Re: CD-ROM read fails. Recovery is impossible.
On Mon, Aug 11, 2003 at 01:42:16AM +0100, Pigeon wrote:
> Does it do it with all CDs?
It has never done it before, and I can't check without shutting down,
which I've been trying to avoid doing.
> Take the lid off and try pushing the connectors into place...
Again, I'm trying to avoid the need to shut down. If I must I will.
(I do know how to do basic hardware stuff like reseat cables. I was
paid to fix computers a few years ago, though these days I write CBT
modules for a living.)
> > Surely the driver should eventually time out?
>
> Might be wrong here, but I think it is timing out, and immediately
> being called again. Or is it now not working, but no longer putting
> out any messages?
It is now not working, but no longer putting out any messages.
> I've had similar runs of errors when trying to use readcd on a dodgy
> disk, but I've never been unable to kill it, even after leaving it
> running overnight with the -noerror option to try and get as much off
> the disk as possible, both with a custom 2.4.20 for k7 and other 2.4.x
> on other machines.
I'm going to leave it running until I get back from work tomorrow.
If it hasn't freed up by then I'll shut down.
> I believe that if the kernel module has hung avidemux may never get
> control back (someone please correct me if I'm wrong here), and a
> drive fault may cause such a hang.
I'm sure that's the case, but again I think that's a bug. Errors
from a CD drive are not so rare that they should result in unkillable
processes, permanently locked drives, and permanently raised loads.
Eventually the driver should return an error and give control back to
the calling process. And again, I'd like advice on which package to
report the bug in.
> There should be a little hole somewhere on the front panel of your
> CD-ROM.
But there isn't, and in any case I am, once again, trying to avoid
rebooting.
> - Bad disk - try with others
I will.
> - Knackered drive - one of mine did this on me once and never worked
> again. Unfortunately I can't remember whether I had problems killing
> the process that was using it. But don't panic *yet*, because a bad
> disk is possible too.
Not panicking. Drives are, after all, cheap. Just annoyed.
> - Dirty lens on the pickup head. If you have one of those CDs with
> tufts of carbon fibre glued to it, it's best used as a frisbee. The
> only way to clean the lens is to take the drive apart and wet-clean
> the lens with IPA. Drives are usually designed to place several
> pointless obstacles in the way of performing this most common of
> servicing tasks. (Hint to CD-ROM manufacturers: The lid is supposed
> to come off the top of a box, not the bottom.)
I take those "don't fool with the laser" warnings seriously, plus a
replacement drive will cost under $20.
--
Carl Fink carl@fink.to
Jabootu's Minister of Proofreading
http://www.jabootu.com
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