[mythtv-users] Writing a dual layer DVD+R DL disk

[Brian Wood]

On Mar 4, 2007, at 8:27 PM, Mark Smith wrote:

> In message <88344F37-539F-49DA-8ADD-67FC9C829285 at beww.org>
>           Brian Wood <beww at beww.org> wrote:
>
>> If it's the only optical drive in a Linux box some mobos have
>> problems booting from a SATA device so you'd need a separate PATA  
>> DVD/
>> CD drive to boot and set up a system.
>
> Which is a problem for my Myth box, which is in a conumer  
> electronics style
> case with only room for one DVD/CD drive.
>
>> But that brings up a question, are you using SCSI emulation or
>> writing to the drive directly as an IDE device? SCSI emulation has
>> been around longer and is probably better debugged, and it can be
>> used with SATA or PATA devices. With a SATA drive you have no choice,
>> you have to use SCSI emulation, and that may be what solved Mark's
>> problems, not the fact that it was SATA.
>
> I'm writing to /dev/dvd, which links to /dev/hda so that's  
> presumably writing
> to the drive directly as an IDE device. I'm not sure how I'd use SCSI
> emulation on the device - any suggestions?
>
> It's the only PATA device on the system - the hard disk is SATA.

Lots of info on this available on the net, might start here:

http://www.linuxhelp.net/guides/idecdr/

Ultimately I think the  drive will show up as /dev/scda once you set  
it up.

But you should be able to get direct to IDE working, I've never had  
trouble with that using several different drives. Check all the  
suggestions that have been made here, especially checking for DMA.  
Also make sure you are using an 80-conductor cable not an old 40- 
conductor one, sometimes that makes a difference.

Also make sure you are using the connector at the end or the ribbon  
for the drive, not leaving a tail dangling. Use hdparm to see what's  
happening with the interface.

I'm still suspecting the media. Can you try burning one on a known to  
be working system? Even a (ugh) Windows one?