Brian Buhrow writes:

> When I try to newfs /dev/rsd1a, I get the following messages from the
> kernel:
> 
> sd1(bt0:1:0):  DELAYED ERROR, key = 0xb
> sd1(bt0:1:0): command aborted
> sd1(bt0:1:0):  DELAYED ERROR, key = 0xb
> sd1(bt0:1:0): command aborted, info = 2058239 (decimal)

This is a deferred error, meaning that the error doesn't correspond to
the command that is being executed, indeed it "corresponds to an
error that occurred during execution of a previous command for which
GOOD status has already been returned".  Maybe write cacheing is enabled
and the drive isn't formatted or some other screwy thing.
See the SCSI-II spec in 7.2.14.2 "Deferred Errors".

A sense key of "b" is ABORTED COMMAND.

I'd format this drive and check how the mode pages are set up,
and hope for the best.

-- 
Peter Dufault               Real Time Machine Control and Simulation
HD Associates, Inc.         Voice: 508 433 6936
dufault@hda.com             Fax:   508 433 5267