# Zip drive problem

## dgriffin

Hi,

I have recently installed Gentoo and have managed to get most things working properly. However, I have a problem with my Zip drive. When the machine boots I receive the following messages:

hdc: IOMEGA ZIP 100 ATAPI, ATAPI FLOPPY drive

.

.

.

hdc:end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 0

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 2

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 4

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 6

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 0

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 2

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 4

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 6

unable to read partition table

SCSI subsystem driver Revision: 1.00

kmod: failed to exec /sbin/modprobe -s -k scsi_hostadapter, errno=2

Checking in the forums I see that this usually means a bad disk, but the disks I have used can be read under windows on the same machine with no problems. I have booted the machine both with and without a zip disk in the drive but it makes no difference.

Is ther eanyone who can help?

David

----------

## inode77

Please be patient if the forum is a little bit slow and delete the two other identical post you generated.

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## hecatomb

Here is another try to help you (I already posted in an other thread but you did not answer)!

```
# fdisk -l /dev/hdc

# dmesg | tail
```

Is the ZIP-disc ok after boot? Can you mount it...?

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## dgriffin

Sorry, I must have missed it (despite having the reply notification set to on).

I'll try it tonight when I get home to my pc.

Thanks

David

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## dgriffin

I tried the fdisk -l /dev/hdc and it returned nothing (just the bash prompt)

I also did dmesg | tail but I could see nothing to do with the zip drive - just stuff about sound. If I had my zip drive working I could have copied the result and posted it here!!

So it seems as though Gentoo is recognizing the Zip drive and then forgetting about it!

Any more suggestions?  

David

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## hecatomb

fdisk -l should show you the partition(s) on your zip! That's no good sign when returning with no output (it's an '-l' like list).

Is the correct kernel option selected to support the IDE-ZIP?

```
zgrep IDEFLOPPY /proc/config.gz

or

grep IDEFLOPPY /usr/src/linux/.config
```

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## dgriffin

Hi Hecatomb,

I shall try this when I get home this evening. By the way did you mean /usr/src/linux.config or /usr/src/linux/.config?

Thanks

David

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## hecatomb

If you use kernel 2.6.x the config is included in the virtual /proc directory by default.

So the first command should do it.

This handy feature is not included in the 2.4.x kernel.

But the kernel config which was used to compile the kernel should be '.config' in the kernel source directory (/usr/src/linux/.config)!

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## dgriffin

I'm using the 2.4 kernel so I'll try the second suggestion

Thanks

David

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## dgriffin

I wrote: grep IDEFLOPPY /usr/src/linux/.config and received the following response:

# CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDEFLOPPY is not set

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## hecatomb

The kernel (if compiled with this config) does not support IDE ZIP drives!

There are a lot of online howtos. One sample:

http://www.linuxgazette.com/issue28/lg_tips28.html#atapi

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## dgriffin

Looks like I'll be recompiling the kernel tonight then. If I remember correctly it took several hours when I installed Gentoo. I'm also having problems with my USB devices not being found so I'll have to ensure that USB support is configured as well.

Thanks for your help

David

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## dgriffin

Well, I managed to recompile the kernel and now when I run:

grep IDEFLOPPY /usr/src/linux/.config

I get the following message:

CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDEFLOPPY=Y

so I must have done something right! However I still get exactly the same messages when I start up and cannot mount my zip drive.

fdisk -l still returns nothing

I see from another discussion (https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=228104&highlight=zip)

that several other people are also having problems with Gentoo and their zip drives so perhaps there is a bug in Linux? 

David

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## hecatomb

Have you installed the new compiled kernel? It's not enough to compile it!!

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=1&chap=7#doc_chap3_sect3

Is the zip recognized by your kernel?

```
dmesg | grep hd
```

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## dgriffin

Yes! I have installed it as well. I know that because my sound stopped working as I'd missed emerge nforce-audio.

Without actually doing a dmesg | grep hd (I'll have to wait until I get home from work tonight) I do get the following message on bootup (see my first post in this discussion):

hdc: IOMEGA ZIP 100 ATAPI, ATAPI FLOPPY drive

so it knows that there's a ZIP drive there!!

David

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## hecatomb

Knoppix is a helpful friend! Try to boot of the CD and look if your zip works.

```
# dmesg | grep hd

...

# fdisk -l /dev/hdX
```

http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/

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## dgriffin

I'm getting to the stage where I'll try anything!! I think I've got a Knoppix CD somewhere. Is Morphix OK instead?

Thanks

David

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## hecatomb

Have not tested morphix yet but should do it as well!

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## dgriffin

Here is the result from writing dmesg | grep hd in gentoo:

(I outputted it to a file and then sent it over to my windows partition, started windows and then copied it to my zip drive - somewhere along the line the CRLF vanished so I hope I have divided up the lines in the correct place)

Kernel command line: root=/dev/hdb1

hda: MAXTOR 6L080L4, ATA DISK drive

hdb: Maxtor 6Y080L0, ATA DISK drive

hdc: IOMEGA ZIP 100 ATAPI, ATAPI FLOPPY drive

hdd: HITACHI DVD-ROM GD-7500, ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive

hda: attached ide-disk driver.

hda: host protected area => 1

hda: 156355584 sectors (80054 MB) w/1819KiB Cache, CHS=9732/255/63

hdb: attached ide-disk driver.

hdb: host protected area => 1

hdb: 160086528 sectors (81964 MB) w/2048KiB Cache, CHS=78167/64/32

hdd: attached ide-cdrom driver.

hdd: ATAPI 40X DVD-ROM drive, 512kB Cache hdc:

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 0

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 2

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 4

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 6

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 0

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 2

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 4

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 6

----------

## dgriffin

I typed the fdisk -l /dev/hdX command (which I interpreted as replacing the X with a, b, c , d) in Morphix and received the following response:

