Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!POURNE@mit-mc
From: POURNE%mit-mc@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro.cpm
Subject: How to mangle a disk.
Message-ID: <15787@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 27-Jan-84 01:54:00 EST
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.15787
Posted: Fri Jan 27 01:54:00 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 21-Jan-84 23:09:36 EST
Lines: 23

From:  Jerry E. Pournelle <POURNE@mit-mc>

thanks; yet (and I have to rely on what others tell me for this)
I am told that using 13 is safe; I do know that we have done
what looks like what you describe with no bad consequences; the
BIOS checks for it.  One thing we do a lot is change disks while
fioles are in the text editor; this makes backup copies.  At one
time the system used to go to the A disk once, then stay with
the b; the double klunk was a bit slow, so Tony tried to
eliminate it by using 37; no disasters with us, but we did get a
hang conditin once.  He looked into it; then we installed the
program on MPM 8/16 systems, and there was a furious rewrite,
and now it klunks to the A disk, then to the logged on disk,
then the A gain, then writesd to the logged on. I ain't sure
what's happening, but it is completely bulletproof; not even
Alex can crash it and he can crash almost anything.
	It was then I was told that 37 could cause disasters,
and after I became sensitized to listen for fn 37 horror stories
I heard more; and now our wizards refuse to use 37; that is
about my last comment on the subject, since I am reporting what
others tell me, not what I really know.  I have tried to study
the documentation for those functions,a and they don't trell me
a lot.