RE: [PARPORT] Error using HP 5GB drive


John Lange (jlange@cgc.ca)
Thu, 2 Sep 1999 15:25:59 -0500


I'm glad to hear that I can't destroy the drive just with software. I always
assumed that was the case, but you just had be worried there for a second. I
thought maybe bad software could cause the drive to wind to far or
something...

Anyhow, I will check the bios first. I will also power cycle the entire
system including the tape drive as soon as I have access to it.

I got a parallel port drive because I got the entire brand new package with
5 tapes for $100.00 Canadian (roughly $65.00 US). You can't beat that price
with a stick! I knew it would be a challenge to get it working (I looked
into it before I bought it), but I figured worse case scenario I'd have a
portable tape backup I could use with all my various Windows systems or I
could sell it for a profit and buy a SCSI solution.

Thanks again for all your help.

John Lange
Home Page: http://johnzone.darkcore.net
Applications Development, Canadian Grain Commission
Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada
(204) 983 2763

-----Original Message-----
From: J. Scott Berg [mailto:jsberg@earthlink.net]
Sent: Thursday, September 02, 1999 2:33 PM
To: John Lange
Cc: 'linux-parport'
Subject: RE: [PARPORT] Error using HP 5GB drive

On Thu, 2 Sep 1999, John Lange wrote:

> I'm surprised that it did go to the list. I know I sent it there, but I
> figured it would reject since I'm not subscribed with this email address.

Apparently I'm subscribed read-only at the moment, since torque.net is
rejecting mail from me (Earthlink seems to be in ORBS at the moment).
I'll try sending this to the list as well in case only some of
Earthlink's mail servers are blocked...

> Before I go any further.. Can you define "made 3 paperweights out of..." ?
I
> hope your not saying that just by hooking it up and loading a few modules
> that I've potentially destroyed my drive?

No, I was just commenting on the poor quality of the drive hardware.
I don't think there is any action you can take (in software at least)
to destroy the drive.

> BTW, it's a brand new drive with a fresh tape. Both right out of the
> packaging.

It's still possible that the tape is no good. If you are able to load
the module successfully but are still having problems, try a new tape
from a different source. But check the EPP business first. Don't
forget the verbose=1 bit.

> Regarding the mother board; it may be a problem. This is my development
> machine that I use for experimenting. The actual machine it will be
> installed on is much newer and should not have any mother board or BIOS
> problems. I didn't want to try this on that machine because it is a
> production server and things that require recompiling the kernel or never
> much fun :)

Just out of curiosity, why did you get a parallel port drive? The
only reason I have one is that I have a laptop, and therefore cannot
hook anything up to the IDE bus. The IDE tape drives are cheaper,
faster, and use DMA so they don't make your machine's performance
choppy when you use them (every time the tape changes direction,
everything stalls).

The drive definitely works; other folks have used it successfully (and
it is essentially the same thing as what I have as far as the software
is concerned).

-- 
J. Scott Berg                      jsberg@earthlink.net
3025 E. Amy Ln.                    (812) 339-8368
Bloomington, IN  47408-4220

-- To unsubscribe, send mail to: linux-parport-request@torque.net -- -- with the single word "unsubscribe" in the body of the message. --



This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b3 on Thu 02 Sep 1999 - 16:29:14 EDT