Re: SCSI Tape Drive & Rev. C SCSI Card

[dempson@atlantis.actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

In article <43o579$1hp8@usenetz1.news.prodigy.com>,
Phil Abel <TTSH35A@prodigy.com> wrote:
> I am looking into acquiring a SCSI Tape Backup unit to plug into the ol' 
> SCSI chain on my GS, but wanted to make sure that one would indeed work 
> with my measley old Apple Rev. C SCSI card. I remember reading somewhere 
> that the card had problems with removable media type devices (though I 
> have had no problem using it with multiple discs on my CD SC drive). 

The original Apple SCSI card _firmware_ doesn't know about removable
hard drives (e.g. the SyQuest), so if you swap cartridges under
ProDOS-8, it doesn't know that it has to re-read the partition table,
potentially resulting in fatal damage to the contents of the new
cartridge (you can avoid this by rebooting).  There is no problem with
an Apple CDSC, as the firmware knows it is a removable device.

There is no problem under GS/OS, as the firmware is only used while
booting.  The GS/OS SCSI drivers work equally well (other than speed
and a few strange compatibility problems) with either type of Apple
SCSI card.

The original Apple SCSI card firmware doesn't support tape drives, so
you won't be able to use one under ProDOS-8.  There is a SCSI Tape
driver under GS/OS, but I don't know if it supports any devices other
than Apple's old 40MB tape backup unit.

> Also-- any special software requirements for making tape backups from 
> GS/OS?

Almost certainly.  Someone else will have to answer this, as I've
never used tape backups on any Apple II.

There should be third-party programs for doing tape backups.
(SCSITape?)

> I do recall seeing a SCSITape.Driver for GS/OS... but as for
> software will Apple's "Archiver" program included w/ GS/OS do the
> trick?  

According to the Archiver ERS, it supports the Apple Tape Backup 40SC
but nothing else.

> I also have Salvation if that will work?

Very unlikely.
-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand