Re: I remember floppy disks
Let me preface this to say that modern Minix is actually quite usable. If you have older hardware that you don't know what to do with, try putting Minix on it. You might be surprised ... On new hardware, it is even better ...
From Minix 1.1's floppy.c:
/* Control of the floppy disk motors is a big pain. If a motor is off, you
* have to turn it on first, which takes 1/2 second. You can't leave it on
* all the time, since that would wear out the diskette. However, if you turn
* the motor off after each operation, the system performance will be awful.
* The compromise used here is to leave it on for a few seconds after each
* operation. If a new operation is started in that interval, it need not be
* turned on again. If no new operation is started, a timer goes off and the
* motor is turned off. I/O port DOR has bits to control each of 4 drives.
* Interrupts must be disabled temporarily to prevent clock interrupt from
* turning off motors while we are testing the bits.
*/
Further along:
/* Controller is not listening. Hit it over the head with a hammer. */
Lots of Minix stuff at tuhs.org ...