Re: bootable high density 1992KB syslinux rescue/root disk (fwd)
I haven't tried it, but there are a couple of issues...
On Mon, 20 Mar 2000, bug1 wrote:
<...>
> Also im noticing that the drive deviation thats reported at the start of
> superformat changes every now and then... anyone know is this is a sign
> of a problem drive?
I've superformat on three different drives, none of them have ever
generated a consistent number for `deviation'.
<...>
> It would be great if my equipment is a bit dodgy and the format method
> is semi-reliable on the machine it was formated on at least.
>
> 1992KB would make it nearly possible to merge the boot and root disks
> into one.
1992kB is a DOS only format (as any 2m formats are), it can also only be
read by DOS with special tools... having disk sets that use different
formats for different disks, and needing special DOS tools to work with
the disks is, IMHO, asking for lots of user confusion and trouble.
> To make the disk i did
>
> # to format the disk, i dont know if mss option is needed
> superformat /dev/fd0 tracksize=12KB hd mss 2m sect=83
Hmmm, you mean "cyl=83", right. If anyone is going to have trouble with
extended formats, I'd bet it will be with drives that can't handle more
than 80 tracks. In my case... I can (and regularily do) use
"superformat /dev/fd0u1920" (an mss format with cyl=80), but trying for
1992kB results in a flaky diskette; 1920kB is said (in the fdutils
info) to be unreliable on some machines, I guess I've been lucky so
far...
The requirement for "special tools" is easy to overcome (provide them
alongside rawwrite2), but the potential confusion that arises is like a
step backwards; the installation should be getting easier (at the user
level) with each new release, not more complicated and sensitive to
hardware quirks.
I like the idea, I just don't see how it would improve the installation
(it is kinda like introducing two new bugs in an effort to fix one).
- Bruce
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