Re: [TCLUG:17698] PleXwriter firmware upgrade

[Charles Fulton <cf352197@oak.cats.ohiou.edu>]

Bob Tanner wrote:

> Well, PlexWriter is sure nice to give out firmware upgrades for free. Anyone
> have any bright ideas on how to install and Windows self-extracting archive
> on a linux box?
>
> Sheesh... I do not even have windows on this box.

Now you're going to have all sorts of fun with this one.

IF it's a SCSI drive (a real one, ide-scsi doesn't count... believe me, I
tried)  then you might be able to get the linux version of the upgrader to
work.

Look at:
http://www.plextor.be/english/technical/download2.html

Now if it's ATAPI (like mine), and it doesn't have windoze (like mine) and you
use it without a monitor or a keyboard (like mine) then you (like me) will
probably have to use another computer that has windoze and run the IDE cable to
the CDR and flash it like that.  I think I tried about everything and no luck.
The Linux and DOS programs only know about SCSI devices... maybe you could
convince the DOS one to work with some fancy driver work but the Linux one is
hopeless for and ATAPI drive.

Just curious... are you trying to use CMC CD-RW disks?  That's what caused me
all the trouble.


On a side note... I have an 8x4x32x CDR in a 486-80.  The CD is on a
VLB IDE card and the HD is a 4Gig USCSI drive on an adaptec ISA controller.

This thing is rock solid at 4x but if I try to burn at 8 then it dies.  The
error is an "Input/Output error. write_g1: scsi sendcmd: retryable error"

I am assuming this in from the ide-scsi module and not the HD controller.  Is
there anyway I could streamline things to maybe burn at 8?  It's a matter of
pride that my CDR box is a quarter of the hardware minimums stamped on the
windoze CD I got with the drive.

Charlie