Subject: Re: DEC drive power-on spinup
To: Glenn E. Thobe <thobe@lafn.org>
From: NetBSD Bob <nbsdbob@weedcon1.cropsci.ncsu.edu>
List: port-sun3
Date: 06/01/2000 13:35:42
> There is a program that runs on a PC with an Adaptec SCSI controller
> (which I don't have) which will configure your DEC drives to spin up on
> power up.
> 
> The file name is rzspinup.doc.gz.  Since SunOS for the Sun 3 doesn't
> support User SCSI, it wouldn't even help to have the source code for
> the program.
> If you find another way to reconfigure the DEC drive (mine is an RZ55),
> feel free to let me know.
> -Glenn Thobe <lt>thobe@lafn.org>

The program is available from:

  http://www4.service.digital.com/support_database/index/epid79.htm

at the bottom of the list.


There was a linux problem with the same thing, using DEC drives,
which apparently required the code to be compiled into the kernel
as opposed to be a loadable module, but that did not seem to fully
work.

Still, sunos is doing something to cause the drives to come up.
If it is as simple as a bus reset, since the tapes jiggle and
clunk at the same time the drives spin up, we need something
to do that.

I will check to see what I can find out about the Ultrix program
that does that.  One version is called ``scu'' on OSF/1.  On
Ultrix it is rzdisk -c ask /dev/rrzXc.  A followup message
suggested that rzdisk did not actually do anything useful (:+{{...
Netsearches don't turn up anything more useful.

I may resurrect an old VAX on Ultrix and see if that does anything.

Apparently a mode page bit is set in the drive's eprom.  BUT, that
still does not explain how sunos can boot the drives and NetBSD not.
It has gotta be something more simple that that.

Bob