Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!udel!mmdf
From: Peter_Van_Epp@cc.sfu.ca
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Re: Booting Minix from 1.44m floppies
Message-ID: <7961@nigel.udel.EDU>
Date: 11 Jan 90 21:03:02 GMT
Sender: mmdf@udel.EDU
Lines: 27

>I think Glen Overby first mentioned using a descriptor block on a disk.
 
 Glen probably discovered (as I did) that Paul is right anything
doing I/O to the raw device will overwrite the block, I can't see
a way to do this but am open to suggestions!
 
>Also, about grinding heads...   I get the impression that people are
>seeking out to track 79 to see if its a big disk.  My machine sounds
>like it will explode or something, the dog runs under the sofa, the wife
>comes in to help...
>Why not just seek to track 40?
>--
>Aubrey McIntosh
>comp.os.minix, comp.lang.modula2, soc.culture.celtic
>Austin, TX 78723
 
Because some 5.25s will get to track 41, and because the floppy
controller doesn't know how many tracks the drive has (and in 
at least some cases neither does the drive except via a mechanical
stop!) so if you seek any thing past the end of the drive you risk
damaging the drive (with the note that I am not a drive designer 
but it sure sounds dangerous!).  I should point out that the above
problem does not affect my boot mods (which I suspect is where the
grinding you hear is) and will not seek past the end of the drive
because it figures out from the bootblock how big the drive is.
 
Peter Van Epp