From: roger@ans.net (Roger Florkowski)
Subject: IDE drive for RT???
Date: Wed, 2 Aug 1995 03:09:13 GMT

        (quicky) Info on how to install an IDE drive in an RT.

        -) you'll need an IDE controller card.  Get a dumb card,
            the dumber the better.  A "caching" card will only
            be a waste of money, b/c the RT will NOT use any of
            the "caching features" on the card.  A typical dumb
            card costs ~$19, or ~$50 as a "high speed I/O combo card"

            NOTE: a "caching" card will work, but only in a
            "dumb" compacity.  I have 3 different IDE cards,
            a base $19 model, a $50 model (which also drives my
            modem and printer) and a $80 "caching" model.  They
            all work fine.

        -) I recommend that your IDE card should have floppy ports,
            and the card should be installed as the PRIMARY hard
            drive adapter, AND should be connected to the floppy
            drive.  Other combinations *will* work, but this one
            works *best*.

        -) you'll need a LONG IDE cable.  The "standard
            recommended/supported" length is 18".  Mine is
            24" and works just fine.

        -) the best drive to get is a Seagate (any seagate).  I have
            the 1gig model.   People I've helped are successfully
            using the 540meg and 780meg models.   Stay AWAY from
            WesternDigital and Maxtor drives.  While these drives
            *do* work, they confuse the RT boot ROM.

        -) once the hardware is installed, use my dboot program
            to create an "IBM compatible" config record on the
            drive.  After that, the standard AIX or AOS tools
            will work just fine, and the drive will not need to
            be formatted.  NOTE: you do NOT want to low-level-format
            an IDE drive.

        -) AOS users.... You'll need a new boot-block if you want to
            boot off of this drive.  I have a program for that too....