Continued DVD-RAM writer problems (was Re: SATA CD/DVD drive not showing up in Squeeze)

[AG <computing.account@googlemail.com>]

AG wrote:
> AG wrote:
> > Hi
> >
> > After my last machine crashed and burned, I replaced the box with an 
> > HP Pavillion which has the following specs:
> >
> > AMD Sempron 2300 Dual-Core
> > Dual Layer DVD Rewriter
> >
> > With a fresh installation of Squeeze (using Netinst via a CD) there 
> > have been several issues which I am progressively trying to work 
> > through.  I've never used a SATA drive before, so some of this may 
> > just be my lack of familiarity with the system.
> >
> > However, when I load up an audio CD nothing happens.  When I go into 
> > Xfce4's "File System" icon there is no CD/DVD drive listed, so 
> > checking dmesg I note the following:
> >
> > [    2.926195] scsi 1:0:0:0: CD-ROM            TSSTcorp CDDVDW 
> > TS-H653Z  4403 PQ: 0 ANSI:5
> > [    4.257290] Uniform CD-ROM driver Revision: 3.20
> > [    4.257379] sr 1:0:0:0: Attached scsi CD-ROM sr0
> >
> > As I understand this, this would suggest that the CD-DVD drive *is* 
> > being mounted at boot time, and is referred to by the system as "sr0".
> >
> > Looking at /etc/fstab I find the following:
> >
> > /dev/scd0       /media/cdrom0   udf,iso9660 user,auto     0       0
> >
> > Inserting an audio CD, KsCD (the CD-player program) correctly 
> > identifies the track listing for the CD and I can eject the CD either 
> > through the command-line or from KsCD.  Goobox however just claims 
> > "invalid device".
> >
> > But, the CD/DVD icon still does not appear under "File System", nor 
> > can I play any audio CDs.
> >
> > Changing the /etc/fstab entry to reflect what dmesg picks up - 
> > /dev/sr0 and reloading the CD makes no difference.
> >
> > Using a DVD now as a test - at least I can now get an icon that 
> > appears on both my desktop and in "file system".  However, using 
> > KMPlayer the DVD refuses to play - first with an error message that 
> > mplayer is not running and then that gxine is not running.  Using 
> > mplayer directly, the error message is that "no media was opened".
> >
> > Looking through Google, most of the links that seem associated with 
> > various search terms (e.g. "sata cddvd /dev/scd0 debian", "sata 
> > tsstcorp cddvd /dev/sr0 debian", and "tsstcorp cddvd /dev/sr0 
> > debian") point to either bugs in the kernel's handling of amd which 
> > was supposed to have been fixed circa 2.26.25 (I'm using kernel 
> > 2.26.6-2-686), while other posts suggest modifying the /etc/fstab 
> > directly.  This I have tried to do by adding /dev/scd0 and /dev/cdrom 
> > at different times.  I even changed the filesystem type to "auto" 
> > rather than the "udf" which was the default.  None of these make any 
> > difference at all.
> >
> > Finally, looking at /dev/disk/by-id gives:
> >
> > ata-WDC_WD3200AAJS-65M0A0_WD-WMAV22139666
> > ata-WDC_WD3200AAJS-65M0A0_WD-WMAV22139666-part1
> > ata-WDC_WD3200AAJS-65M0A0_WD-WMAV22139666-part2
> > ata-WDC_WD3200AAJS-65M0A0_WD-WMAV22139666-part3
> > scsi-SATA_WDC_WD3200AAJS-_WD-WMAV22139666
> > scsi-SATA_WDC_WD3200AAJS-_WD-WMAV22139666-part1
> > scsi-SATA_WDC_WD3200AAJS-_WD-WMAV22139666-part2
> > scsi-SATA_WDC_WD3200AAJS-_WD-WMAV22139666-part3
> > usb-EPSON_Stylus_Storage_L34020702070700430-0:0
> > usb-Generic-_Compact_Flash_20060413092100000-0:0
> > usb-Generic-_MS_MS-Pro_20060413092100000-0:3
> > usb-Generic-_SD_MMC_20060413092100000-0:2
> > usb-Generic-_SM_xD-Picture_20060413092100000-0:1
> > usb-Seagate_FreeAgentDesktop_9QG672LH-0:0
> > usb-Seagate_FreeAgentDesktop_9QG672LH-0:0-part1
> >
> > The USB-Generic and USB-Seagate and USB-EPSON are all fine: I know 
> > what they refer to.  I don't know if the CD/DVD is referenced here 
> > because I can't tell the references for ata-WDC and scsi-SATA apart.  
> > One of them may refer to the USB- enclosure I had to put my last IDE 
> > HDD into in order to copy data from it onto my SATA drive, but I 
> > don't know for sure.
> >
> > I have exhausted all of my limited skills in trying to (a) understand 
> > what all of this is about and (b) how to fix it.  Please help!!
> >
> > Thanks in anticipation.
> >
> > AG
> A quick update on this:
>
> Usinmg Rhythmbox I can now access audio CDs although via devices.  No 
> other CD player touches it, except for VLC which then doesn't access 
> the cddb for track listings.  KsCD still correctly identifies the 
> tracks but cannot play anything, and still no DVD discs are playable.
>
> This is becoming a rapidly frustrating experience, so if anyone has 
> any suggestions on what this might be about, I'm up for hearing them.
>
> Many thanks
>
> AG
Further update:

The output of lshw -C disk is (truncated for relevance):

*-cdrom
      description: DVD-RAM writer
      physical id: 1
      bus info: scsi@1:0.0.0
      logical name: /dev/cdrom
      logical name: /dev/cdrw
      logical name: /dev/dvd
      logical name: /dev/dvdrw
      logical name: /dev/scd0
      logical name: /dev/sr0
      capabilities: audio cd-r cd-rw dvd dvd-r dvd-ram
      configuration: status=open

Is the open configuration status something that I should be concerned about?

ls -l /dev/dvd shows:
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 3 2009-06-14 19:13 /dev/dvd -> sr0

ls -l /dev/cdrom shows:
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 3 2009-06-14 19:13 /dev/cdrom -> sr0

ls -l /dev/sr0 shows:
brw-rwx---+ 1 root ag 11, 0 2009-06-14 19:13 /dev/sr0

I edited /etc/fstab to:

   /dev/sr0       /media/cdrom0   auto,iso9660 user,auto     0       0

Logged out and back in again.  Still no dice on reading CDs or the DVDs.

Any help ... please!!

Thanks

AG