Hello!

I have an old DVD-RAM drive I picked up on ebay. It works fine as a
CD-ROM/DVD-ROM, but I can't seem to get it to work as a DVD-RAM. It's
my understanding that it ought to be able to appear as a slow hard disk,
but format or newfs doesn't recognize it as writable. I also tried
Joerg Schilling's cdrecord-prodvd, which correctly identifies it as a
DVD-RAM but refuses to write to it (as per his documentation).

I have tried 4.7GB media both without cartridge and with cartridge
(cartridge bought new, disk never removed, I understand that at least
used to make it read-only). I also tried modifying /kernel/drv/sd.conf
to include lun=1 through 7

name="sd" class="scsi"
target=6 lun=1;

etc. but it didn't make a difference (just made prtconf -v longer). I
did 'boot -r' between each attempt at mucking with drivers. I also
tried installing Joerg Schilling's scg driver with the following scg.conf:

name="scg" class="scsi"
target=6 lun=0;

I get the following in my dmesg when botting with -r:

Oct 14 23:53:41 tiar.home scsi: [ID 193665 kern.info] scg0 at glm0:
target 6 lun 0
Oct 14 23:53:41 tiar.home genunix: [ID 936769 kern.info] scg0 is
/pci@1f,4000/scsi@3/scg@6,0
Oct 14 23:53:41 tiar.home scsi: [ID 193665 kern.info] scg1 at glm1:
target 6 lun 0
Oct 14 23:53:41 tiar.home genunix: [ID 936769 kern.info] scg1 is
/pci@1f,4000/scsi@3,1/scg@6,0

I have no idea what to make of that information.

I would appreciate any pointers. I'm running Solaris 8 on an Ultra 60.
I'd greatly prefer to get this to work on Sol8 but if upgrading to 9 or
10 is required then so be it (so long as I have confidence it'll work).
Scrapping it means I don't get a DVD-RAM, as I can't afford a new
SCSI drive.

I'm attaching below the output of 'cdrecord-prodvd -prcap' and a portion
of 'prtconf -v'.

Please go easy on me; I used to have a clue with Solaris but I do
almost all Linux nowadays so my Solaris is very rusty. I'd
appreciate any responses CC to my email address
(newsryan42@leesburg-geeks.org) but I'll check the NG eventually.

Many thanks in advance!!

Ken Ryan


tiar:~> cdrecord-ProDVD -prcap
Cdrecord-ProDVD-Clone 2.01a27 (sparc-sun-solaris2.8) Copyright (C)
1995-2004 Jörg Schilling
Unlocked features:
Limited features:
scsidev: '0,6,0'
scsibus: 0 target: 6 lun: 0
Using libscg version 'schily-0.8'.
Device type : Removable CD-ROM
Version : 2
Response Format: 2
Capabilities : SYNC
Vendor_info : 'MATSHITA'
Identifikation : 'PD-2 LF-D100 '
Revision : 'A120'
Device seems to be: Generic mmc2 DVD-R/DVD-RW.

Drive capabilities, per MMC-2 page 2A:

Does read CD-R media
Does not write CD-R media
Does read CD-RW media
Does not write CD-RW media
Does read DVD-ROM media
Does read DVD-R media
Does not write DVD-R media
Does read DVD-RAM media
Does write DVD-RAM media
Does not support test writing

Does read Mode 2 Form 1 blocks
Does read Mode 2 Form 2 blocks
Does read digital audio blocks
Does restart non-streamed digital audio reads accurately
Does not support Buffer-Underrun-Free recording
Does read multi-session CDs
Does read fixed-packet CD media using Method 2
Does read CD bar code
Does not read R-W subcode information
Does not read raw P-W subcode data from lead in
Does return CD media catalog number
Does return CD ISRC information
Does not support C2 error pointers
Does deliver composite A/V data

Does play audio CDs
Number of volume control levels: 255
Does support individual volume control setting for each channel
Does support independent mute setting for each channel
Does not support digital output on port 1
Does not support digital output on port 2

Loading mechanism type: tray
Does support ejection of CD via START/STOP command
Does not lock media on power up via prevent jumper
Does allow media to be locked in the drive via PREVENT/ALLOW command
Is not currently in a media-locked state
Does not support changing side of disk
Does not have load-empty-slot-in-changer feature
Does not support Individual Disk Present feature

