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From: john@nereid.jpl.nasa.gov (John Veregge)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.applications
Subject: Re: SUN Sparc Format Conversion
Message-ID: <6085@mahendo.Jpl.Nasa.Gov>
Date: 7 Feb 91 18:25:40 GMT
References: <1347@richsun.cpg.trs.reuter.com> <1991Jan30.221511.19427@parc.xerox.com> <22@dworkin.UUCP>
Sender: news@mahendo.Jpl.Nasa.Gov
Reply-To: robert@triton.JPL.NASA.GOV
Organization: Technology Development Group (JPL)
Lines: 49


 >In article <1347@richsun.cpg.trs.reuter.com> boi@richsun.cpg.trs.reuter.com (Ken Boi) writes:
 >>Would anyone know if there exists a utility (commercial or PD)
 >>to read SUN Sparcstation formatted disks (3.5") on the Amiga?
 
 >1.  It isn't possible.  The Suns write using high density disks and the 
 >Amiga can't read them.  (Just like it can't read IBM format 1.44 MB disks.)
 
 >2.  You could use mtools (PD programs for Unix machines) to make the
 >SparcStation write PC format low density disks and then use CrossDos or
 >MSH (MessyDos) to read them on the Amiga.  Caution:  I have had trouble
 >with this approach, as have others, primarily because of the difference
 >in alignment and track width of the high density SparcStation drives and
 >the lower density Amiga drives.
 
 >Michael Carpenter
 
The problems in MTOOLS have been solved by the latest version. Actually they
were solved with 3 patches to the previous version as well. The problems with
the low density disks was in MTOOLS and nowhere else. The latest version is
 2.0.3 and is available via anonymous ftp from cerl.cecer.army.mil.

A word of advice, you will find a devices.c file with definitions for all
the MSDOS devices. For a SparcStation there are two device definitions and
both are for drive A:. Give the devices different names (A/B) or place the
drive you use the most at the top. To format a device with the same name
that is not first in the list, you must describe the device (heads, tracks,
sectors). I use B: for the low density definition and find it prevents my
usual errors due to absentmindedness. {-:

I use an older version of Dos2Dos and have had no trouble since upgrading
MTO0LS to 2.0.3. I had a lot of trouble with an unpatched MTOOLS 1.6.2.

I have SUNOS version 4.1 and I format the diskette with 'fdformat -l' and
then with MTOOLS 'mformat b:'. The latter lays an MSDOS file system on top
of the UNIX file system. Prior to editing the file devices.c I had to type
'mformat -t 80 -h 2 -s 9 a:'.

If you have problems post here or email me (the latter is faster).

John Veregge

-------------

John R Veregge                 Section 348 - Flight Command and Data
Jet Propulsion Laboratory      Management (Technology Development)
Calif Institute of Technology  Mail stop: T1704, Office: T1704-P
4800 Oak Grove Drive           Phone: (818) 354-0511, FAX: 393-4494
Pasadena, CA, USA 91109        john@triton.jpl.nasa.gov