Newsgroups: comp.unix.sysv386
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!neoucom.edu!wtm
From: wtm@uhura.neoucom.EDU (Bill Mayhew)
Subject: Re: Performance of 80486 based machines running Unix
Message-ID: <1991Jun28.133553.614@uhura.neoucom.EDU>
Organization: Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
References: <1991Jun24.214207.21425@engage.pko.dec.com> <1991Jun25.231318.8991@unixland.natick.ma.us> <8086@spdcc.SPDCC.COM>
Date: Fri, 28 Jun 91 13:35:53 GMT

Another vendor that makes life tough is is Big Blue.  I found out
the hard way that IBM wites some magic incantations to the CE track
on the drive.  I took a so-called "Special IBM" version Priam ESDI
drive that I had been using in a model 80 and used the drive with a
WD-1007 controller in another machine.  When I returned the drive
to the IBM I could no longer get the IBM set-up program to believe
the drive was usable.  When I had formatted the drive on the '386
clone I over-wrote the CE track and wiped out the magic data that
makes the drive recognizable to the set-up program.

Unless you have a special program that writes the magic incantation
to the CE track there isn't any way to FDISK the drive in a PS/2.
Generic bare drives are out.  It wouldn't surprise me at all if Ken
Olsen had the same idea as IBM.

Needless to say, the yucky 70 meg IBM drive went back into the PS/2
and the Priam drive went back to its new home in the ISA bus clone
machine.  It was better off that way any way.

Bill

-- 
Bill Mayhew      NEOUCOM Computer Services Department
Rootstown, OH  44272-9995  USA    phone: 216-325-2511
wtm@uhura.neoucom.edu   ....!uunet!aablue!neoucom!wtm
via internet: (140.220.001.001)