Linux on PowerPC FAQ-O-Matic : System Configuration : Disks :
Can i format Zip disks in ext2fs?
The system is a beige G3/300 with internal Zip (device /dev/hdd), LinuxPPC installed, with stock V5 kernel (2.2.6-15apmac) I wished to convert an HFS-formatted Zip disk to ext2, in order to use on a Linux network where only ext2 or MS-dos formats were readable.During a copy execution bad blocks were encountered on the disk, prompting me to run fsck on it. Running filesystem checks with either fsck -V -t ext2 /dev/hdd OR e2fsck -v -b 8193 /dev/hdd had to be done manually as the repairs would not run on auto. Subsequent format attempts with mke2fs /dev/hdd and MS-tools (e.g. mkdosfs) met with various degrees of success, but the disk reamined unmountable. HOWEVER - I now find that NO Zip-disks are any longer recognised by Linux, and furthermore that "trusty" MacOS 8.6 *also* no longer sees Zip-disks when they are inserted. THIS is the main point of this post: attempting such a format, in my case, resulted in total inoperability of the *HARDWARE* in question (the Zip-drive itself), although I myself cannot see how.
Suggestions as to how to reset the bus (if necessary) are warmly welcome. Apologies if this post is considered pollution.
Dan Garton
Problems mounting CDs, floppies