[KLUG Members] Firewire 1TB drive under Linux worth trying?

[Adam Tauno Williams]

> I read in Digital Video Magazine about a new drive from LaCie that was
> suitable for HD video editing. It is a 1TB external drive with FireWire
> 800, FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 interfaces for $1100.
> http://lacie.com/products/product.htm?id=10118
> I also read on the http://www.linux1394.org homepage that some people
> have used FireWire 800 (1394b) hard drives under Linux.

I've used "a firewire drive" in the past a couple of times.  Didn't pay
any attention to what kind:  it plugged in, mounted, etc...

> Does anyone here have any experience with FireWire drives under Linux?

If the above counts, yes.

> Are they safe for regular use under Linux?

Sure, it just looks like a USB drive; SCSI emulation, yada yada.

> At that price I was considering using a pair with software mirroring as
> a replacement for tape backup of my 1TB RAID 5 SCSI system. I was also
> thinking about using them as additional storage.

A fixed disk can never ever replace a tape drive.  Using fixed disks for
backup is just plain nuts, IMNSHO.