosemu-0.98.4-mine.diff
