Last Attempt at fixing DVD drives before abandoning Fedora Core

[Jim Cornette]

Dave Gutteridge wrote:

>
>> What happens if you boot with the ide=nodma argument to the kernel?
>>  
>>
> I did this and then tested all my drives, and there is absolutely no 
> change.


Someone else suggested this.

>
>> The output of lspci might help people understand the hardware 
>> specifics that your computer has.
>>  
>>
> [root at localhost ~]# lspci
> 00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 82820 820 (Camino) Chipset Host 
> Bridge (MCH) (rev 03)
> 00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82820 820 (Camino) Chipset AGP 
> Bridge (rev 03)
> 00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801AA PCI Bridge (rev 02)
> 00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801AA ISA Bridge (LPC) (rev 02)
> 00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801AA IDE (rev 02)

If the below pdf file describes your system.
 It appears that 4 drives are supported. I am not sure if the individual 
timing for each attached drive is causing a problem, can be enabled or 
disabled in BIOS or not. At least what you are driving off the 
controller is available. Maybe someone with similar hardware ran into a 
similar problm before.

http://www.intel.com/design/chipsets/datashts/29065503.pdf

> 00:1f.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801AA USB (rev 02)
> 00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801AA SMBus (rev 02)
> 01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV5M64 [RIVA 
> TNT2 Model 64/Model 64 Pro] (rev 15)
> 02:08.0 Multimedia audio controller: Creative Labs SB Live! EMU10k1 
> (rev 07)
> 02:08.1 Input device controller: Creative Labs SB Live! MIDI/Game Port 
> (rev 07)
> 02:0c.0 Ethernet controller: 3Com Corporation 3c905C-TX/TX-M [Tornado] 
> (rev 78)
>
>> This sounds more like a hardware settings issue.
>
> Even though I can read CD-ROMs pefectly well, and even write to DVDs? 
> The only issue is reading DVDs. It seems to me that if it were a 
> hardware issue, then reading any media or format would be universally 
> bad. If that's not the case, I would be keen to know the mechanics of 
> why.

DVDs are effected greater from bad media. I recently found that out with 
discs from customers. Are you sayig that there are no problems at all in 
another OS but you find Linux to not be able to read the files the same? 
Are you referring to Xine not being able to play te DVD ?

>
>> Do you have the jumpers on the DVD drive set appropriately for master 
>> and slave operation?
>>  
>>
> I dual boot to WinXP where the drives work perfectly. And have done so 
> under XP for years. So I am skeptical that it is a hardware settings 
> issue. If Linux handles such issues differently than WinXP, then I 
> would be willing to start making adjustments directly on the physical 
> hardware. But I would have to be told why and how first, as I would 
> think that under normal circumstances Windows and Linux shouldn't need 
> different CMOS or jumper settings for the same hardware.

Neither one should need different settings from each other in my view. 
Hardware settings for the jumper should show up in either. I run a DVD 
burner as secondary on the secondary IDE controller and also have a 
CDROM burner as master on the secondary controller without problems. The 
Jumper is set to master on the CDROM burner and set to slave on the DVD 
burner. I would not think that you got away with two slaves on the bus 
for a long time.

>
>> Where are you getting Xine from?
>>  
>>
> I followed the instructions on this page:
> http://stanton-finley.net/fedora_core_4_installation_notes.html


I installed from livna (FC3 version, though running FC4) and it worked 
fine for me.

>
>> Try searching for mdma2 and see what you come up with.
>>
> Search in what sense? What command is the most appropriate to type at 
> the prompt? I am new to Fedora/Linux, so please be explicit.

I meant to search the Internet for mdma2 and other modes. It mght clue 
you in to what mode would work best for you. I don't know much about 
different modes that the devices. When you are reading the DVDs do they 
change modes? I have no idea myself.

Mine shows the below and seems to work fine. It selects mdma2 as the 
current active mode also.
 hdparm -i /dev/hdc

/dev/hdc:

 Model=TOSHIBA DVD-ROM SD-R2312, FwRev=1905, SerialNo=239R318093
 Config={ Fixed Removeable DTR<=5Mbs DTR>10Mbs nonMagnetic }
 RawCHS=0/0/0, TrkSize=0, SectSize=0, ECCbytes=0
 BuffType=unknown, BuffSize=2048kB, MaxMultSect=0
 (maybe): CurCHS=0/0/0, CurSects=0, LBA=yes, LBAsects=0
 IORDY=on/off, tPIO={min:120,w/IORDY:120}, tDMA={min:120,rec:120}
 PIO modes:  pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4
 DMA modes:  sdma0 sdma1 sdma2 mdma0 mdma1 *mdma2
 AdvancedPM=no
 Drive conforms to: ATA/ATAPI-5 T13 1321D revision 3:

 * signifies the current active mode

>
>> I found the link below that may show an earlier RH related thread you 
>> can sift through.
>>
> What link is that? I did not see one anywhere following this statement.

I failed to paste the link. It was for an older redhat mailing list 
discussion.

https://www.redhat.com/archives/redhat-list/2003-February/msg00410.html
http://linuxgazette.net/issue79/punk.html
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/history/339236

>
> Dave
>
Sorry my questions or seggestions don't help you out with your problem. 
I'm intrigued by the mess your system and Linux seem to be showing you. 
Fortunately, I have not yet experienced the sort of problem you are having.
Bowing out,
Jim

-- 
Chewing gum on /dev/sd3c