[clue-tech] Linux (kernel) and Internal IDE/Atapi Tape Drive Support

[Jim Intriglia]

I've got a Dell PC running RH V6.2 (V2.2 kernel), that has an Internal 
IDE/Atapi HP Colorado 5GB/8GB tape drive. I've installed BRU V16.0 software 
(latest release) to handle backups to tape.

A total backup of this PC using BRU seems to be progressing just fine at the 
moment. I've set BRU (via Brutab config file) to use the /dev/ht0 device 
driver (rewinding IDE/Atapi driver) which is present & supported by default 
in the RH V6.2 distro kernel.

The BRU install guide, however, suggests using SCSI Tape Emulation for best 
performance when using BRU with IDE/Atapi drives. The note goes on to 
describe what I believe to be a kernel recompile to support this:
---
Under 2.2.x -

    In the "Block Devices" kernel config area:
        The IDE stuff can be built as modules
        Select M for ALL of the IDE items as modules EXCEPT disk
        Select Y for Disk
        Select M for SCSI-EMULATION

    In the SCSI kernel config area:
        Say Y to SCSI Support
        Say Y to SCSI Tape
        Ignore the rest of the items (unless you have a SCSI adapter)

    make dep clean bzImage && make modules modules_install
    cp arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/vmlinuz_tape
    create a new lilo.conf entry to boot /boot/vmlinuz_tape
    rerun lilo
    reboot into the new kernel
    access the tape drive as /dev/st0 or /dev/nst0
---

My question:

Is there a utility or command (Linux, RH, GNU app., etc) or some other 
method to determine the parameters/options under which my RH kernel was 
compiled?

It would be a waste of time to recompile the kernel for SCSI emulation if 
the kernel presently supports this.

Point me where I need to start reading.

-Jim Intriglia
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