Summary CD-ROMS & Solaris

From: Niall.Moynihan@sancha.ctc.citoh.co.jp
Date: Tue Oct 11 1994 - 04:25:38 CDT


Sorry for the delay, I have been out of town !!!!
From: Niall.Moynihan@sancha.ctc.citoh.co.jp

To: sun-managers@ra.mcs.anl.gov
Subject: CD-ROMS & Solaris
Status: RO

Hi Sun Managers

need some help on this one....
Question 1
I am presently doing some tests on a Sparc Station 5 and I would like
to mount a CD-ROM, I need to know the /dev/* file to mount it with.
I have an Apple CD-150 kicking around here and appropriate cables -
a quick magic spell to mount the CD-ROM would be appreciated.

Question 2
The system I am working on has to be able to give dial-in users multiple terminal sessions.
With the HP Environment, one of the attractions is the TSM (Terminal Session Manager)
provided as a user shell with HP-UX, which allows a dial-in user to have up to
10 virtual terminals - is there an equivalent facility for Solaris?

I will summarize

Thanks in advance
Niall
====================================================================

THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING FOR REPLYING
THERE WERE ALSO OTHERS BUT I UNFORTUNATELY DELETED THEM
I HAD A VERY FULL MAIL BOX, WHEN I GOT BACK !!!!!

glenn@uniq.com.au
anderson@neon.mitre.org
strombrg@bingy.acs.uci.edu
pamela@Legato.COM
pluto!perryh@qiclab.scn.rain.com

SUMMARY OF REPLIES
Question 2
Apparently there is a public domain program called 'screen' (ask archie)which allows dialin
users to have multiple virtual terminals.

Question1

--------------------------------------------------------

THE FOLLOWING IS FROM PAMELA PLEDGER
You do not need to know the /dev file!
  
If it is on the system and you can not boot :
)run volcheck, use any cdrom address /dev/sr0, etc
)check to see if it worked. Sometimes it does.
)run mount -T hsfs -o ro /dev/sr# /cdrom where # and /cdrom are what you
        want.
)check to see if it worked. Sometimes it does.
)Repeat until it works
***..... Volcheck runs incrementally. Mounting cdrom without the
                "-T hsfs -o ro" will Not work.

Or put the cd in, boot -r and start up filemgr.

To find the cdrom for real you can us the scsi addressing
cCtTdDsS where C = scsi channel, T = target, D = 0, and S = 2.
For example if you put the cdrom on the first scsi but with
target 6, it would be c0t6d0s2. But then you have to figure out
whether it is /dev/rdsk or /dev/dsk...... the ls -l /dev/sr0 will
point you most of the way there.......
-----------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------
The following from Mark Anderson, gives a lot of detail about all cd-roms
        FAQ: CD-ROM Drives on Sun Hardware

        If you do not plan to use a Toshiba XM-3401/3301 or NEC
CDR-84.1 in PC-mode on a Sparc ROM rev. 2.3 (or later) running Solaris
2.x or modified for Sun mode on another configuration, search ahead
for CHAPTER 2: QUESTIONS and look for a question dealing with your
particular configuration. I broke the questions and answers (CHAPTER
3: ANSWERS) into subsections for further convenience.

CHAPTER 2: THE QUESTIONS
========================
Ok, I hope that introduction gets a lot of you out of the blocks.
However, not everyone owns a Sparc with recent boot PROMs and uses
Solaris 2.x with a Toshiba or NEC drive! The remainder of this FAQ
Section 1: Background Information
---------------------------------
Q1) Where can I find out more?
Q2) What are the relevant newsgroups?
Q3) As as overview, what are my options for using a CD-ROM on a Sun?
Q4) What drives have been shown to work?
Q5) What is doomed to fail?
Q6) What are the specifications of the SunCD/SunCD+

Section 2: Booting a Sun from a Non-Sun CD-ROM
----------------------------------------------
Q7) I just modified the drive according to these directions. It boots
fine, but I get an "unrecognized vendor" error. Is this a problem?
Q8) What do you do if you have an old Sun that doesn't know about boot
cdrom (or CD-ROMs for that matter)?
Q9) Can I make a bootable tape from a CD?
Q10) Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but why does my AppleCD 300
work for booting and mounting?

