OVERVIEW

This kit contains the PoorManDISK pseudo disk driver for VAX/VMS. It allows 
mounting a Linux raw disk partition over the network as a local RZ24 disk. 
Although it appears as a RZ24 hard disk drive on the VAX, it is not half
reliable as the real one, so be careful regarding the kind of data you put
on it. The original version I wrote sometime ago used Novell's IPX protocol
as transport. As you may know, this is a connectionless datagram-oriented
protocol, so packet may not arrive at the destination. If this happens....
KERBOOOMMMMMMMM..........
The PoorManDISK approach is quite simple. It reads/writes logical blocks over 
the network. The LINUX box accepts the request and performs a block I/O using
the Linux block device associated with the raw partition reserved for the VAX.
The pseudo driver loaded on the VAX side behaves as if it were an RZ24 scsi DISK
drive locally attached, and all the FILE-11 operations are carried out transpa-
rently.


INSTALLATION

VAX SIDE
--------

1) Check in the sysuaf.dat that SYSTEM account "bytlm" quota is about 64000.
   If the current value is less than 64000, you must run authorize and change
   it.

2) Log in as SYSTEM on the vax and create the following directory

	$ create sys$sysdevice:[hddriver]

3) copy all *.mar and *.com files from the PoorManDISK distribution to this
   directory. You can use DECnet for Linux dncopy file utility.

4) Set to this directory and execute the following command:

	$ @make			; This will build the hddriver

	$ @load			; This will load the hddriver

5) Edit the hdstart.mar file and change the last line containing the
   physical ethernet address of the "server" machine to that of your
   Linux BOX (You can use ifconfig to display it on LINUX).
   Also check the name of your VAX ethernet card template Driver in
   the first line. (ESA0... etc.)

6) Start the hddriver

	$ @hdstart

7) Make sure hddriver is correctly loaded.

	$ show dev/full hda0:

8) Before doing any i/o operation to the disk, make sure the phdserver 
   is running on the Linux BOX.

	$ init hda0: label		; initialize the disk
	$ mount/ove=id cda0:		; Mounts the disk as a FILE-11 device

LINUX SIDE
----------

1) Change to the directory where you untared the PoorManDISK distribution

2) Execute

	# make
	# make install
	# make clean

	This create and install the executable called "phdserver"

3) You must select which raw partition in your Linux Hard disk will be used
   for serving the HDDRIVER requests. If it doesn't exit then you must create
   one with of 205MB to accomodate the RZ24 geometry on it.
   You use the 'fdisk' utility to manage partitions on linux.

4) Run the phdserver program

	# phdserver /dev/hdb1 


   This will serve partition #1 in second IDE HDD to the HDDRIVER on the
   VAX.


SUPPORT

I am a full time worker so I cannot promise support, but I will eventually
answer any mail I receive and try to help as much as possible.


Eduardo Marcelo Serrat			<emserrat@hotmail.com>
