Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!samsung!munnari.oz.au!metro!natmlab.dap.csiro.au!ditsydh.syd.dit.CSIRO.AU!evans
From: evans@syd.dit.CSIRO.AU (Bruce.Evans)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Re: disk controllers
Message-ID: <1990Nov5.112037.24303@syd.dit.CSIRO.AU>
Date: 5 Nov 90 11:20:37 GMT
References: <12771@chaph.usc.edu>
Organization: CSIRO Division of Info Tech, Sydney, Australia
Lines: 18

In article <12771@chaph.usc.edu> kjh@aludra.usc.edu (Kenneth J. Hendrickson) writes:
>I have learned that on the NeXT (and possibly other *nix systems), there
>is a /etc/disktab animal that lists characteristics of disks, much like

Shoelace already has a /etc/disktab. It does not consult it at boot time,
however.

>good idea to me.  The kernel could read this file and configure itself
>for the correct number of tracks, sectors, cylinders, heads, etc.  Thus

The kernel cannot read files. Especially before the disk drivers have been
initialised.

You can think of shoelace as a pre-kernel. It can read files and pass strings
to the (1.5) kernel in the environment. The current drivers do not take
advantage of this.
-- 
Bruce Evans		evans@syd.dit.csiro.au