HARDWARE Zip Drive

From Gentoo Linux Wiki

[edit] Configure the kernel

cd /usr/src/linux
make menuconfig 

[edit] Parallel Port

If you've got a parallel port zip drive, configure your kernel to the following:

Device Drivers -> SCSI device support -> 
 scsi support = Y/M
 scsi disk support = Y/M
SCSI Low Level Drivers ->
 IOMEGA parallel port (ppa - older drives) = Y/M
 IOMEGA parallel port (imm - newer drives) = Y/Mx
  [*]   ppa/imm option - Use slow (but safe) EPP-16 '''Note:''' This is for older systems)
 
Character devices ->
and all the other parallel support stuff

Hint: You might need to turn the parallel support on first, in order to see the IOMEGA stuff

[edit] USB

Device Drivers -->
  SCSI Device Support -->
    <M> SCSI Device Support
    <M> SCSI Disk Support
  USB Device Support -->
    <*>Support for Host-side USB
    <*>(your appropriate HCD)
    <M>USB Mass Storage Support

recompile the kernel... the usual

[edit] Reboot

Congratulations! /dev/sdaX should be your zip drive.

If you have a parallel port ZIP drive, and the /dev/sdaX device does not exist, try executing the following command:

modprobe ppa

[edit] For udev users:

This will always create a symlink to /dev/zip regardless of the device node. It's much easier to remember than /dev/sda4

Create a new file (if it does not exist) called /etc/udev/rules.d/10-udev.rules

Now get the product information (ie model, vendor) for your zip drive. In my case I am using a zip 100 drive. Instructions can be found at http://www.reactivated.net/udevrules.php#operators

Insert the following text into the 10-udev.rules file. Example:

BUS="scsi", SYSFS{model}="ZIP 100         ", SYSFS{vendor}="IOMEGA  ", NAME="%k", SYMLINK="zip"