Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!cs.uoregon.edu!ns.uoregon.edu!oregon!gpotts
From: gpotts@oregon.uoregon.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware
Subject: Re: A3000 and Syquest -- booting
Message-ID: <21017.282eec91@oregon.uoregon.edu>
Date: 14 May 91 02:44:17 GMT
References: <21010.282c6b6a@oregon.uoregon.edu> <1991May13.115455@alamo.Berkeley.EDU>
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Oregon
Lines: 44

In article <1991May13.115455@alamo.Berkeley.EDU>, ipolyi@alamo.Berkeley.EDU (Harold H. Ipolyi 486-6444) writes:
> In article <21010.282c6b6a@oregon.uoregon.edu>,
> gpotts@oregon.uoregon.edu writes:
> |> 
> |> 
> |> I have a new A3000 with a Syquest removable HD attached to the external
> |> SCSI port. With the Syquest connected but powered down, the Amiga can't
> |> find its internal HD to load Kickstart from -- I get the 2.0/1.3
> |> requester screen with the HD buttons ghosted. With the Syquest connected
> |> and powered up but no cartridge installed, I don't even get that screen;
> |> the HD access lights on both the 3000 and the Syquest just pulse on and
> |> off. Only if I have the Syquest powered up and a cartridge mounted (it
> |> doesn't need to be an AmigaDOS formatted cartridge), will the Amiga boot
> |> properly. Why is this and is there any way to fix it (other than unplugging
> |> the Syquest)?
>  
> This is not a Syquest specific problem. I have a Syquest 44 and a
> Seagate 277
> in an external box, and I also have to disconnect the cable when leaving
> them
> powered off. But it beats waiting for them to load up. I am currently
> only 
> using them as backup devices, which serves my purpose.            Harold

Well, this suonds to me like a serious shortcoming of the A3000's SCSI
manager. The Mac's SCSI manager, for all its problems, can at least go
out on the external buss, find what is there and powered up, mount what
is flagged as mountable, and ignore the rest, so we know it can be done.
Reaching behind the chassis to unplug the SCSI connector when I don't
want to use the external devices is not an elegant solution. This is one
of those things that makes a machine irritating to use. I hope this is
addressed in a future version of the SCSI manager -- removable media are
becoming more and more common.

On a related note -- is it possible to se a HD partition to SKIP with the
HDToolbox? With my Supra SCSI controller I was able to set a partition to
BOOT, MOUNT, or SKIP and thus create partitions that did not mount at boot
time but that could be mounted later with the AmigaDOS "Mount" command. I
found this useful for creating hidden partitions on a drive (AMAX partitions
for example). With the HDToolbox, I only see a boot flag -- you either set
a partition as bootable or not -- but no way to make a partition not auto-
mount. Any solutions?

--geoff