Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!cbmvax!daveh
From: daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: 3000 autobooting a 1096N
Message-ID: <13796@cbmvax.commodore.com>
Date: 14 Aug 90 15:50:56 GMT
References: <754.26C4F281@weyr.FIDONET.ORG>
Reply-To: daveh@cbmvax (Dave Haynie)
Organization: Commodore, West Chester, PA
Lines: 46

In article <754.26C4F281@weyr.FIDONET.ORG> Randy.Coghill@f70.n140.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Randy Coghill) writes:
>Alright I would like someone at CBM (Dave Haynie this is probably
>right up your alley).

I thought I was the expert on the expansion bus, but, oh well...

>What I want to know is can/will this be fixed soon??  

According to the software folks, there's a special "Seagate bit" in the A3000's
backed up RAM that makes the SCSI device wait the appropriate undue amount of
time so that you can boot from Seagate drives.  That's about all I know about
it; someone else will have to supply a preferences editor or whatever to set
this.  I suppose a real clever version of HDPrefs would notice that that the
drive you're installing is one of these sloppy ones and set that bit by 
default.

>I talked to some person in Customer Support (Yes I called all the way to CBM 
>in the U.S. from Canada) and she tells me to sell/tradein my brand new 1096N
>hard drive!!!!!  Now I ask what kinda answer is that?  Seagate is one of the 
>largest manufactuers (if not the largest) of hard disk drives and I am told 
>that I should sell my HD and get another one?  I want this fixed!!

Well, Ford is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the country, yet
I always advise folks who own them to sell them and get some kind of real car.

But seriously, the problem IS with the drive, not with the computer.  All kinds
of autoboot SCSI controllers out there either won't boot with these or have 
some kind of slowdown trick, often via a jumper on the controller, to add 
delays.  Or they penalize folks with Wrens and Quantums by waiting no matter
what kind of drive is out there.  

>Next why does Commodore insist on such a tight timing for boot
>devices?  From what I understand vertually every SCSI controller
>manufactuer will allow you to boot any HD you want, why does CBM not
>allow this?

Like I said, every SCSI controller has to solve the same problem, one way or
another.  I think we do it the right way, but I would say that, since I have
Quantum drives in all my machines...

>Randy Coghill - via FidoNet node 1:140/22

-- 
Dave Haynie Commodore-Amiga (Amiga 3000) "The Crew That Never Rests"
   {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh      PLINK: hazy     BIX: hazy
      Get that coffee outta my face, put a Margarita in its place!