Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!cica!gatech!udel!mmdf
From: VBRANDT%DBNUAMA1.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Some remarcs on Minix media format
Message-ID: <20349@louie.udel.EDU>
Date: 24 Jul 89 16:48:02 GMT
Sender: mmdf@udel.EDU
Lines: 32


Hello all,

   ... recently I asked if the PC and ST versions of Minix were media
compatible.  Well, they're not.  The main reason for this is the well-known
byte ordering difference (Intel LLHH, Motorola HHLL).  This does have advan-
tages: the Min2DOS package works fine under TOS, it just had to be recompiled.
(I can post the binary if anyone wants it).

   Then I proposed that the Minix-ST disk format be changed to the PC format,
to achieve full media compatibility.  I solicited replies and criticism, but
nothing happened (not even a single flame :-).

   Now I read that Minix on the Amiga uses the Minix-ST disk format. So I guess
we're stuck with the format, no chance of ever reaching a *single*  disk format
again.  Note that there is supposed to be floating around a change to Minix-ST
to enable the use of so-called 'twister' disks (ie. disks formatted ds 80 tr
10 sec spiralled).  So the disk driver *can* be modified.  (You can tell that
I haven't done anything serious with Minix yet, though I've had it lying around
for ages ...).

   That brings me to the next question:  Has anyone written a device driver
that reads/writes Minix-PC disks on an ST ??  Can anyone tell me how to do
this ?  (I have to recompile the kernal anyway, to get my Maxtor HD to work.)

   As usual, any and all help is most welcome.

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