Unfortunately, the IDE "get drive parameters" command is not usable via the earlier versions of the extended INT13 API. Hence, we have plagiarized code to access the hardware directly. It goes without saying that this is a Bad Thing. This is especially true in view of the fact that, although we've tried software from several different sources, none of it works consistently on all machines.
Version three of the API allows the programmer to send arbitrary IDE commands to a hard drive and this could be used to get the drive parameters. However, at the time of writing (March, 2001), we've not actually come across any machines that have a version three API.
Hence, if you want your drive identified by name, then you're stuck with this kludge. Now you know why, at the last minute before releasing a beta-test version of this software, we decided to make the IDENTIFY switch default to an off state...
Yes! However, by default, CDU handles the keyboard via (non-standard) MSdos and BIOS function calls. These, of course, won't work when you are trying to use CDU via a communications channel. For example, CDU will not work correctly if you try to use it via a TELNET link unless you enable the STDKB switch.
For more information on this topic, see the entry for the STDKB switch in the reference manual.