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APPENDIX V
NOVELL 2.1 SOFTWARE PATCH FOR USE WITH
ADAPTEC ACB-23XX DISK CONTROLLERS
Appendices
This appendix describes a patch to allow use of the ACB-23XX controllers with
Novell 2.1.
This software patch has the advantage of allowing the use of the Adaptec primary
format and autoconfiguration feature. This feature gives you the capability to use
all kinds of different disk types while leaving the "setup" of the disk type
definition to "TYPE 1 ". Also, there is no need to modify the content of the
motherboard BIOS. The following paragraph describes the necessary steps for
using Novell 2.1 with Adaptec controllers.
Step 1
Make sure the Adaptec BIOS is enabled (factory default). Use your PC AT setup
program to select drive TYPE 1.
Step 2: Primary format
When formatting the drive for the first time, the Adaptec disk preparation
program must be used. This is mandatory for the autoconfiguration to work
properly. Later the disk can be reformatted with the Novell compsurf program, if
desired. The Adaptec disk preparation is started by entering the DOS debug
program, then typing the command:
G=C800:5 <CR>
Option 0 of the menu is used to do the primary format. When the primary
format is finished, option 1 (to create Adaptec and logical partition) must be used
in order to get a successful autoconfiguration. Select option 0 (to create a
volume). Select volume number 1. For the number of cylinders, enter the total
amount of cylinders available. This amount is displayed on top of the screen, and
it can be larger than 1024.
Exit the disk preparation program with option 3, then option 5.
Step 3:
Executing the patch on Novell 2.1 software.
Novell 2.1 is delivered with a standard driver program called ATDISK.OBJ. That
file must be patched before the generation of the utilities and the Operating
System. This is done with the standard DOS debug program.
A-7
adaptec
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