Date: Fri, 25 Oct 1996 17:39:39 -0200
Message-Id: <1.5.4.16.19961025143513.385f35f8@dmeasc.rc.ipt.br>
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To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz AT is DOT elta DOT co DOT il>,
        Cesar Scarpini Rabak <csrabak AT dce03 DOT ipt DOT br>
From: Cesar Scarpini Rabak <csrabak AT dce03 DOT ipt DOT br>
Subject: Re: Drive Help
Cc: Simon Oke <simon AT loony DOT demon DOT co DOT uk>, djgpp AT delorie DOT com

At 13:52 24/10/96 +0200, Eli Zaretskii wrote:
>
>On Wed, 23 Oct 1996, Cesar Scarpini Rabak wrote:
[snipped]
>> way of working.
>
>The `getmntent' function from DJGPP library does this (albeit by a
>different technique, since some DPMI hosts don't like Int 24h).  But this
>thread started when somebody wanted to know how to detect a drive even if
>there is no disk inside, so both `getmntent' and the Int 24h method are
>inappropriate. 
>
But to check the availability of the hardware only isn't enough call INT 11h
and check for bit 0 and bist 6-7?

>If you want to know whether a drive *could* be made available (as opposed 
>to a disconnected or otherwise physically absent drive), there is no 
>single way to do it AFAIK.  Floppy drives can be accessed on a BIOS or 

If the drive is physically connected (and not broken) shouldn't it be available?

>I/O registers level even if they are empty; MSCDEX has its set of IOCTL 
>calls that work even when the drive is empty; networked drives can be 
>queried by their own (and mutually incompatible) methods.  Tough.  The 
>right answer depends on what exactly are you looking for.
>
>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cesar Scarpini Rabak                      E-mail: csrabak AT ipt DOT br
DME/ASC                                   Phone: 55-11-268-35221Ext.350
IPT - Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnologicas Fax:   55-11-268-5996
Av. Prof. Almeida Prado, 532.  Sao Paulo - SP 05508-901 BRAZIL
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