Disappearing CD/DVD ROM

[Bob Williams]

My CD/DVD drive has recently become only partially visible to
applications. I use a Windows program, EAC (Exact Audio Copy) running
under wine, to rip audio CDs, but it has recently stopped seeing my CD
drive. I installed grip, to see if it was a wine problem, but this also
can't read audio CDs in the drive. Well, it does very briefly as the
drive gets mounted, in other words I see the list of tracks flash on and
then off again. Grip can eject CDs, so the drive isn't completely
invisible.

My guess is that some other tool is grabbing the unit. Any of those
automatic automounter tools in kde or gnome. Set them to not intervene -
details vary depending on desktop.

I use KDE. I tried disabling automounting of removable devices in System
Settings, but it didn't make any difference :(

Bob

[Carlos E. R.]

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Hash: SHA1

My CD/DVD drive has recently become only partially visible to applications. I
use a Windows program, EAC (Exact Audio Copy) running under wine, to rip audio
CDs, but it has recently stopped seeing my CD drive. I installed grip, to see
if it was a wine problem, but this also can't read audio CDs in the drive.
Well, it does very briefly as the drive gets mounted, in other words I see the
list of tracks flash on and then off again. Grip can eject CDs, so the drive
isn't completely invisible.

My guess is that some other tool is grabbing the unit. Any of those
automatic automounter tools in kde or gnome. Set them to not intervene -
details vary depending on desktop.

- --
Cheers,
Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 "Emerald" at Telcontar)

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[Bob Williams]

Hi Carlos,

Post by Bob Williams

My guess is that some other tool is grabbing the unit. Any of those
automatic automounter tools in kde or gnome. Set them to not intervene -
details vary depending on desktop.

I use KDE. I tried disabling automounting of removable devices in System
Settings, but it didn't make any difference :(

Not only the automounter, but also the gadgets that grab the reader if an
audio cd is detected, then the other one that grabs it if it sees a movie,
then the other one that... you see the trend? :-)

Yes, I see the trend, but I don't know what do with it :( Must have stayed up
too late last night.

I've looked for Configuration/Settings in each multimedia app, but nowhere is
there a setting to stop each app from mounting/loading the contents of the
drive. I know you use Gnome, but perhaps if you could be a bit more specific
about what you would do there, I could translate it into KDE-ese.

Many thanks.

Bob

[Carlos E. R.]

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Hash: SHA1

Post by Bob Williams

Not only the automounter, but also the gadgets that grab the reader if an
audio cd is detected, then the other one that grabs it if it sees a movie,
then the other one that... you see the trend? :-)

Yes, I see the trend, but I don't know what do with it :( Must have stayed up
too late last night.
I've looked for Configuration/Settings in each multimedia app, but nowhere is
there a setting to stop each app from mounting/loading the contents of the
drive. I know you use Gnome, but perhaps if you could be a bit more specific
about what you would do there, I could translate it into KDE-ese.

I'll try, but I don't know the equivalent KDE names.

In gnome, I go to the control center, and in the "look and feel" section
there is an item named "removable drives and media", without icon. This
dialog has tabs for storage, multimedia, cameras, pdas, printers and
input devices.

Storage has entries for browsing and mounting devices when inserted, or
burning blank dvds. The multimedia tab has entries for playing audio cds
when inserted, or pay video if a video cd/dvd is inserted, or play music
when a portable player is inserted.

You see, it is quite complete, although sometimes I'd like more fine
grain.

- --
Cheers,
Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 "Emerald" at Telcontar)

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[Bob Williams]

Post by Carlos E. R.

Post by Bob Williams

Not only the automounter, but also the gadgets that grab the reader if
an audio cd is detected, then the other one that grabs it if it sees a
movie, then the other one that... you see the trend? :-)

Yes, I see the trend, but I don't know what do with it :( Must have
stayed up too late last night.
I've looked for Configuration/Settings in each multimedia app, but
nowhere is there a setting to stop each app from mounting/loading the
contents of the drive. I know you use Gnome, but perhaps if you could be
a bit more specific about what you would do there, I could translate it
into KDE-ese.

