Wouldn't save the log file...

[Anonymous]

After running DBAN 1.0.1 from the floppy, DBAN wouldn't write the log file to it's own disk or any of the ones I tried, including a Win98 boot, a DOS 6.22 disk and an IBM PCDOS disk. Just incase someone asks, the write protects were off on all the floppies I tried, but DBAN prompts for that when it detects it anyway.


Any ideas?

 

[dajhorn]

Do you know whether the computer is capable of writing to a floppy disk with a regular operating system?
What is the make and model of the computer?
I've seen an old IBM PS/2 computer that had a BIOS option to disable floppy disk writing. Perhaps this is your problem. I need more information about your hardware before I can help you further.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for such a quick reply!
This is the system that created the disk and the nuked harddrive is a slave drive. In fact, I think I use the floppy drive (a Teac) on about a weekly basis. I have yet to experience any problems with it. The system itself was built by yours truly.

Do you know whether the computer is capable of writing to a floppy disk with a regular operating system?
What is the make and model of the computer?
I've seen an old IBM PS/2 computer that had a BIOS option to disable floppy disk writing. Perhaps this is your problem. I need more information about your hardware before I can help you further.

 

[dajhorn]

My first guess is that the <I>floppy drive</I> is plugged into the middle of the cable instead of the end of the cable. The DBAN rc script doesn't handle this case (but it is rare).

You can check this by booting into the shell... <PRE>boot: shell</PRE>And running this command at the prompt: <PRE>ls -a /dev/floppy</PRE>In most computers the floppy drive is represented by a file that is just named "0". If there is a file named "1" in that directory, then the device isn't plugged into the end of the cable. If the /dev/floppy directory is empty, then there is probably a hardware incompatibility.

If you make changes to your computer that allow DBAN to work, then I would be pleased to hear about it.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Re: Wouldn't save the log file...

No, floppy's connected fine. Like I said, I've not had a problem with it thus far. It's connected at the end of the cable, after the twist, so it's A:. Now, DBAN worked just fine, it's just that after it was done it refused to write the log file to any floppy I gave it, even it's own boot floppy.

My first guess is that the <I>floppy drive</I> is plugged into the middle of the cable instead of the end of the cable. The DBAN rc script doesn't handle this case (but it is rare). You can check this by booting into the shell... <PRE>boot: shell</PRE>And running this command at the prompt: <PRE>ls -a /dev/floppy</PRE>In most computers the floppy drive is represented by a file that is just named "0". If there is a file named "1" in that directory, then the device isn't plugged into the end of the cable. If the /dev/floppy directory is empty, then there is probably a hardware incompatibility. If you make changes to your computer that allow DBAN to work, then I would be pleased to hear about it.

 

[gushy]

Did you ever solve this problem? I've just come across the same thing.

dban says it can't find a dos format disk, but I've tried the dban disk itself (which I made under linux) a blank disk formatted using mk2fs.msdos and a blank disk formatted using win2k.

Is it worth installing ms-dos6 on an old pc and formatting a blank disk there? I don't want to have to lose the log file without getting to look at it.