Section 3: Mounting Discs
-------------------------
Q11) If I have a drive that has 2048 bytes/block and want to be able to
mount it (but not boot), what are my options?
Q12) Why does SunOS 4.1.1 bomb when I try to mount CD-ROM discs and what
can I do about it?
Q13) Why can't I mount certain ISO-9660 discs and what does XAR have to
do with it?
Q14) How can I set up my kernel and drive to mount all 6 discs from a
Pioneer multi-disk CD-ROM reader?
Q15) If I mount a PC-format CD, will SoftPC let DOS applications access it?
Q16) If none of this works, is there any other way to access a PC CD-ROM?

Section 4: SunCDs on Other Computers
------------------------------------
Q17) How do I mount a SunCD on my Macintosh, assuming I have the right cabling?
Q18) How do I use a SunCD under DOS?

Section 5: Multimedia
---------------------
Q19) Can I use a CD-ROM to play audio CD's? What programs are available?
Q20) My NEC CDR-1750 works fine as a drive, but I can't get it to play
audio CD's with workman, x_cdplayer, etc. How can I get it to work?
Q21) Can I record audio tracks on a Sparcstation?
Q22) Can I digitize audio tracks over the SCSI bus? (CDDA tracks)
Q23) Why can't I read Electronic Books discs?
Q24) Why can't I mount any XA discs (such as multisession PhotoCDs)?
Q25) Are there any PD/shareware utilities for reading and converting
PhotoCD images?
Q26) OK, ALREADY! I get the point that multimedia features don't work
well with all of the solutions presented above? What are my options?

CHAPTER 3: THE ANSWERS
======================
Section 1: Background Information
---------------------------------
Q1) Where can I find out more?

        Grab the alt.cdrom FAQ from rtfm.mit.edu; it has a great deal
of general information about CD-ROM drives. If you are interested in
seeing the technical innards, Linux source is one route:

Q3) As as overview, what are my options for using a CD-ROM on a Sun?

        You can purchase a SunCD or SunCD+ from Sun, a reseller or
used. Pros: this guarantees you almost complete compatibility for
booting and mounting typical data CDs and audio CDs on a wide range of
Sun hardware. Even if your PROMs are not aware of CD-ROMs, you can
fool them into recognizing the CD as a boot device. Cons: the drives
are neither the fastest nor the least expensive, to say the least. You
are restricted to 512 byte/block mode, so the drive cannot be used on
a Mac or PC without special software.
        If you don't want to go the Sun route and want to be able to
boot from the drive, you must get a CD that has Sun-compatible PROMs
available, a DIP switch or some hack (such as the Toshiba method
outlined above) that allows you to switch from 2048 byte/block mode to
512 byte/block mode. If you want to be able to mount discs, you
can usually patch the kernel so it will recognize 2048 byte-format
discs.
        Either way, keep these caveats in mind: 1) SunOS 4.1.x has
SCSI ID 6 hard-wired into the kernel, so if you try to mount or boot
from any other location it will fail. 2) only SCSI-2 drives will work,
period. 3) unless you purchase a $400+ third-party SCSI driver, many
of the advanced multimedia features (multisession XA discs,
multisession PhotoCD discs, direct digital sampling) will be out of
reach. Solaris 2.2 supports multi-session CD access, but only with the
SunCD+.

Q4) What drives have been shown to work?
Q4) What drives have been shown to work?

        The following information provides no explicit endorsement for any
of these products other than the fact that 'Net users posted success
using them with Suns; any configuration-specific details are listed
with the comments:

Drive: Anadacto
---------------
Courtesy: ggall@netlink.nix.com (George Gall)
Comments: Not much information on this, but it's supposed to be a
clone Sun drive; should work right out of the box.

Drive: Apple CD300
------------------
Modification -> Sun: none needed
Sun Version?: no
Courtesy: jk@tools.de (Juergen Keil)
Comments: this drive is nearly-identical to the SunCD. The Sony inside
will accept the MODE SELECT command and switch to 512 byte mode. While
mounting and initializing, it will complain, but will work.

