The Answer Gang

ide-floppy 0.99 is reported in both machines at startup, and in both machines the module is NOT loaded.

[Ben] I can't offer much help on the overall topic, not having any experience with ZIP, but one thing seems clear from the above: the "ide-floppy" functionality is compiled into your kernel.

In both machines (ZIP IDE and ZIP USB) I CAN format/copy from/to, but errors are reported using the disk on ANOTHER computer. I didnt try to configure the kernel as I thought "I CAN use the drive so the drivers are there". Anyway, I am not going to recompile the kernel, because it doesnt solve the problem of easy compatibility of ZIP drives. I dont want to have this problem when going to yet another computer...

so you do: "modprobe ide-floppy && modprobe ide-scsi" and carefully watch the kernel messages.

ide-floppy module is just not there, so it is not modprobing... (module not found or something)

[Ben] "Or something" is not a useful error report; however, if it's compiled in, you won't have a module - so this is another indication of the above. Presumably, the error will look something like this:

modprobe: Can't locate module ide-floppy

Is your drive simple IDE or the later ATAPI model?

It is being reported as IDE ATAPI (in BIOS and during startup) so I really dont know...

[Ben] Yep, that would make it an IDE ATAPI.

And forget about help from IOMEGA...

1) I have kernel 2.4.18-4GB installed (default from SuSE , so I thought all latest technology is there, no?

[Ben] I'm not sure what you mean by "the latest technology", but it should have a reasonably new version of "ide-floppy" support - either compiled in (as it seems to be in your case) or as a loadable module.

[Matthias] Yes, SuSE's kernel should suffice. You can use the drive, and ide-floppy support is built into the kernel.

2) Anyway, I CAN use the drive, so the drivers must be there. The problem is compatibility. Am I wrong?

[Ben] I'm afraid that I missed the first part of this discussion, however - when you say that the errors are reported on "another" computer, is "ide-floppy" loaded on _that machine (either via being compiled in or modprobing "ide-floppy")? The two machines that you report as being able to format, copy, etc. are obviously getting it to work; the third one isn't. So, the third machine has some kind of a problem - perhaps the module does not get loaded on it?

I have removed the scsi-emulation on my home PC. It is still the same.

[mike] do an lsmod and check for imm and ppa modules

[Ben] Both of those are SCSI-related modules; I think that Dominic has already determined that SCSI is irrelevant to what he's doing (unloading SCSI emulation has no effect on the process.) As well, it's a good idea to explain to people _why they should do things that you recommend: if your exact suggestions don't pan out, they would be able to explore an avenue that they may not have been aware of.

[Heather] But they would have been the correct modules if it was an older, parallel based ZIP drive. As noted above, however, if they were built-ins, then you wouldn't have them available as modules, but they would have been likely to "just work".

Self-made disks are 100% OK, but not accesible elsewhere (cannot mount nor read).

[Ben] "Elsewhere" meaning other machines besides these three? Like, on a ZIP drive under Wind*ws, etc.?

[John K.] I think he means that Zip carts init'ed on the problem machine can't be read by other Zip drvs. I would not rule out an alignment compability issue here.

And if I use elsewhere-formatted disks on my PC I get wrong partition table message from fdisk (but I can mount it and read it!)

[Ben] <shrug> I'd say, ignore "fdisk". It's not the smartest utility in the world in the first place, and using it on anything except a plain HD is asking for trouble.

[John K.] While I wouldn't recommend using fdisk to set up partitions on the Zip carts, I've used it with good results to show the status (fdisk -l).

[Matthias] Yes, ZIP disks don't have a standard partition table. Same with LS-120 disks. I read about LS-120 & Linux and it was said you should not low-level format the disk as it can render it unusable.

The data partition on the ZIP disk is number 4, so you've to 'mount -t auto /dev/hdb4 /mnt/zip'.

So, one tip is to format the disk using IOMEGA tools under Windows (arghh). A different one is using the tools provided at https://www.iomega.com/software/linuxtools.html

There you have formatting tools, tools to write protect your disks and information utilities. Works with ATAPI ZIP 100 & 250 and SCSI counterparts.

[mike] try mounting /dev/sda4 /mnt/zip zip drives historically have the data in partition 4

This should definitely solve the problem if when you format the drive properly you get no problems

do you still have some ideas?

Is it possible just to have ZIP compatible like every CD device without experimenting (!!!) with kernel stuff? If not I take the battle as lost and stop using ZIP drives... Warn others...

best regards, Dominik

[Ben] There's lots of folks out there using ZIP drives with Linux. I think that sounding the fire alarms and calling the New York Times would be premature at best.

[John K.] My use of Zip drvs has been confined to the SCSI (Linux & MS) and parport models (MS only). I've never had any real problems, (other than very slow with the parport version).

Unfortunately, these seem to be all reasonable things, but the real problem was something more akin to floppy alignment problems. -- Heather

So, one tip is to format the disk using IOMEGA tools under Windows (arghh). A different one is using the tools provided at https://www.iomega.com/software/linuxtools.html

great, but... unfortunately it just...simply... doesnt work! It doesnt do what's written in help file.

I convinced myself how low quality iomega is. Never ever anything to do with them.

And my messages to iomega were just left without any response.

I checked with FAT file systems. The same. It works 100% OK... but only on the machine it was formated on. I am sick with this.

Thank you guys for feedback, but I give up and throw away the stupid drive.

No, no need to alarm New York Times, Ben, but a word of loud warning on incopatibility of ZIP disks formatted on different machines will prevent others from wasting their money.

What I experienced just prooves how low quality service is offered by iomega.

thanks and bye Domi

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