# dvd drive problems please help seriously

## g3npirate

okay i understand fstab and everything but when i mount the dvd i get of coarse with defaults *unknown filesystem; defaults*, then when i try to set a filesystem i can open up the directory of /dev/hdc (my dvd drive) just fine, and theres nothing in it. also when i : eject /dev/hdc   . i get a fucked up message that says *unable to open /dev/hdc* ive already tried setting the filesystem to udf, tmpfs. iso9660 and all that but it doesnt even seem to SEE the dvd drive, this is really bothering me because i like to back up my dvds usually (i used to on slackware all the time) but i can't with gentoo. any help?

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## erik258

it's pretty hard to diagnose with this kind of output 

are you sure you understand /etc/fstab?   *Quote:*   

>  i can open up the directory of /dev/hdc (my dvd drive) just fine, and theres nothing in it. 

 

it's gonna be empty until you mount something there  :Wink:    you'd better post fstab, just to make sure.

is /dev/hdc your dvd drive?  try

```
dmesg | grep hd[a-z] 

```

to see what's out there.

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## g3npirate

Kernel command line: root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc ramdisk=8192 real_root=/dev/hda3 hdc=ide-scsi

ide_setup: hdc=ide-scsi

    ide0: BM-DMA at 0xfc00-0xfc07, BIOS settings: hda:DMA, hdb:pio

    ide1: BM-DMA at 0xfc08-0xfc0f, BIOS settings: hdc:DMA, hdd:DMA

hda: SAMSUNG SP0411N, ATA DISK drive

hdc: _NEC DVD_RW ND-3550A, ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive

hdd: LITE-ON LTR-52327S, ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive

hda: max request size: 1024KiB

hda: 78242976 sectors (40060 MB) w/2048KiB Cache, CHS=16383/255/63, UDMA(100)

hda: cache flushes supported

 hda: hda1 hda2 hda3

hdd: ATAPI 52X CD-ROM CD-R/RW drive, 2048kB Cache, UDMA(33)

ReiserFS: hda3: warning: sh-2021: reiserfs_fill_super: can not find reiserfs on hda3

EXT3 FS on hda3, internal journal

Adding 1550264k swap on /dev/hda2.  Priority:-1 extents:1 across:1550264k

EXT3 FS on hda3, internal journal

im quite sure i understand fstab, atleast i did when i was using slackware, im not really sure ive never had a problem with hardware at all until now.

my fstab is;

/dev/hda1	 /boot	     ext2        defaults      	           1 2

/dev/hda2	 none        swap        sw                        0 0

/dev/hda3	 /	     ext         defaults		   0 1

/dev/hdc         /mnt/dvd               defaults                  0 0

/dev/hdd         /mnt/cdrom              defaults                  0 0

none             /proc       proc        defaults                  0 0

none             /dev/shm    tmpfs       defaults                  0 0

i didnt set a filesystem and im not sure what i should put in replace of defaults if anything. in slackware i could just replace defaults with noauto,owner,ro and everything would work fine as far as mounting/ripping/burning

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## Cintra

try hdc=ide-cd instead the 3550a is an atapi drive..

btw, my fstab for hdc and hdd is..

```
/dev/hdc  /mnt/dvd iso9660 user,noauto,rw  0 0

/dev/hdd /mnt/dvd1 iso9660 user,noauto,rw  0 0

/dev/pktcdvd/hdc  /mnt/dvdrw  udf  noauto,noatime,rw,user 0 0

/dev/pktcdvd/hdd  /mnt/dvdrw1  udf  noauto,noatime,rw,user 0 0

```

 hdc is a 4550a and hdd an3550a

mvh

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## erik258

we solved this via pm.  it should probably be marked solved, i'll tryto get a mod to do so

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## nixnut

 *erik258 wrote:*   

> we solved this via pm.  it should probably be marked solved, i'll tryto get a mod to do so

 

g3npirate can edit the topic title by changing the subject line of the first post.

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## OldTango

I am having some kind of problem with my dvd-r-rw drive as well and can not figure it out.

It worked just fine before I had to do a new install of gentoo after a serious MotherBoard and HD failure.

Every time I try to write to a disk I get some kind of stupid error that says error writting to disk or your system is to slow to write at the speed selected try a lower speed.  Yea like that is the problem.

This use to work perfectly untill the new install of gentoo (2006.0).  Before I was using a stage1 2005.1 install that had worked fine for over a year.  I am not sure what kind of info to post because I am not sure where to start.

A

```
dmesg | grep hd[a-z]
```

Gives this

```
testing NMI watchdog ... OK.

Software Watchdog Timer: 0.07 initialized. soft_noboot=0 soft_margin=60 sec (nowayout= 0)

    ide0: BM-DMA at 0xffa0-0xffa7, BIOS settings: hda:DMA, hdb:DMA

    ide1: BM-DMA at 0xffa8-0xffaf, BIOS settings: hdc:pio, hdd:pio

hda: SONY DVD-ROM DDU1613, ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive

hdb: PLEXTOR DVDR PX-716A, ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive

hda: ATAPI 40X DVD-ROM drive, 512kB Cache, UDMA(33)

hdb: ATAPI 40X DVD-ROM DVD-R CD-R/RW drive, 8192kB Cache

SCSI device sda: 321672960 512-byte hdwr sectors (164697 MB)

SCSI device sda: 321672960 512-byte hdwr sectors (164697 MB)

e1000: eth0: e1000_watchdog_task: NIC Link is Up 1000 Mbps Full Duplex

hdb: irq timeout: status=0xd0 { Busy }

hdb: DMA disabled

hdb: ATAPI reset complete
```

Which gives me some clue but again I don't know where to start.

Why is DMA disabled on hdb, and why is the irq timing out?

TIA

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## erik258

what command do you do that fails? what do you use to burn discs?  

hdparm is the command you want to turn on dma 

```
hdparm -d1 /dev/hdb

```

try that, and faililng, 

```
man hdparm
```

----------

## OldTango

 *erik258 wrote:*   

> what command do you do that fails? what do you use to burn discs?  
> 
> hdparm is the command you want to turn on dma 
> 
> ```
> ...

 Using that command did turn on DMA for /dev/hdb but I don't know why it was off to begin with.................................  :Confused: 

I will try to burn a cd again with that setting on.

I am using gnome-nautilus for burning and it has always worked very well in the past with this very drive.  I checked the drive to make sure it is in working order and it is.

TIA

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## OldTango

I turned on DMA and tried again to burn a cd.  Nautilus reported an error writing to disc.

dmesg | tail gave this

```
cdrom: This disc doesn't have any tracks I recognize!

scsi: unknown opcode 0xe9

scsi: unknown opcode 0xed

scsi: unknown opcode 0x01

scsi: unknown opcode 0xf5

hdb: irq timeout: status=0xd0 { Busy }

ide: failed opcode was: unknown

hdb: DMA disabled

hdb: ATAPI reset complete

scsi: unknown opcode 0xeb

```

Whats odd is this isn't a scsi dvd-r-rw combo drive.  So maybe I need to enable or disable a kernel setting..................................  :Confused: 

TIA

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## erik258

are you using ide-scsi?  I don't think you need to anymore...

check your grub.conf kernel parameters

ps as you can see from the text of your above code dma was not activated at the time.  

try a 

```
tail dmesg & sleep 1; hdparm -d1 /dev/hdb
```

That might show you whether or not the dma option went through ok.  i don't know why it would be off in the first place though.

----------

## OldTango

 *erik258 wrote:*   

> are you using ide-scsi?  I don't think you need to anymore...

 No I am not and you are correct in that it should not be necessary anymore noe is scsi emulation necessary.

 *Quote:*   

> ps as you can see from the text of your above code dma was not activated at the time.

 Thats how I read it as well however just prior to that I did enable DMA on that drive and tried to write to a disc.  After a failed attempt that is the dmesg report I got back.

 *Quote:*   

> try a 
> 
> ```
> tail dmesg & sleep 1; hdparm -d1 /dev/hdb
> ```
> ...

