dvdrw on VAIO: "mount: /dev/hdb is not a valid block device"

Haystack · 01-03-2007, 01:49 PM

On my VAIO laptop I installed ubuntu. (note: I used a cdrom to install it).
My laptop has a pioneer dvd/rw device, but for some reason, ubuntu doesn't recognize it.

When I went to the system folder it looks like this:

http://o.foto.radikal.ru/0701/c25e9344c925.jpg

but when I double clicked on this CDROM icon, the following appeared:

http://o.foto.radikal.ru/0701/c158e9ada85d.png
"mount: special device /dev/hdb does not exist"

And indeed; /dev/hdb did not exist.

After running

Code:

$sudo mknod -m 0660 /dev/hdb b 3 64
$sudo ln -s /dev/hdb /dev/cdrom
$sudo ln -s /dev/hdb /dev/cdrom0

the message has changed:

http://k.foto.radikal.ru/0701/64a50a98ace6.png
"mount: /dev/hdb is not a valid block device"

I opened my laptop to check everything was alright;
i found this connector:
http://o.foto.radikal.ru/0701/79a87a129e4d.jpg

That isn't general IDE isn't it?

some commands you might like to read:

Code:

$eject /dev/hdb
eject: unable to open `/dev/hdb'

Code:

#cat /etc/fstab

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
#
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
# /dev/hda3
UUID=f820fe85-bdc0-4a55-9554-a8f0b3466f81 / ext3 defaults,errors=remount-ro 0 1
# /dev/hda6
UUID=97a9a5be-5d25-445f-8e95-e00d31b020ab none swap sw 0 0
/dev/hdb /media/cdrom0 udf,iso9660 user,noauto 0 0
/dev/hda1 /windows/c ntfs umask=000 0 0
/dev/hda5 /data vfat umask=000 0 0

Code:

$ sudo cdrdao scanbus
Cdrdao version 1.2.1 - (C) Andreas Mueller
SCSI interface library - (C) Joerg Schilling
Paranoia DAE library - (C) Monty

Check http://cdrdao.sourceforge.net/drives.html#dt for current driver tables.

Using libscg version 'ubuntu-0.8ubuntu1'

Code:

$ sudo hdparm /dev/cdrom
/dev/cdrom: No such device or address

Code:

$ sudo cat /proc/sys/dev/cdrom/info
CD-ROM information, Id: cdrom.c 3.20 2003/12/17

drive name:
drive speed:
drive # of slots:
Can close tray:
Can open tray:
Can lock tray:
Can change speed:
Can select disk:
Can read multisession:
Can read MCN:
Reports media changed:
Can play audio:
Can write CD-R:
Can write CD-RW:
Can read DVD:
Can write DVD-R:
Can write DVD-RAM:
Can read MRW:
Can write MRW:
Can write RAM:

Code:

$ sudo dmesg | grep -i -e "hdb" -e "cdrom"
ide0: BM-DMA at 0x1810-0x1817, BIOS settings: hda:DMA, hdb:DMA

Does anyone have any clue how I'll be able to acces my cdrom again?

kilgoretrout · 01-03-2007, 03:06 PM

Reboot and immediately run:

$ dmesg | grep hdb

The dmesg command will give you the kernel messages generated during the boot process an the grep part will isolate anything referring to hdb. It might give you some clue as to what is going on. You can check the whole dmesg output for anything that seems off is you are used to looking at it or save the output to a file for later review with:

$ dmesg > dmesg.txt

Haystack · 01-03-2007, 03:20 PM

Thanks for your reply.

Code:

$ dmesg | grep hdb
ide0: BM-DMA at 0x1810-0x1817, BIOS settings: hda:DMA, hdb:DMA

That's all...

I expected something like
hdb: PIONEER blabla type DVD/RW

or something like that...

I double checked kernel modules 'isofs' 'ide_cd' and 'cdrom' are loaded btw.

carl0ski · 01-03-2007, 03:49 PM

The IDE connector is correct
its just a modification common in laptops to save space and make it easier to slip Cd and Floppy drives in and out.

are you able to type the full mount command?

mount -t iso9660 /dev/hdb /mnt/cdrom

Gentoo? did you enable block devices or similar Kernel function in the Kernel at all? or it the genkernel

kilgoretrout · 01-03-2007, 10:16 PM

Good catch on the "Gentoo". It could very well be a kernel compile issue. IIRC for a cdrom you have to have the ide_cd and cdrom modules loaded or compiled into the kernel directly. If you forgot to compile these, either as modules or directly into the kernel, that might cause your problem. You can check to see if these modules are loaded with:

# lsmod

Haystack · 01-03-2007, 10:49 PM

Thanks for the replies.

Code:

#mount -t iso9660 /dev/hdb /mnt/cdrom
mount: /dev/hdb is not a valid block device

Quote:

Originally Posted by carl0ski

Gentoo?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haystack

On my VAIO laptop I installed ubuntu

Quote:

Originally Posted by kilgoretrout

IIRC for a cdrom you have to have the ide_cd and cdrom modules loaded or compiled into the kernel directly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haystack

I double checked kernel modules 'isofs' 'ide_cd' and 'cdrom' are loaded btw.

I'm Sorry if I wasn't clear enough...