Drive: Chinon 535
-----------------
Modification -> Sun: switch EPROMs ($20)
Sun Version?: order with Sun EPROMs pre-installed
Courtesy: zbig@junior.wariat.or
Comments: swapping EPROMs is a pain if you switch machines often

Drive: DEC RD42
---------------
Modification -> Sun: none
Sun Version?: no
Courtesy: Gordon Vickers <gordon@rahul.net>
Comments: make sure the SCSI ID number is 6; should work transparently

Drive: Denon DS-253
-------------------
Modification -> Sun: none, maybe PROM switch
Sun Version?: *unknown*
Courtesy: ishikawa@ds5200.personal-media.co.jp (Chiaki Ishikawa)
Comments: can be used to mount CDs with kernel patch but cannot boot
unless used with a Sparc with the right patch and ROM revision;
apparently there is a Hitachi drive hiding under the label

Hitachi CDR-1750S
-----------------
Modification -> Sun: DIP switch on back for 512/2048 modes
Sun Version?: yes
Courtesy: bob@sna.co.umist.ac.uk (bob nutter)
Comments: will get "unrecognized vendor error"; it also has a problem
with the command set definition so it will not play back (to the Sun)
any audio track from a multi-media disc. [additional courtesy Robert
Bonomi <bonomi@delta.eecs.nwu.edu>]

Drive: NEC CDR-84.1
-------------------
Modification -> Sun: none, maybe PROM switch
Sun Version?: yes
Courtesy: jk@tools.de (Juergen Keil)
Comments: as with the Denon, unless there is a PROM swap available,
this drive can only be used with a modified copy of Solaris and
ROM rev. 2.3 or higher. Note: make sure it is in SCSI-2 mode (there
is a DIP switch). Do not confuse the drive with its sibling the
CDR-84; the 84 will not work because it is straight SCSI-1.

Drive: Pioneer DRM600
---------------------
Modification -> Sun: DIP switch on back for 512/2048 modes
Sun Version?: yes
Courtesy: dclunie@sirius.ucs.adelaide.edu.au (David Clunie)
Comments: 6-disk changer, can be made to work with all six (see
question below)

Drive: Plextor-Texel 5028/3028 (ext/int)
------------------------------
Modification -> Sun: DIP switch on back for 512/2048 modes
Sun Version?: built-in
Courtesy: zbig@junior.wariat.org (Zbigniew J. Tyrlik)
Comments: high 'Netcommendations for ease-of-switch from Sun->PC

Drive: Toshiba 3201/3301/3401
-----------------------------
Modification -> Sun: the pad-cutting hack mentioned above
Sun Version?: 3301U/3401U
Courtesy: jk@tools.de (Juergen Keil)
Comments: the switch allows moving from PC to Sun and back more easily
 than a PROM swap, but it is a hack and voids your warranty.

Drive: Toshiba XM4401B
----------------------
Modification -> Sun: *unknown* (see below)
Sun Version?: XM440U (presumably)
Curtesy: elfchief@lupine.org
Comments: I am basing this on one article from elfchief@lupine.org, who
 got it to work on a Sparcstation 1+. It tries to initialize the drive,
 then gives "serious error in phase. " Turning off the drive breaks the
 hang when he mounts it. This drive _should_ work if you turn off
 synchronous I/O on the kernel level. Please add to this.

Drive: Sony CDU-541/561/8012
----------------------------
Modification -> Sun: none
Sun Version?: SunCD, SunCD+
Courtesy: bhepple@hk.net (Bob Hepple)
Comments: You can install Solaris 2.x from these drives with
the 2048 byte blocksize with Boot Prom Rev 2.3 or higher.

Q5) What is doomed to fail?

        I culled these stories from the bleeding edge of alt.cdrom and
other sources. If you know the cause of the problem or have succeeded
with these copies, mail a solution to the listed address and cc: a copy
to me so I can add the solution to the FAQ

Configuration: Sun 3/80 + any CD
--------------------------------
Courtesy: uunet!cs.bham.ac.uk!A.H.Speedie-SE0 (Andrew Speedie)
Comments: no success at all

Configuration: NEC CDR-73 on Sun-3
----------------------------------
Courtesy: <pmcgw!uunet!burrhus.harvard.edu!ddl>
Comments: generated so many SCSI errors that it corrupted the hard
drive; using SCSI-2 and SCSI-3 host adaptors. Another caveat from
ishikawa@ds5200.personal-media.co.jp (Chiaki Ishikawa): turning off
the CD-ROM during operation causes disk errors.

