From: roger@ans.net (Roger Florkowski) Subject: IDE drive for RT??? Date: Wed, 2 Aug 1995 03:09:13 GMT (quicky) Info on how to install an IDE drive in an RT. -) you'll need an IDE controller card. Get a dumb card, the dumber the better. A "caching" card will only be a waste of money, b/c the RT will NOT use any of the "caching features" on the card. A typical dumb card costs ~$19, or ~$50 as a "high speed I/O combo card" NOTE: a "caching" card will work, but only in a "dumb" compacity. I have 3 different IDE cards, a base $19 model, a $50 model (which also drives my modem and printer) and a $80 "caching" model. They all work fine. -) I recommend that your IDE card should have floppy ports, and the card should be installed as the PRIMARY hard drive adapter, AND should be connected to the floppy drive. Other combinations *will* work, but this one works *best*. -) you'll need a LONG IDE cable. The "standard recommended/supported" length is 18". Mine is 24" and works just fine. -) the best drive to get is a Seagate (any seagate). I have the 1gig model. People I've helped are successfully using the 540meg and 780meg models. Stay AWAY from WesternDigital and Maxtor drives. While these drives *do* work, they confuse the RT boot ROM. -) once the hardware is installed, use my dboot program to create an "IBM compatible" config record on the drive. After that, the standard AIX or AOS tools will work just fine, and the drive will not need to be formatted. NOTE: you do NOT want to low-level-format an IDE drive. -) AOS users.... You'll need a new boot-block if you want to boot off of this drive. I have a program for that too....