# SATA DVD-RW problems (no supported modes)

## butane317

I have a Lite-ON SH-16A7S SATA DVD-RW drive that's giving me problems.  cdrecord reports it has no supported modes, and it is thus unable to burn anything!

```
marle linux # cdrecord -checkdrive dev=/dev/sg1

Cdrecord-ProDVD-Clone 2.01.01a25 (i686-pc-linux-gnu) Copyright (C) 1995-2006 JÃ¶rg Schilling

scsidev: '/dev/sg1'

devname: '/dev/sg1'

scsibus: -2 target: -2 lun: -2

Warning: Open by 'devname' is unintentional and not supported.

Linux sg driver version: 3.5.34

Using libscg version 'schily-0.9'.

Device type    : Removable CD-ROM

Version        : 5

Response Format: 2

Capabilities   : 

Vendor_info    : 'LITE-ON '

Identifikation : 'DVDRW SH-16A7S  '

Revision       : 'WS04'

Device seems to be: Generic mmc2 DVD-R/DVD-RW/DVD-RAM.

Using generic SCSI-3/mmc   CD-R/CD-RW driver (mmc_cdr).

Driver flags   : MMC-3 SWABAUDIO BURNFREE FORCESPEED 

Supported modes: 
```

I know the drive works, I've tested it on other systems.  Any ideas?  What are all the relevant .config sections I should post?  Thanks a bunch!

----------

## wynn

Have you tried

```
# cdrecord -checkdrive dev=/dev/sr1
```

Since you used /dev/sg1, I've assumed that /dev/sr1 is the device name for your DVD-RW.

```
# cdrecord -checkdrive dev=/dev/sr1

Cdrecord-ProDVD-Clone 2.01.01a10 (x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu) Copyright (C) 1995-2006 JÃÂ¶rg Schilling

scsidev: '/dev/sr1'

devname: '/dev/sr1'

scsibus: -2 target: -2 lun: -2

Warning: Open by 'devname' is unintentional and not supported.

Linux sg driver version: 3.5.27

Using libscg version 'schily-0.8'.

Device type    : Removable CD-ROM

Version        : 5

Response Format: 2

Capabilities   :

Vendor_info    : 'PIONEER '

Identifikation : 'DVD-RW  DVR-110D'

Revision       : '1.17'

Device seems to be: Generic mmc2 DVD-R/DVD-RW.

Using generic SCSI-3/mmc   CD-R/CD-RW driver (mmc_cdr).

Driver flags   : MMC-3 SWABAUDIO BURNFREE

Supported modes: TAO PACKET SAO SAO/R96P SAO/R96R RAW/R16 RAW/R96P RAW/R96R
```

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## butane317

It's the exact same output.  Any other ideas?

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## wynn

There seem to be three possibilities:

1) SCSI Generic is interfering with the operation of the SATA CD/DVD driver: you could removed SCSI Generic support from the kernel and try again â the option is at

```
-> Device Drivers

  -> SCSI device support

<*> SCSI generic support
```

2) The unstable version of cdrtools (2.01.01_alpha25) could be the problem: you could downgrade to 2.01.01_alpha10 and try again or

3) SATA DVD Writers are not or are not fully supported by the kernel you are running: what kernel version is it and what is the lspci output for the SATA controller?

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## butane317

00:0f.0 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. VIA VT6420 SATA RAID Controller (rev 80)

I don't think it's bad SATA drivers because my root disk is SATA.

And, without the sg interface, it still gives me the same problem.  Any other ideas?

----------

## wynn

Yes, somebody else tried removing SCSI generic and it didn't help there either.

The driver for the VT6420 is sata_via, while it's working for your disk, it might need something extra to handle a SATA DVD-RW

What kernel are you running? Do you think it might be worthwhile trying the latest (masked) mm-sources-2.6.21_rc6-r1

I've Googled for problems with SATA DVD writers but haven't found anything (except for sata_sil) so it might be a wild goose chase.

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## butane317

mm-sources doesn't work either.   :Sad:   Think it's time to call it quits?

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## wynn

 *butane317 wrote:*   

> Think it's time to call it quits?

 Well, _I_ can't think of anything else to try, somebody else might have the missing piece, though.

I did come across QPxTool (app-cdr/qpxtool) while Googling for "linux SH-16A7S". You might like to run it in the hope that it turned up a clue.

Otherwise I'm sorry I haven't been able to help   :Sad: 

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## chemist109

I'm running Kubuntu Feisty with a SATA DVD +/- RW drive and I have the exact same problem.  Drive works with XP and Nero.  I've filed a bug report here:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux-source-2.6.20/+bug/109327

You might want to check by there every so often to see if any progress is made.  In the interim, I bought a USB external DVD-RW that works perfectly.

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## butane317

I've got that bookmarked, thanks!!

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## SimonKellett

 *butane317 wrote:*   

> I have a Lite-ON SH-16A7S SATA DVD-RW drive that's giving me problems.  cdrecord reports it has no supported modes, and it is thus unable to burn anything!

 

I have a new Samsung DVD burner, and even to be able to read with it (after Googling around a lot) I found that removing the IDE drivers completely from the kernel build fixed it (I have an SATA only system) (i.e. using libata only), but I have not tried burning yet. (IIRC there are other methods to stop the IDE/old drivers affecting the SATA DVD drive if you have a mixed system.)

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## olger901

I had a similar issue with my DVD-burner in my notebook (a Dell Inspiron 6400). The DVD-burner was hardly able a DVD and would eventually crash ( it was also detected as /dev/hdc instead of /dev/sr0 ). I solved the problem by removing everything related to the IDE drivers in the kernel.

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## olger901

 *olger901 wrote:*   

> I had a similar issue with my DVD-burner in my old notebook (a Dell Inspiron 6400). The DVD-burner was hardly able a DVD and would eventually crash ( it was also detected as /dev/hdc instead of /dev/sr0 ). I solved the problem by removing everything related to the IDE drivers in the kernel.

 

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