Add more or correct these, please!

Q6) What are the specifications of the SunCD/SunCD+?

        The SunCD is a repackaged Sony CDU-8012, while the SunCD+ is a
CDU-561. Both are the versions with 512 byte/block functionality, but
they support a MODE SELECT command to change mode from 2048 to 512 if
so configured.

Section 2: Booting a Sun from a Non-Sun CD-ROM
----------------------------------------------
Q7) I just modified the drive according to these directions. It boots
fine, but I get an "unrecognized vendor" error. Is this a problem?

        There will not be any errors; all the system is telling you is
that the sr driver does not recognize anything other than Sony and
Hitachi (SunOS 4.1.3). You can try to correct this if you are into
hacking:

"If you've got the source of the SunOS CDROM device driver (sr.c), you could
add a line to the sr_drivetypes[] array of structures and specify the
Toshiba and its (SCSI) capabilities. "

[courtesy adrie@ica.philips.nl (Adrie Koolen)]

Q8) What do you do if you have an old Sun that doesn't know about boot
cdrom (or CD-ROMs for that matter)?

        The generic practice is ">b sd(,30,1)"; that seems to have
worked in many cases. At issue is where on the disc Sun has placed the
various architectures. There has been some `Net debate about this. I
found this table, but cannot confirm it:

" 0 .. mountable HSFS format
        1 .. sun4 bootable image > b sd(,18,1)
        2 .. sun4c bootable image > b sd(, 6,2)
        3 .. sun3x bootable image > b sd(,30,3)
        4 .. sun3 bootable image > b sd(,30,6)"

[courtesy Yutaka.Matsumoto@Japan.Sun.COM (MATSUMOTO Yutaka - Nihon Sun
Engineer) and doleh@mcs.kent.edu (Yaser Doleh)]

my own experience contradicts this, incidentally: my Sun 4/110 booted
with b sd(0,30,1). Please clarify this if you can.

Q9) Can I make a bootable tape from a CD?

        In short, yes. Sun no longer offers SunOS on tape, but clone
manufacturers do [courtesy Carl Mueller <mueller@cs.unc.edu>]. If you
do not have a tape drive attached to your system, you can either use
one of these clone tapes, set up another machine as a boot server or
install on another machine and move the disk. If none of these options
appeals to you and you have access to a CD that you can mount but from
which you cannot boot, you can make your own boot tapes:

"Select the appropriate MUNIX file for your KARCH:

        karch file CDROM partition
        ----- ---- ---------------
        sun4 MUNIX-sun4-4.1.3 1
        sun4c MUNIX-sun4c-4.1.3 2
        sun4m MUNIX-sun4m-4.1.3 3
AN MORE
  The procedure to boot MUNIX from tape is as follows:
AND MORE
     
Q10) Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but why does my AppleCD 300
work for booting and mounting?

As mentioned above in the brief review of the AppleCD 300, the Apple
is an OEM Sony drive, just as the SunCD is. Consequently, it is the
correct vendor (Sony) _and_ it will respond to the MODE SELECT command
from the system. Thus, when the Apple is brought on-line, it tells the
system that it uses 2048 bytes/block, which generates an error.
the system responds by telling the drive to switch to 512 bytes/block.
Thus, you can mount and boot from an AppleCD. Contrast this to what
happens with a NEC or Toshiba drive: the command is ignored, so it
stays in the improper mode, causing the boot or mount to fail.

Section 3: Mounting Discs
-------------------------
Q11) If I have a drive that has 2048 bytes/block and want to be able to
mount it (but not boot), what are my options?

There are several solutions out on the 'Net for changing the default
block size to 512 bytes. If you followed the above advice for Solaris
2.x, you have already patched the kernel and should have no problems.
If you use it on SunOS 4.x, you will need to patch the driver so it
can read discs with XAR (see below).
        There can also find programs that change the block size. Every
time you reboot you will have to run this program before booting:

"Here is the program to set the transfer length to 512 bytes:

ITS VERY LONG, IF ANYBODY WANTS THE FULL TEXT PLEASE EMAIL ME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-----------------------------------------------------------

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    TEL (813) 3419-9817 NIALL MOYNIHAN
    FAX (813) 3419-9459 niall.moynihan@sancha.ctc.citoh.co.jp
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