The Register: Mandrake Linux ate my CD drive

The Register: Mandrake Linux ate my CD drive

[Geoff Shang]

Hi all:

An article from The Register which I thought should be posted here.

Geoff.


   Mandrake Linux ate my CD drive
   By [47]Robert Jaques
   Posted: 29/10/2003 at 10:17 GMT
   Mandrake has warned users of its Mandrake Linux 9.2 to beware of a
   "severe problem" which totally trashes CD drives by overwriting their
   firmware.
   The issue is caused when the kernel that ships with Mandrake Linux 9.2
   and early updates sends a FLUSH_CACHE command to the CD drive. For
   "certain" CD drives manufactured by LG, this command overwrites the
   firmware and renders the drive useless.
   MandrakeSoft said that many Dell and HP/Compaq computers of all types
   and "possibly others" ship with these CD-ROM drives: "We are currently
   working with HP to determine which systems are affected by this. Dell
   is potentially providing LG-based CD-ROMs since the beginning of May
   2002 in laptop, desktop, workstation, and server-class machines. HP
   and Compaq have been installing LG-based CD-ROM devices for three
   years, and Compaq have also re-branded some."
   Currently, according to MandrakeSoft, the problem is not believed to
   affect LG DVD-ROM/R/RW drives and some CD-RW drives; but the company
   adds somewhat ominously that "this all depends entirely upon the
   firmware on the device".
   Mandrakesoft lays the blame for the issue firmly at the door of LG,
   because the drives in question are not compliant with the ATAPI bus
   protocol specification. This standard does not require an
   implementation of the FLUSH_CACHE command in the driver so compliant
   devices would return an error to the command or do nothing.
   However, LG has apparently re-used the FLUSH_CACHE command to modify
   the firmware of the drive, so when the drives receive the instruction
   they execute UPLOAD_FIRMWARE instead; this leaves the unit as a useful
   paperweight which only LG will be able to fix.
   "A new kernel (2.4.22-21mdk) has been released that fixes this problem
   in the kernel, although the CD-ROM devices are still not up to
   specification. New CDs and ISOs will be available shortly to correct
   these problems; they will come with the new kernel," MandrakeSoft
   said.
   To determine the make and model of a CD-ROM MandrakeSoft advises users
   to run dmesg to view the information. For instance, if a CD-ROM is
   /dev/hdc, it is possible to use "dmesg|grep hdc" to see the make and
   model of CD-ROM.
   Full details of MandrakeSoft's advisory can be found: [48]here . ®


References

  47. mailto:robert@iteditor.net
  48. http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en/lgerrata.php3