Re: Subject: LS-120 install
On 20 May 2000, Adam Di Carlo wrote:
> ferret@phonewave.net writes:
>
> > It's a lot more tricky. Basically with a compliant x86 system the BIOS
> > calls that access the FDC/FDD are translated into ATAPI calls so REAL-MODE
> > accesses work. This allows bootloaders such as syslinux to transparantly
> > boot floppy disks in one of these drives. I don't know how this happens in
> > detail, but it is the observed behaviour.
> >
> > However, when the kernel takes control it looks specifically for an FDC
> > and checks in the BIOS data area to learn what physical devices are
> > registered there.
> >
> > So basically why disk change doesn't work with LS-120 drives is that the
> > kernel recognises fd0 and fd1 only being legacy floppy devices.
>
> So I guess this is an i386- and ls120-specific issue that ought to be
> documented?
I think so. I don't know about other arches, but I don't think any but x86
has so much of the compatibility cruft. Now, if the kernel could switch
the stuff around.. but I suspect that would be a 2.5-ish issue with devfs
there.
I'll go ahead and document what I know alongside the superfloppy build
scripts, but something should go into the "main" documentation.
--
Beiad Ian Q. Dalton
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