Haystack · 01-04-2007, 09:07 AM

just for those who didnt believe, or those who can do something with it, the output of lsmod:

Code:

loop 17672 0
isofs 38076 0
udf 89348 0
binfmt_misc 13448 1
rfcomm 42260 0
l2cap 27136 5 rfcomm
bluetooth 53476 4 rfcomm,l2cap
sonypi 24252 0
i915 21632 4
drm 74644 5 i915
speedstep_centrino 9760 1
cpufreq_userspace 5408 0
cpufreq_stats 7744 0
freq_table 6048 2 speedstep_centrino,cpufreq_stats
cpufreq_powersave 2944 0
cpufreq_ondemand 8876 1
cpufreq_conservative 8712 0
video 17540 0
tc1100_wmi 8324 0
sbs 16804 0
sony_acpi 6412 0
pcc_acpi 14080 0
i2c_ec 6272 1 sbs
i2c_core 23424 1 i2c_ec
hotkey 11556 0
dev_acpi 12292 0
button 7952 0
battery 11652 0
container 5632 0
ac 6788 0
asus_acpi 17688 0
nls_iso8859_1 5248 1
vfat 14720 1
fat 56348 1 vfat
nls_cp437 6912 2
ntfs 112116 0
sbp2 24584 0
scsi_mod 144648 1 sbp2
parport_pc 37796 0
lp 12964 0
arc4 3200 2
parport 39496 2 parport_pc,lp
ieee80211_crypt_wep 6528 1
ipv6 272288 10
af_packet 24584 4
ide_cd 38532 0
cdrom 36508 1 ide_cd
ipw2200 115652 0
snd_hda_intel 20116 0
snd_hda_codec 164608 1 snd_hda_intel
joydev 11200 0
tsdev 9152 0
ieee80211 35272 1 ipw2200
ieee80211_crypt 7552 2 ieee80211_crypt_wep,ieee80211
pcmcia 40380 0
e100 38020 0
mii 6912 1 e100
snd_pcm_oss 47360 0
snd_mixer_oss 19584 1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm 84612 3 snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_pcm_oss
snd_timer 25348 1 snd_pcm
snd 58372 6 snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_timer
soundcore 11232 1 snd
snd_page_alloc 11400 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
psmouse 41352 0
evdev 11392 2
yenta_socket 28812 1
rsrc_nonstatic 15360 1 yenta_socket
pcmcia_core 43924 3 pcmcia,yenta_socket,rsrc_nonstatic
serio_raw 8452 0
intel_agp 26012 1
agpgart 34888 3 drm,intel_agp
usbhid 45152 0
ext3 142728 1
jbd 62228 1 ext3
ohci1394 37040 0
ieee1394 306104 2 sbp2,ohci1394
ehci_hcd 34696 0
uhci_hcd 24968 0
usbcore 134912 4 usbhid,ehci_hcd,uhci_hcd
ide_generic 2432 0
ide_disk 18560 4
piix 11780 1
generic 6276 0
thermal 15624 0
processor 31560 2 speedstep_centrino,thermal
fan 6020 0
fbcon 41504 0
tileblit 3840 1 fbcon
font 9344 1 fbcon
bitblit 7168 1 fbcon
softcursor 3328 1 bitblit
vesafb 9244 0
capability 5896 0
commoncap 8704 1 capability

kilgoretrout · 01-04-2007, 10:47 AM

Have you run into this problem with any other linux distro or livecd on your sony vaio?

The reason I ask is that I had an old sony vaio that had similar problems with the cdrom. On mine, I couldn't get install programs to go on some distros without using some "cheat codes" boot parameters. I got rid of the thing ages ago but it was a well known issue with sony laptops back then(PII 400MHz, 128MB of ram). However, on that one, the cdrom was removable and connected via the pcmcia slot; it was a real piece of junk and nothing but problems.

Sony has a habit of using non-standard proprietary hardware in their laptops. I have questions about that ide interface on the cdrom. If you are having the same type of problem with any other distros/livecds, I would guess it is a problem with sony's proprietary hardware.

Haystack · 01-04-2007, 12:22 PM

Well, I'm downloading a Knoppix-DVD right now... we'll see

If it is a problem on other distro's too, shouldn't I fill in a bug report to the kernel devs or something? I mean, there are a lot of VAIO's out there. someone has to do something.

*especially since the new James Bond movie hit the cinema I presume

*

Haystack · 01-04-2007, 02:34 PM

The text on the dvdrw drive includes the following, by the way:

Quote:

CODE DVR-K15VA mfd. april 2005
ser.no. EDDL084429WL
DVD-R/RW writer unit
Pioneer corporation
Made in China E99677

and a bunch of logos. I made a picture of it:
http://o.foto.radikal.ru/0701/a18bc811a00e.jpg

carl0ski · 01-04-2007, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haystack

Thanks for the replies.

Code:

#mount -t iso9660 /dev/hdb /mnt/cdrom
mount: /dev/hdb is not a valid block device

I'm Sorry if I wasn't clear enough...

not exactly polite about it are you?

Gentoo is listed as your distro

Haystack · 01-04-2007, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carl0ski

not exactly polite about it are you?

Gentoo is listed as your distro

I was in no way trying to be rude. Just apologizing. I know gentoo is listed as my distro, because gentoo is my main distro. Now I installed ubuntu.

I'll change it. Sorry. (not meant rude

)

Haystack · 01-04-2007, 04:07 PM

I think this is part of the problem.

I'll let you know when updating the kernel helps.

Haystack · 01-06-2007, 02:33 PM

Whoo!

I upgraded to Feisty Fawn, (has a 2.6.19 kernel) and everything works perfect!

Thanks anyone.