2. Quick Start

OK so you have purchased a new zip drive and now you want to use it. Some distributions have the modules already built. You can try insmod ppa for starters. (Make sure you have it hooked up and a disk inserted). If the ppa program is not there, then configure the kernel. My machine has 2 parallel ports, one for the zip and one for the printer. This makes things easy, no cable switching.

Configure the kernel:

• cd /usr/src/linux
• make xconfig
• scsi support = Y
• scsi disk support = Y
• Iomega zip support as a module
• printer support also as a module
• save it and exit
• make dep
• make clean
• make zImage or zlilo or zdisk
• make modules
• make modules_install

Now to use the drive:

• load the module insmod ppa
• build a mounting point. mkdir /zip
• insert a preformatted windoze type disk into the drive.
• mount the disk. mount -t vfat /dev/sda4 /zip
• use any standard file commands as in l /zip, ls /zip, df, cp,
• when you are finished umount /zip

If you had trouble with any of the previous steps, see the following sections for more detailed instructions.