Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!texbell!sugar!ficc!kunkee
From: kunkee@ficc.uu.net (randy kunkee XNX MGR)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.intel
Subject: Re: Bad Track Info
Summary: CYlinder 0 track 0 is special
Message-ID: <6449@ficc.uu.net>
Date: 6 Oct 89 19:27:36 GMT
References: <1798@bute.tcom.stc.co.uk>
Organization: Unix/Xenix Support Group
Lines: 25

In article <1798@bute.tcom.stc.co.uk>, lc@tcom.stc.co.uk (Laurie Constantin) writes:
> 
> Does anyone know if track 0 cylinder 0 on a winchester disk drive has any
> significance?
> :

You are referring to a 310 running (I think) RMX?  We use Xenix R3.5
here, but the following should apply:

You should send back any disk you get that has cylinder 0 track 0
listed as defective.  The first 3 tracks on the drive are supposed
to be guaranteed to be defect free.

The first track contains information on the geometry of the disk
(cylinders, tracks, sectors) as well as the bootstrap used to load
in your operating system.  If this information is not correct, none of
the Intel (214, 215, 221) or look-alike controllers (SMS 8009) will
drive the disk (although I think this is more of an operating system
issue than the actual controller).  The bootstrap is only necessary
if you intend to boot from the disk (NNO - Not Necessarily Obvious).
-- 
Randy Kunkee
Ferranti International Controls Corporation
12808 W. Airport Blvd.  Sugar Land, TX 77478
UUCP: uunet!ficc!kunkee       ph: (713) 274-5132