Re: i386-Misc questions: [non-]disklabel'd wd1X, initrd-floppy, PUFFS-vnconfig

[Ted Spradley <tsprad%talent-free-studios.com@localhost>]

On Thu, 12 Nov 2026 13:32:38 +0700
Robert Elz <kre%munnari.OZ.AU@localhost> wrote:

> Generally it is much easier to read from a tape (from its current position)
> - it just needs to be told "read" and then the data collected.  A disk
> (of the time) needed to do a seek to the desired cylinder (the heads might
> be anywhere) then have which track set (which head to use), and finally a
> sector number to find, and then be told to read - lots more operations
> required before data could start arriving

In my limited PDP-11 experience ~1975 we had to have a punch card
reader just so the DEC field service people could boot their test
decks ;-)

-- 
Ted Spradley
I remember when bits were forged from rings of iron and bytes were
hand sewn like baseballs by women in Puerto Rico. Yes, I am very old.