- Fdutils

setfdprm
by Jurgen Kemmink 27 Dec '09

27 Dec '09

Hello , I have a problem setting drive/disk parameters with setfdprm ; eg: 'setfdprm /dev/fd0 ss dd sect=26 cyl=40 ssize=128' ; then 'getfdprm' responds with : 'SS DD size=260 sect=24 ssize=128' ; in which 'size=' would be '250' the correct value ; If I do a 'dd' , indeed I only get these 24 sectors outof the 26 each sector ; luckyly , using 'fdrawcmd' did the job - but 'dd' would be so much more elegant . In fact I found that I only could set 'sect' to 16,20,24,... ; I checked against different FDC's . What is wrong ? Anyone ? Regards .

3 3

fdutils vs zero-based disk formats
by Gene Heskett 27 Dec '09

27 Dec '09

Greetings & Merry Christmas to all; I need to support a disk format that has been built into the linux driver floppy.c since about 2.5.47 or so. That is the ability to format and use a floppy disk format whose LSN0 is track 0, sector 0. Unforch, attempting to do a setfdprm on a format description in mediaprm that ends in the string 'zero-based' is such a shock to setfdprm that it bails out with an error, before it reads the rest of the mediaprm file. Are there patches for fdutils that allow it to work with those zero-based disk formats? Without this, I cannot set for that condition, and an attempted dd if=/dev/fd0u720 fails with an i/o error without reading a single byte of an 80 track, double-sided, double-density formatted on a color computer running os9 system disk. Thanks. -- Cheers, Gene "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." -Ed Howdershelt (Author) But like the Good Book says... There's BIGGER DEALS to come!

2 1

Re: [Fdutils] Unable to format or use floppies since 2.6.28
by Mark Hounschell 17 Dec '09

17 Dec '09

On 12/10/2009 02:46 PM, Mark Hounschell wrote: > I have many boxes. They all do the same thing. Running different versions of SuSE, 10.3-11.2. Any kernel at or above 2.6.28 fails to fdformat a floppy. These same machines, using the same floppies and drives, running kernels older than 2.6.28 work just fine. I googled and found other such reports but no solution. I know better than to just assume it's a kernel bug but it sure looks like it could be so I'm inquiring about it here. > > > # fdformat /dev/fd0u1440 > Double-sided, 80 tracks, 18 sec/track. Total capacity 1440 kB. > Formatting ... done > Verifying ... Problem reading cylinder 1, expected 18432, read 2048 > > > dmesg from 2.6.32: > > Dec 10 14:24:21 harley kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev fd0, sector 45 > Dec 10 14:24:21 harley kernel: Buffer I/O error on device fd0, logical block 5 > Dec 10 14:24:23 harley kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev fd0, sector 72 > Dec 10 14:24:23 harley kernel: Buffer I/O error on device fd0, logical block 9 > Dec 10 14:24:26 harley kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev fd0, sector 117 > Dec 10 14:24:26 harley kernel: Buffer I/O error on device fd0, logical block 14 > Dec 10 14:24:28 harley kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev fd0, sector 127 > Dec 10 14:24:28 harley kernel: Buffer I/O error on device fd0, logical block 15 > Dec 10 14:24:30 harley kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev fd0, sector 45 > Dec 10 14:24:30 harley kernel: Buffer I/O error on device fd0, logical block 5 > Dec 10 14:24:32 harley kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev fd0, sector 144 > Dec 10 14:24:32 harley kernel: Buffer I/O error on device fd0, logical block 18 > Dec 10 14:24:34 harley kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev fd0, sector 189 > Dec 10 14:24:34 harley kernel: Buffer I/O error on device fd0, logical block 23 > Dec 10 14:24:36 harley kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev fd0, sector 216 > Dec 10 14:24:36 harley kernel: Buffer I/O error on device fd0, logical block 27 > Dec 10 14:24:39 harley kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev fd0, sector 261 > Dec 10 14:24:39 harley kernel: Buffer I/O error on device fd0, logical block 32 > Dec 10 14:24:41 harley kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev fd0, sector 288 > Dec 10 14:24:41 harley kernel: Buffer I/O error on device fd0, logical block 36 > Dec 10 14:24:43 harley kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev fd0, sector 333 > Dec 10 14:24:43 harley kernel: Buffer I/O error on device fd0, logical block 41 > Dec 10 14:24:45 harley kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev fd0, sector 360 > Dec 10 14:24:45 harley kernel: Buffer I/O error on device fd0, logical block 45 > > > # rpm -qf /usr/sbin/fdformat > util-linux-2.16-4.5.1.i586 > > Again, on this very machine, running 2.6.27.41 all is fine.... > The last known working kernel here is 2.6.27.41. 2.6.28 fails. How many from changes 2.7.27 to 2.6.28? There has been some development on this problem on the fdutils list. It turns out that if dma is disabled, (floppy=nodma) fdformat works just fine on kernels from 2.6.28 to current. So Alain Knaff is trying to help sort it out over on the fdutils list. Dan, I'm adding Alain Knaff and the fdutils list to the CC list and quoting your response in this email so he will see it there. I don't thinkAlain has been monitoring this list for this problem and it might help. > On 12/17/2009 03:30 AM, Dan Carpenter wrote: > I don't know if this is related to your bug, but it's a weirdness in > floppy.c (from 2.6.32-rc8 sorry I suck for being up to date). > > drivers/block/floppy.c > 2532 size = blk_rq_cur_bytes(current_req); > 2533 > 2534 rq_for_each_segment(bv, current_req, iter) { > 2535 if (!remaining) > 2536 break; > 2537 > 2538 size = bv->bv_len; > > We never use the first size = blk_rq_cur_bytes() assignment. What we have been able to see when dma is enabled appears to be corruption of the track label buffer while in transit (dma) to the FDC. It seems that starting with track 1 and then every 4 tracks or so after that, the track number in the label for sector 0x0a is 1 less than it should be. We see the buffer (via printks) is correct before and after transit but does not get transmitted correctly when DMA is used. The thread on the fdutils list is getting long but progress is being made. Please CC that list if anyone can help further. Thanks and regards Mark

