Re: CD Jukeboxes

[Chris Albertson <chrisalbertson90278@yahoo.com>]

Tom,

Years ago I messed with one of these, only it used 8 inch
optical read/write disks.

There is a chance the jukebox is usable from Linux with
no additional software.  The robotic changers are somewhat
standardized and look like another SCSI device on the buss.

A few years ago 500 CDs was an impressive amount of storage.
Today you can buy 100GB disk drives that fit in your hand.

I think the Jukebox will be of more use to you if you could fit
it with a CD Burner.  You could then mass produce CDs without
needing to feed the disks in one at a time.

Back to Linux.  First connect the jukebox to a SCSI controller
and let the system scan the SCSI buss.  You want to see the
CD drives and the changer.  look around in /proc/scsi/

Next read the "mt" or "mtx" man page.  mt is for controling
tape devices but may work with your juke box.

You may not have the CD changer driver.  The changer is a SCSI
device.  Take a look here
http://bytesex.org/changer.html
re-compiling a kernel is not that hard.

--- Tom Droege <tdroege2@earthlink.net> wrote:
> I am now the proud possessor of two 500 disk Poineer DRM-5004x CD 
> Jukeboxes.  It is a not so long story.  Ron Wickersham sent me a note
> 
> telling me these were available surplus for $350 each.  I could not
> resist 
> and thinking I would send one on to Ron I ordered two of them.
> 
> Today a big truck pulled up.  About 500# of stuff was unloaded.  I
> had been 
> looking at desk top CD units and did not think much about the size. 
> 500 is 
> a lot of disks.  So the unit is refrigerator size.
> 
> So far I have only gotten part way into the box, but the suspicion is
> that 
> it comes with no documentation or software.  Besides the changer
> mechanism, 
> it comes with two 4x CD readers.  I suspect that one might be able to
> 
> change out to faster units.
> 
> The control is SCSI.  You can find out more by searching on DRM-5004X
> using 
> Google.  I quickly found a lot.  It would appear that I will need
> software 
> to do the simplest things.
> 
> Possibly one of you uses such drives in their work.  Possibly someone
> knows 
> how to select software for this unit.  I would be willing to buy
> commercial 
> software to run these units from a Linux box if that is possible. 
> Possibly 
> one of you can get hold of a service manual for this device.
> 
> Note that I already have enough good data on disk to fill both of
> these 
> units.
> 
> I suspect that I have purchased two white elephants.  Still, nice to
> have a 
> pair if I do make use of one of them.
> 
> You will be amused that I get a 90 day warranty.  To activate it I
> send in 
> a letter to ***IBM*** with which Pioneer has arranged to provide 
> service.  If it do this, then an IBM service representative will show
> up 
> promptly when I need service.  No doubt one service call will cost
> more 
> than both units.
> 
> Tom Droege
> 
> 


=====
Chris Albertson 
  Home:   310-376-1029  chrisalbertson90278@yahoo.com
  Cell:   310-990-7550
  Office: 310-336-5189  Christopher.J.Albertson@aero.org

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