Subject: Zip disk experiences
To: None <port-hp300@NetBSD.ORG>
From: Ross Sponholtz <rossspon@mindspring.com>
List: port-hp300
Date: 01/16/1997 09:48:43
Hi,
After seeing the previous messages about using the Iomega Zip disk on a
hp300 series machine, I thought 
that I should connect mine up.  I have a '345 with an internal SCSI disk.

To get the hardware connections working, all I had to do was connect up the
Zip disk and power everything up!
I then re-installed NetBSD 1.2 onto the zip disk, using a remote boot from
my Linux machine.  Worked like
a charm.  Anyway, here is the disklabel that I created:

# /dev/rsd2c:
type: unknown
disk: zip
label: pack1
flags: removable
bytes/sector: 512
sectors/track: 2048
tracks/cylinder: 1
sectors/cylinder: 2048
cylinders: 96
total sectors: 196608
rpm: 3600
interleave: 1
trackskew: 0
cylinderskew: 0
headswitch: 0		# milliseconds
track-to-track seek: 0	# milliseconds
drivedata: 0 

8 partitions:
#        size   offset    fstype   [fsize bsize   cpg]
  a:    30720     2048    4.2BSD     1024  8192    16 	# (Cyl.    1 - 15)
  b:    32768    32768    unused        0     0       	# (Cyl.   16 - 31)
  c:   196608        0      boot                    	# (Cyl.    0 - 95)
  g:   131072    65536    4.2BSD     1024  8192    16 	# (Cyl.   32 - 95)

I can now boot the new system off of the Zip disk, and have not touched my
older system on the internal SCSI. 
In fact, I was considering removing the internal disk, because it is so
darn noisy.  I just use this machine as
an X terminal, so I don't need much local storage.

I think that Zip disks could be a really good way to distribute and install
the system (if you already have a Zip
drive, or don't mind paying the $200 for one).  

I don't know if there is any way to copy a whole Zip disk at once (dd?)
onto another Zip disk, but if so, I 
could copy the system onto a disk for people.  This could make installation
much easier (and less scary).  


Ross
rossspon@mindspring.com