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From: jim@crom2.uucp (James P. H. Fuller)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip,comp.dcom.lans
Subject: Re: Accessing a DOS disk from unix over ethernet
Message-ID: <1991May01.141214.2241@crom2.uucp>
Date: 1 May 91 14:12:14 GMT
References: <robert.672373319@swanee> <"25-Apr-91.11:43:32".*.Keith_Smith.Pittsburgh@Xerox.com>
Organization: Abbey Technologies - Athens GA
Lines: 49


in comp.protocols.tcp-ip robert@swanee.ee.uwa.oz.au (Roberto Togneri)
writes:

> Is it possible to transfer files to and from a PC from the unix side?
> We have PC-NFS but this only allows transfers to be made from the PC side.
>
> Can some sort of program be run on the PC that would allow a unix host to
> mount a hard disk on a PC? We have a Magneto-Optical-device on one
> of our PC's which allows up to 1.2 Gb of storage. It would be marvellous
> if this could be accessed from a unix host either for users or even just
> for backups. At the moment it can only be used for archival purposes. 

     This question is of general interest.  If anyone knows a good answer,
PLEASE respond to the newsgroup!

     We're trying to use a CD-ROM reader under Interactive Unix 2.2 without
much success.  ISC doesn't know how to mount ISO-9660 CD-ROMS as Unix file-
systems (though I hear SunOS can mount them as type hsfs, envy envy.)  The
particular CD-ROM drive/card we have uses DMA so it can't be registered in
VP/ix as a DDA device, and though it could conceivably be registered as an
IEM device this requires an "installable emulation module" (ISC-speak for
a device-specific piece of software to integrate the device into VP/ix)
and though such a thing may exist for our (Hitachi/scsi) combo we certainly
don't have one.

     So Unix is out and VP/ix is out.  Our next thought was to run the CD-ROM
off an old DOS box and network it to the Unix machine, which brings us to
Dr. Togneri's question.  Is it possible to have a resource on the dinky little
DOS machine and access it from the Unix end of the network?  There are two
levels of access:

    1) OS-level -- turn the drive on, get a directory of what's on it, copy
       files to the Unix machine's HD.

    2) Application-level -- run the CD-ROM's (DOS-specific) searching/retrieval
       software *on the DOS machine* and get the output over to the Unix side.


Thanks very much for anyone's bright ideas.

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