2 3

Setfdprm option to read all of one side, then all of another? (ie "tracks before heads")
by Murray Colpman 03 Dec '09

03 Dec '09

Hello all! I'm looking for easier ways of mounting floppies directly from old computers - setfdprm is great for most of them, but it does not seem to offer an option to read the entire of one side of a disk, then the entire of the other side, rather than its current behaviour, read one track from the first side, then one track from the second side, etc. This is useful for the ADFS 'L' format as used on the later Acorn BBC Micros, as detailed here: http://www.adsb.co.uk/bbc/linux/ Is it possible that such an option may be added in the future? Or does the problem lie in kernel behaviour? If the latter, who should I contact to request a feature there? Thanks! Muzer.

2 1

Two FDCs & 360K 5.25" FDD
by Justin Eastham 14 Sep '09

14 Sep '09

Hi Alain et all, Just wondering if there had been any developments on the floppy.c front ? Regards Justin

2 1

5.25" 360K FDD support
by Justin Eastham 08 Aug '09

08 Aug '09

Hi all, Think I've discovered another issue with the floppy driver..... Basically, if won't play ball with a 360K 5.25" Matsushita drive (JA-551). The mobo's BIOS is configured for one drive (A:) - 360K 5.25" There's no secondary FDCs, and the JA-551 is the only FDD connected. If I boot FreeDOS (1.0 and an earlier version), it formats, reads, writes a number of disks perfectly If I then boot Linux (System Rescue CD 1.1.4), I am unable to mount or format any DSDD disk :-( With System Rescue CD, I have to modrobe the floppy module; and that then gives me a /dev/fd0d360 ....with minor number 4; which is correct, as I understand things. If I then format with : fdformat /dev/fd0d360 ....it fails everytime with FDFMTTRK : Input / Output error It also fails with : fdformat /dev/fd0 It's the same story with Slackware 12.1 (booted from CD) Under FreeDOS, I can simply type : format b: /u ....and it formats perfectly everytime incidentally, FreeDOS sees the FDD on b: because FreeDOS itself uses A: (bootable floppy image on the FreeDOS CD) Earlier in the day, I was formatting 1200Kib disks in a HD 5.25" FDD under System Rescue CD, so the problem is confined to 360K DSDD FDDs :-( If further info is needed; please don't hesitate to ask Cheers for now Justin

1 0

Second FDC not recognised.
by justin＠vikingship.co.uk 06 Aug '09

06 Aug '09

Hi again, Have played some more, and here's where I'm at : Primary FDC (on mobo) has 1.44Mb drive connected and powered Secondary FDC (on AHA-1542B) has 1.44Mb drive connected and powered I boot System Rescue CD, and type the following command : modprobe floppy "floppy=4,4,cmos" and I get the following in /var/log/messages : Aug 03 16:11:47 sysresccd floppy4: setting CMOS code to 4 Aug 03 16:11:47 sysresccd Floppy drive(s): fd0 is 2.88M AMI BIOS, fd4 is 1.44M Aug 03 16:11:47 sysresccd FDC 0 is a post-1991 82077 There's no mention of "FDC 1", and /dev only gets populated with device files for fd0; nothing gets created for fd4. So I type : mknod /dev/fd4 b 2 128 chgrp floppy /dev/fd4 chmod 640 /dev/fd4 So /dev/fd4 looks as follows : brw-r----- 1 root floppy 2, 128 2009-08-03 16:12 /dev/fd4 Then as soon as I try and access fd4; with something like : mount /dev/fd4 /mnt/floppy I get : mount: /dev/fd4 is not a valid block device It's as though the second FDC isn't getting detected. The jumper is set for 0x370, and the AHA-1542B works fine as a primary FDC (jumper set for 0x3F0) Surely this should work ? I'd be inclined to suspect the FDC on the AHA-1542B, but it works fine as a primary FDC One thing I did notice; I ran cat /proc/ioports | grep 37, and got the following : 0376-0376 : 0000:00:07.1 0376-0376 : pata_via 0378-037a : parport0 037b-037f : parport0 Is the pata_via blocking the secondary FDC IO port ? I notice my main PC shows something similar : 0376-0376 : 0000:00:06.0 0376-0376 : ide1 0378-037a : parport0 I'm going to try an ISA I/O card, an older PC, and maybe another Linux distro, but I really would welcome any suggestions. TIA Justin

