Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!ivc!ktyra
From: ktyra@ivc (Kristopher L. Tyra)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.aux
Subject: Re: How do I access SCSI using A/UX System Calls?
Keywords: A/UX, SCSI
Message-ID: <108@ivc>
Date: 4 Sep 90 19:19:05 GMT
References: <3368@wrgate.WR.TEK.COM> <q1x5f2.ll7@smurf.sub.org>
Reply-To: ktyra@ivc.UUCP (Kristopher L. Tyra)
Organization: Intelligent Visual Computing, Inc. Cary, NC
Lines: 47

>Is the A/UX Device Driver kit available for 2.0? Will it be FTPable from
>anywhere.apple.com, or do we have to get it through APDA?
>
>Rumor says that the kit will include a generic tape driver, which is exactly
>what I need right now...
>
>NB: Is there a /dev/scsi out there somewhere which could possibly allow me to
>do generic SCSI calls from normal A/UX programs? Some 3rd party is said to
>work on something like this -- anyone know more?

Interesting Idea.  The Tool Kit developed at IVC does not provide this 
actual feature ( /dev/scsi ).  It is not to hard and I do like so I think 
it will be added to our product (if such product is released 
-- we have not seen a very big response to have a new Driver Toolkit 
on the market).

As far as I can tell there are no changes to the A/UX 1.1 Generic Driver 
in A/UX 2.0 not including additions for tape driver support (anyone in Apple 
please correct me if I'm wrong).  My question out there is:

1)  How many people wish to play with the SCSI ports directly?

2)  Is it enough to make a better Generic Driver interface for writing
    device drivers or should a /dev/scsi be created ?  The A/UX 1.1 Generic
    Driver Interface in my opinion is limited and certain functions
    reported in thier documentation do not work.

3)  There is more to just accessing the SCSI then Mode Sense and READ/WRITE,
    Does anyone really require more ?  How about SCSI II inteface support 
    for library type hardware (removable and the like)?

4)  Does anyone require 1k block size instead of the fixed 512 block size 
    imposed by Apple ?

5)  How about removable media ? Apple's driver re-reads the partition 
    information on every open - it works but, yuck !!!  Is this acceptable ?

You may mail me direct and I will post responses ?  Thanks for reading.



				________________________________________

				Kristopher L. Tyra
				Intelligent Visual Computing, Inc.
				(800) 776-2810
				ktyra%ivc.com!uunet