I'm using Linux Mint with the Cinnamon desktop environment, and I'm trying to add UFS (Unix File System) support to access some old SCSI drives from the 1980s. I've found a link to ufsutils, but it seems broken. My setup includes Mint installed on a SATA SSD, and while I can see the SCSI drive, it's showing as 'unknown' and I can't mount it. I tried checking for supported file systems in my kernel, and UFS was not listed. Can someone guide me on how to install the necessary support using terminal commands? Or should I consider switching to FreeBSD instead?
2 Answers
UFS can be a bit confusing as it refers to different things in different contexts. If you're dealing with older drives, knowing how UFS was implemented on those systems can help. Check this document about the UFS file system that has some older information. You might need specific kernel configurations like CONFIG_UFS_FS to mount the drives. If you're having trouble getting it to work on Mint, you might want to look into compiling these options, or explore switching to FreeBSD which has solid UFS support. Good luck!
It's good to know that ufsutils is used for creating and repairing UFS file systems but not for mounting them. To access the UFS, make sure your kernel is compiled with the right options for UFS support. If the drive shows as 'unknown' in GParted, you may also need the BSD disklabel support. Trying FreeBSD could be your best bet; it's designed for this kind of task. You can even run it on a VM if you don't want to switch your main OS. Testdisk might help you check the drive content without kernel support!
That sounds like a great plan! I'll probably do the same and see how it goes.