I'll try, but I don't know the equivalent KDE names.
In gnome, I go to the control center, and in the "look and feel" section
there is an item named "removable drives and media", without icon. This
dialog has tabs for storage, multimedia, cameras, pdas, printers and
input devices.
Storage has entries for browsing and mounting devices when inserted, or
burning blank dvds. The multimedia tab has entries for playing audio cds
when inserted, or pay video if a video cd/dvd is inserted, or play music
when a portable player is inserted.
You see, it is quite complete, although sometimes I'd like more fine
grain.

Many thanks, Carlos. I think the KDE System Settings > Removable Devices
(configure automatic handling of removable storage media) is equivalent to
your Gnome Control Centre > Look and Feel > Removable Drives and Media.

I have tried disabling all autoplay options here, without changing EAC's or
grip's ability to read the contents of the drive. In fact EAC cannot even see
the hardware, let alone read the contents of the inserted media.

Bob

[Patrick Shanahan]

Post by Bob Williams
I have tried disabling all autoplay options here, without changing EAC's or
grip's ability to read the contents of the drive. In fact EAC cannot even see
the hardware, let alone read the contents of the inserted media.

then you probably have a failing drive/cable/controller.

[Bob Williams]

Wouldn't that affect KsCD or (s)mplayer playing audio CDs? Or the device
notifier detecting a disc in the drive and offering me options? Or
Firefox reading the Linux Magazine DVD in the drive?
Bob

It's possible. But if you have a loose cable somewhere, information
could be sporadic. Instead of questioning a plausible idea from a guy
attempting to help, how about cracking the case and taking a look?

Fair enough. Both power and data cables secure, no difference after removing
and reseating them at both ends (well, not the power cable where it emerges
from the PSU).

In the configuration wizard for EAC, it says "EAC detected the following
drive(s) in your system. Please select which drives EAC should autoconfigure."
But the list is empty.

On the other hand, K3b can interrogate the drive without difficulty.

[Bob Williams]

Post by Patrick Shanahan

Post by Bob Williams
I have tried disabling all autoplay options here, without changing EAC's
or grip's ability to read the contents of the drive. In fact EAC cannot
even see the hardware, let alone read the contents of the inserted
media.

then you probably have a failing drive/cable/controller.

Wouldn't that affect KsCD or (s)mplayer playing audio CDs? Or the device
notifier detecting a disc in the drive and offering me options? Or Firefox
reading the Linux Magazine DVD in the drive?

Bob

[Michael S. Dunsavage]

Wouldn't that affect KsCD or (s)mplayer playing audio CDs? Or the device
notifier detecting a disc in the drive and offering me options? Or Firefox
reading the Linux Magazine DVD in the drive?
Bob

It's possible. But if you have a loose cable somewhere, information
could be sporadic. Instead of questioning a plausible idea from a guy
attempting to help, how about cracking the case and taking a look?

[Michael S. Dunsavage]

Post by Bob Williams
In the configuration wizard for EAC, it says "EAC detected the following
drive(s) in your system. Please select which drives EAC should autoconfigure."
But the list is empty.
On the other hand, K3b can interrogate the drive without difficulty.

I occasionally use a program in Wine, DVDFab, and it doesn't find the cd
drom either til I manually mount it. Does EAC find it if you mount the
drive then run EAC?

[Bob Williams]

Post by Michael S. Dunsavage

Post by Bob Williams
In the configuration wizard for EAC, it says "EAC detected the following
drive(s) in your system. Please select which drives EAC should
autoconfigure." But the list is empty.
On the other hand, K3b can interrogate the drive without difficulty.

I occasionally use a program in Wine, DVDFab, and it doesn't find the cd
drom either til I manually mount it. Does EAC find it if you mount the
drive then run EAC?

I shall need to brush up on the mount command to remember how to do that. What
fstype is an audio CD?

But it never used to need these extra steps. I've used EAC for several years,
and it always finds the hardware automatically. IOW, start EAC, put an audio
CD in the drive and the EAC window is immediately populated with the tracks on
the CD, including length, size, gap length, etc.

Something has changed in the last 3 weeks.