5 5

2 FDC - an update
by Justin Eastham 05 Aug '09

05 Aug '09

Hi all, Okay, I've re-jumpered the AHA-1542B thus : DMA 3 IRQ 10 IOport : 0x370 .....and I've had SOME success. I have managed to access fd0 and fd4.....just not at the same time. To get fd0 recognised, I type : modprobe floppy "floppy=two_fdc 2,dma 6,irq 0,4,cmos" ....obviously "modprobe floppy" would have sufficed here. To get fd4 recognised, I type rmmod floppy modprobe floppy "floppy=two_fdc 3,dma 10,irq 4,4,cmos" ....and I'm able to access /dev/fd4 I just can't access fd1 and fd4 at the same time; because I can't get FDC-0 and FDC-1 recognised at the same time. It's either one or the other; but not both. SO, I tried playing with the modprobe command : modprobe floppy "floppy=two_fdc 2,3,dma 6,10,irq 0,4,cmos 4,4,cmos" and modprobe floppy "floppy=two_fdc 2,dma 6,irq 0,4,cmos 3,dma 10,irq 4,4,cmos" .....and no joy. I even tried loading the floppy module twice - once for each FDC - just returns the prompt, without echoing anything to /var/log/messages SO.....Question now; is how can I load the floppy module, such that I can specify both IRQs and both DMA channels ? It's as though the floppy module is happy to play with either FDC.....just not both :-( So near.....was primed for that jig ;-) Justin

2 11

Fwd: Second FDC not recognised.
by Justin Eastham 04 Aug '09

04 Aug '09

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Justin Eastham <jceastham(a)googlemail.com> Date: Mon, Aug 3, 2009 at 9:44 PM Subject: Re: [Fdutils] Second FDC not recognised. To: David C Niemi <niemi(a)tuxers.net> I'm beginning to think it's the PC. The distro I'm using (System Rescue CD) seems to have all the necessary floppy support. I'm sure the AHA-1542b is okay, because when it's set to be the primary FDC (mobo's FDC disabled), then I can boot from the FDD connected to the AHA-1542b. Did PCs from a certain point in time stop supporting a second FDC ? But even then; I'm not convinced as the kernel is just talking to an IO port (in this case 0x370) and using standard stuff like IRQs and DMA channels. If the AHA-1542b will play ball on 0x3F0, then why not 0x370 ? I'm satisfied I'm using the correct modprobe floppy command (unless I'm told different) I'm going to try with an older PC, but I'm running out of ideas :-( It's frustrating, as I know this should work. I can't use a pre-PCI machine, because I've got a Catweasel PCI card to go in. The plan was to have a "floppy" PC, with : 2.88Mb 3.5" as fd0 360K 5.25" as fd1 ....both connected to the primary FDC via the Catweasel. This means I can read all the DOS formats (apart from 1200K 5.25"), plus Amiga and C64 disk formats. The secondary FDC was to connect the 1200K 5.25" FDD as fd4 Then I could have a single PC that would handle all the different disk formats and filesystems (FAT, Amiga, C64 etc) Just tried an ISA I/O card, but it looks like the FDC is broken on it, as it won't even function when configured to be the primary FDC (with the mobo's FDC disabled) Any help is much appreciated - like what era of PC have people had success with ? TIA Justin On Mon, Aug 3, 2009 at 8:26 PM, David C Niemi <niemi(a)tuxers.net> wrote: > > Hello Justin, > > It's probably been 15 years since I last did this sort of work. I think > you're on the right track -- if it found FDC 1 it would have said so, so > something must be blocking or disabling it. > > DCN > >

4 12

Two FDCs
by Justin Eastham 03 Aug '09

03 Aug '09

Hi, I have an Adaptec 1542B ISA card, which works fine as a primary FDC (jumpered for 0x3F0), but I can't get Linux to see it as a secondary FDC (jumpered for 0x370) I've read the fdutils documentation; specifically the sections on floppy=two_fdc and floppy=drive,type,cmos, but I'm not clear. It doesn't explain how to express drive; is it a single digit ? Is if fdx, where x is a single digit ? Based on the following setup : Primary FDC (on motherboard) - 2.88Mb 3.5" FDD, and 360K 5.25" FDD Secondary FDC (AHA-1542B) - 1200K 5.25" FDD ....could somebody shed some light on the parameters I need for the "modprobe floppy" command ? Thanks in advance J Eastham

2 1