SuSE GmbH

SuSE Support Database

Title: Floppy streamer under Linux

----------

Mainpage o Searchform o History o Versions o Categories o Contents
Deutsch

----------

Floppy streamer under Linux

Applies to

SuSE Linux: Versions since 6.0
Kernel: Version 2.2.X

Request:

You would like to use a iomega ditto 2GB or another supported floppy streamer under SuSE Linux.

Remark:

For reliable backups you should use a SCSI streamer...

Procedure:

This article is intended to only give the necessary information to enable you to use your floppy streamer. Since kernel version 2.2.X, the support for this class of devices is already integrated. You will find detailed information under /usr/src/linux/Documentation/ftape.txt resp. ftape-HOWTO or at the ftape homepage http://www.math1.rwth-aachen.de/~heine/ftape/.

Under SuSE Linux 5.x you don't need to compile your own kernel because all necessary modules are present in the standard kernel.

After you've built the streamer into your computer and attached it to the standard floppy controller you only have to load the necessary modules ftape, zftape and eventually zft-compressor. This may be done either manually or automated by means of an entry in the file /etc/conf.modules (up to 6.2) respectively /etc/modules.conf (6.3 and up).

Manually loading the modules:

To manually load the modules, please enter the following commands as root user:
modprobe zftape
modprobe zft-compressor
You may check with lsmode, that the modules have been loaded correctly.

Automatically loading the modules:

To achive this, the file /etc/conf.modules (up to 6.2) resp. /etc/modules.conf (from 6.3 on) has to changed. Please add the following three lines at the beginnening of this file:
alias char-major-27       ftape
post-install ftape modprobe "-k" zftape
post-install ftape modprobe "-k" zft-compressor
Scroll down in the file until you find the line
alias char-major-27       ftape
Comment this out by inserting a hash sign (#) at the start of the line. It should look as follows:
# alias char-major-27       ftape
After calling depmod -a, the modules should be loaded automatically the next time the floppy streamer is accessed.

You can use the program tar to make backups with the streamer. The appropriate syntax is described in the ftape-HOWTO.

Examples:

----------

See also:

----------

Keywords: IOMEGA, DITTO, 2GB, STREAMER, FLOPPYSTREAMER, BANDLAUFWERK, TAPE, BACKUP, FTAPE

----------

Categories: Streamer

----------

Mainpage o Searchform o History o Versions o Categories o Contents
Deutsch

----------

SDB-js_ditto2gb, Copyright SuSE GmbH, Nuremberg, Germany - Version: 17. Dec 1999
SuSE GmbH - Last generated: 17. Dec 1999 14:52:03 by pthomas with sdb_gen 1.00.0