Cannot open /dev/hda   (and similarly for b, c, d)

I typed dmesg | grep hd under morphix and then wrote down on a öiece of paper which I have then copied into this mail (so I apologise for any mistakes):

ide_setup: hda=scsi

ide_setup: hdb=scsi

ide_setup: hdc=scsi

ide_setup: hdd=scsi

ide_setup: hde=scsi

ide_setup: hdf=scsi

ide_setup: hdg=scsi

ide_setup: hdh=scsi

ide0: BM-DMA at 0xf000-0xf007, BIOS settings hda:DMA, hdb:DMA

ide0: BM-DMA at 0xf008-0xf00f, BIOS settings hdc:DMA, hdd:DMA

hda: MAXTOR 6L080L4, ATA DISK drive

hdb: MAXTOR 6Y080L0, ATA DISK drive

hdc: IOMEGA ZIP 100 ATAPI, ATAPI Floppy drive

hda: 156355584 sectors (80054 MB) w/1819 KiB Cache, CHS=9732/255/63

hdb: 160086528 sectors (81964 MB) w/2048 KiB Cache, CHS=78167/64/32

ide-cd: passing drive hdd to ide-scsi emulation.

hda:hda1

hdb:hdb1 hdb2<hdb5 hdb6> hdb3 hdb4

hdc:<3> ide-scsi:hdc:unsupported command in request queue (0)

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 0

ide-scsi:hdc:unsupported command in request queue (0)

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 2

ide-scsi:hdc:unsupported command in request queue (0)

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 4

ide-scsi:hdc:unsupported command in request queue (0)

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 6

ide-scsi:hdc:unsupported command in request queue (0)

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 0

ide-scsi:hdc:unsupported command in request queue (0)

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 2

ide-scsi:hdc:unsupported command in request queue (0)

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 4

ide-scsi:hdc:unsupported command in request queue (0)

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 6

ide-scsi:hdc:unsupported command in request queue (0)

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 0

ide-scsi:hdc:unsupported command in request queue (0)

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 2

ide-scsi:hdc:unsupported command in request queue (0)

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 4

ide-scsi:hdc:unsupported command in request queue (0)

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 6

SCSI device sda:196608 512-byte hdwr sectors (101 MB)

ide-scsi:hdc:unsupported command in request queue (0)

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 0

ide-scsi:hdc:unsupported command in request queue (0)

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 2

ide-scsi:hdc:unsupported command in request queue (0)

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 4

ide-scsi:hdc:unsupported command in request queue (0)

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 6

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## hecatomb

 *Quote:*   

> ...
> 
> ide-scsi:hdc:unsupported command in request queue (0)
> 
> end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 6
> ...

 

Yes this confirms my guess!! The kernel does not know which driver to use for hdc (your ZIP). You have to specify this!

Edit your bootloader config file and append hdc=ide-floppy to the kernel parameters.

I hope my guess is correct and you can use your ZIP now.  :Smile: 

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## dgriffin

Bootloader config file. Is that the command I execute from Grub when I start up the system?

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## hecatomb

 *Quote:*   

> Bootloader config file. Is that the command I execute from Grub when I start up the system?

 

So I guess you are using grub (not lilo).

```
$ mount /boot

$ vi /boot/grub/grub.conf

# edit the bootloader config file / append the option / save

$ umount /boot
```

The file should look _like_ this:

```
...

title=Gentoo Linux

root (hd0,0)

kernel .......... hdc=ide-floppy

...
```

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=1&chap=10#doc_chap2_sect2

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## dgriffin

Thanks, I'll try it tonight and get back to you tomorrow so you know how it went.

David

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## dgriffin

Sorry, I'm afraid there was no difference. fdisk -l /dev/hdc still gives nothing. Here is the output from dmesg |grep hd so you can see if I spelt anything wrongly:

Kernel command line: root=/dev/hdb1 hdc=ide-floppy

ide_setup: hdc=ide-floppy

hda: MAXTOR 6L080L4, ATA DISK drive

hdb: Maxtor 6Y080L0, ATA DISK drive

hdc: IOMEGA ZIP 100 ATAPI, ATAPI FLOPPY drive

hdd: HITACHI DVD-ROM GD-7500, ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive

hda: attached ide-disk driver.

hda: host protected area => 1

hda: 156355584 sectors (80054 MB) w/1819KiB Cache, CHS=9732/255/63

hdb: attached ide-disk driver.

hdb: host protected area => 1

hdb: 160086528 sectors (81964 MB) w/2048KiB Cache, CHS=9964/255/63

hdd: attached ide-cdrom driver.

hdd: ATAPI 40X DVD-ROM drive, 512kB Cache

 hdc:end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 0

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 2

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 4

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 6

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 0

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 2

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 4

end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 6

David

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## hecatomb

There is no output like 'hdc: attached ide-floppy driver'. That's strange I think!

```
$ cat /proc/ide/drivers

...

$ cat /proc/ide/hdc/driver

...

$ dmesg | grep -i "ide-floppy"

...
```

What does this three commands show to you?

----------

## dgriffin

I'll try that this evening.

 At first I was irritated that my Zip-drive was not working under Linux but now I am finding that I am probably learning more about linux via this problem than I would have done otherwise. Your help is much appreciated.

David

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## dgriffin

Success at last! Although I'm not really sure why! I did two things:

1. Recompiled the kernel with ehci enabled for USB (I had problems with USB as well)

2. Yesterday when I changed the boot parameters I only changed them temporarily i.e. when I came to the GRUB prompt I added the parameter then. This time I edited the grub.conf and put the change in permanently.

I'm not sure which of these two changes helped or whether it was a combination. However, thanks to hecatomb for all your help we got there in the end.

David

----------

