Re: hd size for quadra 840

Martin Reindl wrote:
> Jacob Yocom-Piatt <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
>> i've got a quadra 840 here with a 1.5 gb hd and want to get openbsd onto
>> it. after reading the install instructions i'm to understand that i need
>> a 2nd disk to install openbsd onto from the onboard one that's running
>> mac os 7.5.5. if this is incorrect, do tell.
> 
> No, MacOS is only used as 'boot loader'. You can have a really minimal
> MacOS install and use the rest for OpenBSD even with a single disk.

right, though if you lack the OS media, it might be, "exciting" to resize
the existing partition.

If I recall properly, with OSv6 and OSv7, you can put a second disk in,
create a small (I think I've done as small as 50M, if you really know
MacOS, I think it can be as little as 5M, but don't screw up!) MacOS
partition on it (using the hacked Mac HD SC Setup program or similar),
and copy over the system files.  For some versions of MacOS, that didn't
work, but I can't recall which are which.

>> what is the largest hd that such a machine will accept? i've found one
>> that's an apple-brand 50.1 gb 50-pin drive.
>> 
> 
> 50pin 50.1GB SCSI disk? Wow.

no kidding.  But, I can't think of any reason it wouldn't theoretically
work.  If your source has multiples of that drive available, I think some
of the developers might be very interested (it seems some systems really
dislike "wide drive to narrow computer" adapters).

Be forewarned, the fsck time might be measured in weeks.
Watch heat on 'em, too, the air flow in the Q840/Q800 case seem to be
very poor over that drive.

I run mine with a 4G drive + a 2G drive for /usr/obj.  I should try a
68/80 pin to 50 pin adapter, may work for bigger drives.

Nick.