The original question:
I'd like to buy an external, bootable SCSI CD-ROM drive that I can move
from system to system when I need to upgrade the OS. Must I buy a DEC
"RRD" drive, or can I get a "generic" SCSI CD drive from 'Ed and Dave's
One Stop Catalog Warehouse' that will do the same job at a fraction of the
cost?
=====================
Many thanks for lightning fast replies to:
Sean O'Connell <sean_at_stat.Duke.EDU>
Arnim Lueck <arnim_at_theo2.physik.uni-stuttgart.de>
R. Scott
Dr. Tom Blinn, <tpb_at_zk3.dec.com>
Matt J. L. Goebel, <goebel_at_emunix.emich.edu>
Mark Zander <mark.zander_at_sheridanc.on.ca>
======================
And the answer is:
Cheap, *modern* CD drives will *probably* work *most* of the time(!).
There are specific instances (in certain DU 4.0x versions) where non-DEC
compatible drives will *not* work (see Dr. Tom Blinn's excellent response
below). Also, several of the folks advised that firmware levels will play
an important part (beware old firmware!), and to keep in mind that the CD
may be used for firmware upgrades, too (although these particular
Alphastation 200s have floppies and I performed firmware upgrades from a
floppy containing images downloaded from the Web). A non-compatible CD
drive used during a firmware upgrade could be a real bust...
Clearly, in this case CD-ROM drives represent another proof of the old
maxim "you get what you pay for."
Thanks again to all.
don
=====================
A few specifics:
>From Sean O'Connell (at our friendly neighbor down Tobacco Road!):
I have had good luck with the Toshiba drives (the recent crop
of RRD4x's x>3 or so are all Toshiba drives). I have one inside
the very same machine and it works like a champ.
vmunix: rz4 at scsi0 bus 0 target 4 lun 0 (TOSHIBA CD-ROM XM-5701TA
3136)
From: "Dr. Tom Blinn, 603-884-0646" <tpb_at_zk3.dec.com>
In principle, you can get an el-cheapo CD from Ed & Dave, but alas, in the
V4.0C version of the V4.0B media kit, there is a bug that breaks support for
"el-cheapo" generic CDROM drives. I found it too late to get it fixed. As
far as I know, you would succeed with V4.0A or V4.0D, but if the media kit
you have for V4.0B is the V4.0C CD media, you'll need to explicitly order
the older archived V4.0B kit that doesn't have the V4.0C changes. Sorry..
From: "Matt J. L. Goebel" <goebel_at_emunix.emich.edu>
I've been using a Sony external drive for about 2 years now with no problems.
From: Mark Zander <mark.zander_at_sheridanc.on.ca>
Be careful of what SCSI cd-rom you pick. A few years ago we wanted to
setup a cdrom server. We purchased the fastest SCSI cdroms and put them
in a tower case. When we connected them to the AlphaServer 2000 neither
the firmware or the OS saw them. We then found out from DEC that only
_certain_ SCSI cdrom will work. The problem is not the OS but what the
firmware will recognize.
So check with DEC first _before_ you buy!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Don Weyel Computer Systems Administrator
149B MacNider Hall Department of Biomedical Engineering
CB 7575 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
---------------------------
Internet: weyel_at_bme.unc.edu
Phone: 919-966-8077
FAX: 919-966-2963
---------------------------
Received on Tue Feb 10 1998 - 16:00:07 NZDT