 That command acctualy gave me this.

```
tail dmesg & sleep 1; hdparm -d1 /dev/hdb

[1] 568

tail: cannot open `dmesg' for reading: No such file or directory

[1]+  Exit 1                  tail dmesg

/dev/hdb:

 setting using_dma to 1 (on)

 using_dma    =  1 (on)

```

However a

```
dmesg | tail & sleep 1; hdparm -d1 /dev/hdb
```

 reported me this

```
[1] 572

agpgart: Putting AGP V3 device at 0000:00:00.0 into 8x mode

agpgart: Putting AGP V3 device at 0000:01:00.0 into 8x mode

hdb: packet command error: status=0x51 { DriveReady SeekComplete Error }

hdb: packet command error: error=0x54 { AbortedCommand LastFailedSense=0x05 }

ide: failed opcode was: unknown

Machine check events logged

Machine check events logged

Machine check events logged

Machine check events logged

Machine check events logged

[1]+  Done                    dmesg | tail

/dev/hdb:

 setting using_dma to 1 (on)

 using_dma    =  1 (on)

```

Also I have noticed that udev is not consistantly assigning my drives to the same block device across reboots.  On one boot my hda or dvdrom drive may be on /dev/cdrom, on the next boot it may appear on /dev/cdrom1.  This is not good as it seems to screw up gnome trying to locate the device.  I have found one other post reporting this problem but no solutions yet.

Untill I had to do a new install using the new method of a stage3 my amd64 gentoo install worked perfectly and writing cd's and dvd's was a snap and very fast.  Now I can't even get a coaster out of the damn thing..................................................  :Confused: 

I am going to check the kernel settings but don't know where else to look.

TIA

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## erik258

are you sure you got the right driver in the kernel, and are you sure you didn't miss support for anything you need in the kernel?  

Probably you do have it configured properly, since , i take it your hd dma is on... but if your hd acts kinda funky too maybe that's it.  

And it couldn't be a cabling problem, could it?  PS could it be a software glitch of some kind concerning udev?  I read UDEV89 was incompatible w/ some kernel, 2.6.13 i believe

Or is it possible that the drive itself is malfunctioning?  I once had one that just stopped working properly in linux.  The same software could drive a rioch my friend traded me as a replacement.  He is able to use the drive in windows without problems.

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## OldTango

 *erik258 wrote:*   

> are you sure you got the right driver in the kernel, and are you sure you didn't miss support for anything you need in the kernel?  
> 
> could it be a software glitch of some kind concerning udev?  I read UDEV89 was incompatible w/ some kernel, 2.6.13 i believe
> 
> Or is it possible that the drive itself is malfunctioning?  I once had one that just stopped working properly in linux.  The same software could drive a rioch my friend traded me as a replacement.  He is able to use the drive in windows without problems.

 The kernel appears to be in order as far as I can tell.  I am going to check it again today just to be sure I haven't missed anythig.

It is possible there is a clitch in udev or the gnome nautilus burning application itself.  Both of those apps have been updated from my prior install.

The Drive in question works normally for every other application I need it for and is detected by the kernel and gnome.  I just can't burn anything.

TIA

----------

## erik258

what do you think 

 *Quote:*   

> Machine check events logged 

 

that means?

google brought me back to gentoo's forums with this useful tidbit from a guy who's CPU was bad, evidently.

 *Quote:*   

> Now I'm seeing "Machine check events logged" in my messages, I installed mcelog and got the following...
> 
> Code:
> 
> MCE 0
> ...

 

i suggest you install mcelog and check out what it has to say my friend.  

the kernel may be irrelevant.

----------

## OldTango

 *erik258 wrote:*   

> what do you think 
> 
>  *Quote:*   Machine check events logged  
> 
> that means?
> ...

 These kinds of kernel messages can be caused by an incorrect setting in the bios as well.  This is the reason I was getting machince check events logged.  I had 2 settings I had forgot to modify which caused these messages.  Fixed now though.

As for my dvd-rw drive refusing to burn any cd's or dvd's.  This problem has gone from bad to worse.  Now I can't even mount my dvd-rom drive at all.  Which 2 days ago worked fine.  Right now I can only use the dvd-rw drive to play audio cd's or to install files.  It auto-mounts without problems.

I have narrowed this problem down to the auto-mounting of drives.  Something has changed drastically with hal, dbus, and pmount.  It seems they use to auto write the fstab to the /media dir for auto-mounting, which no longer appears to work.  If I define mount points I can manually mount the drives, but burning still won't work and then they won't auto-mount.  I get a message that says mounting already defined in fstab ignoring something or another.  Didn't get the exact message.  What ever the case is I am sure it isn't a hardware problem, but something related to auto-mounting and fstab.

TIA

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## erik258

Good!  Replacing hardware isn't very much fun now is it.  

Could it be a change in the /etc/* files somewhere, something easily missed by a reckless -5 to etc-update?  A small line in a  config somewhere could perhaps change the location of what used to be /media?

----------

