Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 10:56:33 +0200 (IST)
From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz AT is DOT elta DOT co DOT il>
X-Sender: eliz AT is
To: Martin Str|mberg <ams AT ludd DOT luth DOT se>
cc: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
Subject: Re: bash and format don't mix
In-Reply-To: <77deea$6d1$1@news.luth.se>
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.990112105613.15876K-100000@is>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Reply-To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com


On 11 Jan 1999, Martin Str|mberg wrote:

> If I try to format a floppy which is write protected in a: ("format /u
> a:") the system becomes so sluggish it's impossible to do
> anything. Only way to get the system back to useable state is to hit
> the red button.

Did you try this from some other DJGPP program, like Less, or Emacs,
or RHIDE?  If so, was the effect different?

Trying to write to a protected floppy causes Int 24h.  DJGPP programs
by default make Int 24h silently fail the call.  FORMAT probably tries
to catch Int 24h and bails out with "Write protect error".  If the
call fails instead, FORMAT will probably retry the operation several
times before giving up.  The resultant disk-reset operations will
indeed slow down the system, but eventually, FORMAT should give up and
exit. 

Did you wait long enough?

The above is pure theory (cannot afford risking a reboot right now ;-).