From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S264496AbTDYVGa (ORCPT ); Fri, 25 Apr 2003 17:06:30 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S264506AbTDYVGa (ORCPT ); Fri, 25 Apr 2003 17:06:30 -0400 Received: from 81-2-122-30.bradfords.org.uk ([81.2.122.30]:61824 "EHLO 81-2-122-30.bradfords.org.uk") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S264496AbTDYVGN (ORCPT ); Fri, 25 Apr 2003 17:06:13 -0400 From: John Bradford Message-Id: <200304252121.h3PLLwSX002318@81-2-122-30.bradfords.org.uk> Subject: 9-track tape drive (Was: Re: versioned filesystems in linux) To: hpa@zytor.com (H. Peter Anvin) Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2003 22:21:58 +0100 (BST) Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org In-Reply-To: from "H. Peter Anvin" at Apr 25, 2003 12:38:57 PM X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.5 PL6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org > > Of bigger concern is that the inter-block gap is only 0.5 (or maybe 0.75 > > inches, the memories are dim ;) - and you need to be able to stop and then get > > back up to speed in that distance (or decelerate, rewind, and get a running > > start). > > > > No, you don't. You just need to make sure you don't have the head > active while you overshoot. Performance will *definitely* suffer if > you don't, though, since you'd have to rewind. Well, we could make our device dual speed, and either run at E.G. 60 I.P.S. or 120 I.P.S. depending on whether we want to read a large block of data, or just one block that happens to be closer to the current head position than the distance we need to accellerate to 120 I.P.S. John.