I not-so-recently posted:
> I've got an old SS1 which doesn't have a floppy drive in it. (In fact
> all bays are empty, we have externals drives only on it.) I'd quite
> like to get a 3.5" floppy drive since these are dead cheap and stuff
> it in. Are there any pitfalls to be avoided, can anyone recomend a
> drive with motor eject, or will I have to use the BUTTON? Will my SS1
> have all the hardware to drive the floppy or is that on an Sbus card
> for those machines that have them?
And I got the following:
eeimkey@eeiua.ericsson.se (Martin Kelly)
Pointed out that I can get Sun to install one simply and that I
should ensure that my kernel has floppy support
Richard Evans <rde@topexp.co.uk>
Also suggested that I get one from Sun
george%tusk@harvard.harvard.edu (George Planansky) said:
Jon, Artecon sells 3.5" and 5 1/4" floppy drives, used to be TEACs
(if I have it right), for the SCSI bus on Sun workstations. I've
bought and installed them on a 3/60, and other Artecon drives
(exabyte, Sony 501 optical, hard disks), and have been pleased
by their products, salesreps, and technical support.
I don't recall if they have moter eject, ask.
In the USA there is an 800 number, 800 USA-ARTE.
They are at:
Artecon
2460 Impala Drive
Carlsbad, CA 92008-7236
Their software used to allow MS-DOS r/w, tar/dd/bar r/w, and
SunOS mounts, of floppies. There is other software out there
for Macs. You will probably want to get mtools (I think it
is) or the like, if you want to enable non-root users to
securely mount/unmount SunOS floppies.
Charles "O." Paschal <paschal@tscs.tscs.com> said:
Call me at work. We have the Sony floppy drives that Sun used in stock.
Charles Paschal - Total Support Computer Systems - Tampa - (813) 876-5990
UUCP: paschal@tscs FAX: (813) 871-2783
US-MAIL: Post Office Box 15395 - Tampa, Florida 33684-5395
rmorse@rmsun.uucp (Robert Morse) said:
Try the Microcomputer exchange, I bought one of there drives for
$75.00 about 3 months ago. Came with all the cables and mounting
brakets. It is a motorized eject drive. I don't work for the
company, I have only bought Items from them before. All the standard
disclamers should apply.
vasey@issi.com said:
It's true plug `n play. The Sparc 1/1+/2 CPU board provide all you
need (power and signals) to a properly connectorized floppy drive.
There are several well-known used dealers in the USA where you can
get a good working drive for around $75 US. I use the MiniComputer
Exchange, Sunnyvale Calif, 1+408+733-4400. Ask for Alan Truscott.
Even shipping may not be such a problem--they're quite small & light.
kevins%kuma3.Japan.Sun.COM%fourx%kalli@fourx.Aus.Sun.COM (Kevin
Sheehan {Consulting Poster Child}) said:
It is a (rather simple) '765 interface, and it is on-board. I don't know
that you can just plug and play, but everything but the floppy is there.
A masked man said:
The PC style floppy will function electrically, but the SparcStation
chassis has no opening for the eject button. You really need the
motor drive type. They are Sony MP-17W-5P or MP-17W-FP units. The
Sun has everything you need except the power cable and the ribbon
cable to connect to the floppy.
You will probably pay more for this one than the drives used in the
PC's. I think they cost about 30% to 50% more. Prices are about $100
here. It is hard to get much of a discount on one due to its limited
market.
Mike Raffety <miker@sbcoc.com>
offered to sell me one from his machines which don't need them
mis@seiden.com (Mark Seiden)
Reminded me that I had forgotten my summary. Oops sorry.
Unfortunatly I missed my chance to get any money out of the equipment
budget this year so I'll try again next year. At least I now know
what to get now.
-- Jon
Jon Peatfield, Computer Officer, the DAMTP, University of Cambridge
Telephone: (+44 223) 3-37852 Mail: J.S.Peatfield@amtp.cam.ac.uk
To be consistent with DNS domain ordering, shouldn't news groups have
names like "admin.sun.sys.comp" not "comp.sys.sun.admin" ? EMWTK
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