Maximum read speed: 0 kB/s (CD 0x, DVD 0x)
Current read speed: 0 kB/s (CD 0x, DVD 0x)
Maximum write speed: 0 kB/s (CD 0x, DVD 0x)
Current write speed: 0 kB/s (CD 0x, DVD 0x)
Buffer size in KB: 2048
Copy management revision supported: 1
tiar:~> prtconf -v | more
[snip]
sd, instance #6
System properties:
name <lun> length <4>
value <0x00000000>.
name <target> length <4>
value <0x00000006>.
name <class> length <5>
value 'scsi'
Driver properties:
name <removable-media> length <0> -- <no value>.
name <pm-components> length <30>
value 'NAME=spindle-motor' + '0=off' + '1=on'
name <pm-hardware-state> length <21>
value 'needs-suspend-resume'
name <ddi-failfast-supported> length <0> -- <no value>.
name <ddi-kernel-ioctl> length <0> -- <no value>.
Hardware properties:
name <inquiry-revision-id> length <5>
value 'A120'
name <inquiry-product-id> length <13>
value 'PD-2 LF-D100'
name <inquiry-vendor-id> length <9>
value 'MATSHITA'
name <inquiry-device-type> length <4>
value <0x00000005>.
sd, instance #30 (driver not attached)
System properties:
name <lun> length <4>
value <0x00000001>.
name <target> length <4>
value <0x00000006>.
name <class> length <5>
value 'scsi'
Hardware properties:
name <inquiry-revision-id> length <5>
value 'A120'
name <inquiry-product-id> length <13>
value 'PD-2 LF-D100'
name <inquiry-vendor-id> length <9>
value 'MATSHITA'
name <inquiry-device-type> length <4>
value <0x0000007f>.
sd, instance #32 (driver not attached)
System properties:
name <lun> length <4>
value <0x00000002>.
name <target> length <4>
value <0x00000006>.
name <class> length <5>
value 'scsi'
Hardware properties:
name <inquiry-revision-id> length <5>
value 'A120'
name <inquiry-product-id> length <13>
value 'PD-2 LF-D100'
name <inquiry-vendor-id> length <9>
value 'MATSHITA'
name <inquiry-device-type> length <4>
value <0x0000007f>.
sd, instance #33 (driver not attached)
System properties:
name <lun> length <4>
value <0x00000003>.
name <target> length <4>
value <0x00000006>.
name <class> length <5>
value 'scsi'
Hardware properties:
name <inquiry-revision-id> length <5>
value 'A120'
name <inquiry-product-id> length <13>
value 'PD-2 LF-D100'
name <inquiry-vendor-id> length <9>
value 'MATSHITA'
name <inquiry-device-type> length <4>
value <0x0000007f>.
sd, instance #34 (driver not attached)
System properties:
name <lun> length <4>
value <0x00000004>.
name <target> length <4>
value <0x00000006>.
name <class> length <5>
value 'scsi'
Hardware properties:
name <inquiry-revision-id> length <5>
value 'A120'
name <inquiry-product-id> length <13>
value 'PD-2 LF-D100'
name <inquiry-vendor-id> length <9>
value 'MATSHITA'
name <inquiry-device-type> length <4>
value <0x0000007f>.
sd, instance #35 (driver not attached)
System properties:
name <lun> length <4>
value <0x00000005>.
name <target> length <4>
value <0x00000006>.
name <class> length <5>
value 'scsi'
Hardware properties:
name <inquiry-revision-id> length <5>
value 'A120'
name <inquiry-product-id> length <13>
value 'PD-2 LF-D100'
name <inquiry-vendor-id> length <9>
value 'MATSHITA'
name <inquiry-device-type> length <4>
value <0x0000007f>.
sd, instance #36 (driver not attached)
System properties:
name <lun> length <4>
value <0x00000006>.
name <target> length <4>
value <0x00000006>.
name <class> length <5>
value 'scsi'
Hardware properties:
name <inquiry-revision-id> length <5>
value 'A120'
name <inquiry-product-id> length <13>
value 'PD-2 LF-D100'
name <inquiry-vendor-id> length <9>
value 'MATSHITA'
name <inquiry-device-type> length <4>
value <0x0000007f>.
sd, instance #37 (driver not attached)
System properties:
name <lun> length <4>
value <0x00000007>.
name <target> length <4>
value <0x00000006>.
name <class> length <5>
value 'scsi'
Hardware properties:
name <inquiry-revision-id> length <5>
value 'A120'
name <inquiry-product-id> length <13>
value 'PD-2 LF-D100'
name <inquiry-vendor-id> length <9>
value 'MATSHITA'
name <inquiry-device-type> length <4>
value <0x0000007f>.

Ken Ryan <newsryan42@leesburg-geeks.org> writes:

> I have an old DVD-RAM drive I picked up on ebay. It works fine as a
> CD-ROM/DVD-ROM, but I can't seem to get it to work as a DVD-RAM. It's
> my understanding that it ought to be able to appear as a slow hard disk,
> but format or newfs doesn't recognize it as writable.

Solaris 9 SPARC should have DVD-RAM support. I'm not sure about
Solaris 8 SPARC.

Solaris 10 has DVD-RAM support for both SPARC and X86.

> I also tried
> Joerg Schilling's cdrecord-prodvd, which correctly identifies it as a
> DVD-RAM but refuses to write to it (as per his documentation).

Did you try cdrtools' "readcd" utility with the write switch "-w"?

Ken Ryan wrote:

> I have an old DVD-RAM drive I picked up on ebay. It works fine as a
> CD-ROM/DVD-ROM, but I can't seem to get it to work as a DVD-RAM. It's
> my understanding that it ought to be able to appear as a slow hard
> disk, but format or newfs doesn't recognize it as writable. I also
> tried Joerg Schilling's cdrecord-prodvd, which correctly identifies it as
> a
> DVD-RAM but refuses to write to it (as per his documentation).
>
> I have tried 4.7GB media both without cartridge and with cartridge
^^^^^^^^^^^
Maybe this is Your problem.

It has been a long time ago but if I remember correctly the LF-D100 can't
use the 4.7GB(single sided)/9.4GB(double sided) DVDRAM media, only the older
2.6GB(ss)/5.2(ds) media. You need to find the older 2.6GB/5.2GB media, if
the drive's ok they should work.

Benjamin

Hi,

The Panasonic LF-D100 drives don't support the newer 4.7GB/side media.

I've the same, works fine with 2.6GB/side media, although I've not tried
to use it with Solaris/SPARC.

Kelly

Another poster suspected this. Thank you for confirming it.

2.6G is somewhat less useful for me. Fortunately it seems to work fine
as a CDROM/DVDROM reader ... :-)

Thank you to all who replied!

Ken


Kelly Harding wrote:
> Hi,
>
> The Panasonic LF-D100 drives don't support the newer 4.7GB/side media.
>
> I've the same, works fine with 2.6GB/side media, although I've not tried
> to use it with Solaris/SPARC.
>
> Kelly