Very Computer

I'm now successfully using my Sony CDU-55E CDROM drive (an ATAPI drive)
from Linux.  I'm using 1.1.75 plus the ide/ide-cd patch by Mike Lord and
Scott Snyder.  I understand that this code is now part of 1.1.76.  Cool!
This means that just about all my stuff is now supported by "standard Linux".

There are some rough edges.  As mentioned in the README.ide file in
/usr/src/linux/drivers/block, the mount command for the cdrom must be
just right; if a block size other than 2048 is used (or block size
isn't specified, weird errors result).  I initially thought this meant
it didn't quite work.  However, given the exact commands mentioned in
README.ide:

        ln -sf /dev/hdc /dev/cdrom
        mkdir /cd
        mount /dev/cdrom /cd -t iso9660 -o ro,block=2048

I am now successfully reading CDROMs.

Some folks mentioned that they got the older NEC-260 driver to work
provided they'd booted DOS first and used LOADLIN; I'm booting from
LILO and everything works fine.

Note that this drive isn't mentioned in the README.ide file.  Anyone
documenting this, please add the Sony 55E to the list of drives it
works with.

Thanks to all who sent me mail, and especially to Scott Snyder for writing
ide-cd.c !

--

Phone: +1 415 694 1729

: I'm now successfully using my Sony CDU-55E CDROM drive (an ATAPI drive)
: from Linux.  I'm using 1.1.75 plus the ide/ide-cd patch by Mike Lord and
: Scott Snyder.
that is a big step for all Sony CDU-55E CDROM - users. But three questions:
1. Where can you find the ide/ide-cd patch ( I have just found the  1.1.75-
   Kernel under ftp: sunsite.unc.edu -> /pub/Linux/kernel/v1.1)
2. up to now  this kernel (1.1.75) needs a further patch to recognize the
   second IDE-port (-> hdc, hde). As  my first IDE-port is occupied by two
  hard disks, my CD-ROM is master of the second IDE-port. When I try to use
  the kernel together with the patch ide3.2patch72+.gz the CDROM is recognized
  by Linux during booting but trying to mount the drive leads to a 'red botoom  hang up'. Are you sure that your version works also if your CDROM drive is
  on the second IDE-port ??
3. Do you know where one can find the kernel 1.1.76 ? it is not on the
   sunsite.unc.edu - ftp server

        thanks a lot in advance, Robert Buchholz

   1. Where can you find the ide/ide-cd patch ( I have just found the  1.1.75-
      Kernel under ftp: sunsite.unc.edu -> /pub/Linux/kernel/v1.1)

Last i saw it, it was in pub/Linux/kernel/patches/diskdrives/ide*.

   2. ... When I try to use
     the kernel together with the patch ide3.2patch72+.gz the CDROM is recognized
     by Linux during booting but trying to mount the drive leads to a 'red botoom  hang up'. Are you sure that your version works also if your CDROM drive is
     on the second IDE-port ??

I've heard from people who say that that configuration works, though i
have not personally verified it since i don't have the appropriate hardware.

I have heard a couple complaints about the driver locking up, while other
people, with seemingly similar hardware, report no problems.
Since i cannot reproduce this problem myself, it is unlikely to get
fixed unless someone who sees the problem figures out what's going wrong
and tells me.

   3. Do you know where one can find the kernel 1.1.76 ? it is not on the
      sunsite.unc.edu - ftp server

I saw it on tsx-11.

sss