[Michael S. Dunsavage]

Post by Bob Williams
I shall need to brush up on the mount command to remember how to do that. What
fstype is an audio CD?
But it never used to need these extra steps. I've used EAC for several years,
and it always finds the hardware automatically. IOW, start EAC, put an audio
CD in the drive and the EAC window is immediately populated with the tracks on
the CD, including length, size, gap length, etc.
Something has changed in the last 3 weeks.

mount -t iso9660 /dev/cdrom-device /mnt/mountpoint

It's possible during one of the updates something somewhere got changed.

[Bob Williams]

Post by Michael S. Dunsavage

Post by Bob Williams
I shall need to brush up on the mount command to remember how to do that.
What fstype is an audio CD?
But it never used to need these extra steps. I've used EAC for several
years, and it always finds the hardware automatically. IOW, start EAC,
put an audio CD in the drive and the EAC window is immediately populated
with the tracks on the CD, including length, size, gap length, etc.
Something has changed in the last 3 weeks.

mount -t iso9660 /dev/cdrom-device /mnt/mountpoint
It's possible during one of the updates something somewhere got changed.

barrowhillfarm:~ # mount -t iso9660 /dev/cdrom /media/cdrom
mount: block device /dev/sr0 is write-protected, mounting read-only
mount: wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/sr0,
missing codepage or helper program, or other error
In some cases useful info is found in syslog - try
dmesg | tail or so

barrowhillfarm:~ # dmesg | tail
[77787.635996] sr 1:0:0:0: [sr0] Result: hostbyte=DID_OK
driverbyte=DRIVER_SENSE
[77787.636010] sr 1:0:0:0: [sr0] Sense Key : Illegal Request [current]
[77787.636017] sr 1:0:0:0: [sr0] Add. Sense: Illegal mode for this track
[77787.636028] end_request: I/O error, dev sr0, sector 64
[77787.636105] isofs_fill_super: bread failed, dev=sr0, iso_blknum=16,
block=16

I'm not sure what the above means.

[Patrick Shanahan]

Post by Bob Williams
I'm not sure what the above means.

are you a member of group "cdrom"?

[Michael S. Dunsavage]

Post by Bob Williams
barrowhillfarm:~ # mount -t iso9660 /dev/cdrom /media/cdrom
mount: block device /dev/sr0 is write-protected, mounting read-only
mount: wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/sr0,
missing codepage or helper program, or other error
In some cases useful info is found in syslog - try
dmesg | tail or so

This happens with every audio CD?

WHen I mount an audio cdrom using

$ mount /dev/sr0

it mounts it fine for me...... What if you don't specify a mount type
and just do

# mojnt /dev/cdrom /media/cdrom

?

[Bob Williams]

Post by Michael S. Dunsavage

Post by Bob Williams
barrowhillfarm:~ # mount -t iso9660 /dev/cdrom /media/cdrom
mount: block device /dev/sr0 is write-protected, mounting read-only
mount: wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/sr0,
missing codepage or helper program, or other error
In some cases useful info is found in syslog - try
dmesg | tail or so

This happens with every audio CD?
WHen I mount an audio cdrom using
$ mount /dev/sr0
it mounts it fine for me...... What if you don't specify a mount type
and just do
# mojnt /dev/cdrom /media/cdrom
?

As root:

barrowhillfarm:~ # mount /dev/cdrom /media/cdrom
mount: block device /dev/sr0 is write-protected, mounting read-only
mount: you must specify the filesystem type

[Bob Williams]

Post by Patrick Shanahan

Post by Bob Williams
I'm not sure what the above means.

are you a member of group "cdrom"?

16:50 barrowhillfarm:~> groups
users wheel video music vboxusers

No. Those earlier commands (to mount the cdrom) were executed as root.

[Bob Williams]

Post by Bob Williams

Post by Patrick Shanahan

Post by Bob Williams
I'm not sure what the above means.

are you a member of group "cdrom"?

16:50 barrowhillfarm:~> groups
users wheel video music vboxusers
No. Those earlier commands (to mount the cdrom) were executed as root.

Actually, that's not strictly true. Yast says I am a member of group "cdrom",
but the "groups" command doesn't agree :(