k3b fights with automounter

pwabrahams · 05-28-2008, 03:10 PM

On my OpenSuSE system (though I've seen similar behavior in Kubuntu also) it seems that there's no good way to handle the mounting of a CD I want to write. I've tried both inserting the CD and then starting k3b, and also the other way around.

If I start k3b and then insert the CD, the automounter grabs it. But if I insert the CD first, k3b takes forever to find it and hangs up on its opening screen in the meantime. These are the messages I see when I start k3b from a command line. They seem to indicate a great deal of thrashing around:

Code:

pwa@suillus2:~> k3b &
[1] 9631
pwa@suillus2:~> (K3bDevice::HalConnection) initializing HAL >= 0.5
Mapping udi /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/storage_model_COMBO_SOHC_5232K to device /dev/sr1
Mapping udi /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/storage_model_DVDRW_LH_20A1P to device /dev/sr0
/dev/sr1 resolved to /dev/sr1
/dev/sr1 is block device (1)
/dev/sr1 seems to be cdrom
bus: 3, id: 1, lun: 0
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr1: init()
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr1 feature: CD Mastering
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr1 feature: CD Track At Once
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr1 feature: DVD+R
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr1 feature: DVD+RW
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr1 unknown profile: 2
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr1: dataLen: 60
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr1: checking for TAO
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr1: checking for SAO
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr1: checking for SAO_R96P
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr1: checking for SAO_R96R
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr1: checking for RAW_R16
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr1: checking for RAW_R96P
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr1: checking for RAW_R96R
(K3bDevice::ScsiCommand) failed:
                           command:    GET PERFORMANCE (ac)
                           errorcode:  70
                           sense key:  NOT READY (2)
                           asc:        3a
                           ascq:       0
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr1: GET PERFORMANCE length det failed.
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr1:  Number of supported write speeds via 2A: 1
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr1 : 9173 KB/s
(K3bDevice::DeviceManager) setting current write speed of device /dev/sr1 to 3324
/dev/sr0 resolved to /dev/sr0
/dev/sr0 is block device (0)
/dev/sr0 seems to be cdrom
bus: 3, id: 0, lun: 0
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0: init()
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0 feature: CD Mastering
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0 feature: CD Track At Once
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0 feature: CD-RW Media Write Support
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0 feature: DVD Read (MMC5)
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0 feature: DVD+R
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0 feature: DVD+RW
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0 feature: DVD+R Double Layer
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0 feature: DVD-R/-RW Write
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0 feature: Rigid Restricted Overwrite
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0 feature: Layer Jump Recording
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0 unknown profile: 2
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0: dataLen: 60
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0: checking for TAO
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0: checking for SAO
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0: checking for SAO_R96P
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0: checking for SAO_R96R
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0: checking for RAW_R16
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0: checking for RAW_R96P
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0: checking for RAW_R96R
(K3bDevice::DeviceManager) setting current write speed of device /dev/sr0 to 8467
Could not resolve /dev/hde
/dev/hde resolved to /dev/hde
(K3bDevice::Device) could not open device /dev/hde for reading
                    (No such file or directory)
could not open device /dev/hde (No such file or directory)
Could not resolve /dev/hdf
/dev/hdf resolved to /dev/hdf
(K3bDevice::Device) could not open device /dev/hdf for reading
                    (No such file or directory)
could not open device /dev/hdf (No such file or directory)
Could not resolve /dev/hdg
/dev/hdg resolved to /dev/hdg
(K3bDevice::Device) could not open device /dev/hdg for reading
                    (No such file or directory)
could not open device /dev/hdg (No such file or directory)
Could not resolve /dev/sr2
/dev/sr2 resolved to /dev/sr2
(K3bDevice::Device) could not open device /dev/sr2 for reading
                    (No such file or directory)
could not open device /dev/sr2 (No such file or directory)
/dev/sr0 resolved to /dev/sr0
(K3bDevice::DeviceManager) dev /dev/sr0 already found
/dev/sr1 resolved to /dev/sr1
(K3bDevice::DeviceManager) dev /dev/sr1 already found
(K3bDevice::DeviceManager) found config entry for devicetype: LITE-ON COMBO SOHC-5232K
(K3bDevice::DeviceManager) found config entry for devicetype: LITE-ON DVDRW LH-20A1P
Devices:
------------------------------
Blockdevice:    /dev/sr1
Generic device:
Vendor:         LITE-ON
Description:    COMBO SOHC-5232K
Version:        NK04
Write speed:    9173
Profiles:       DVD-ROM, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW
Read Cap:       DVD-ROM, DVD+RW, DVD+R, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW
Write Cap:      CD-R, CD-RW
Writing modes:  SAO, TAO, RAW, SAO/R96P, SAO/R96R, RAW/R16, RAW/R96P, RAW/R96R
Reader aliases: /dev/sr1
------------------------------
Blockdevice:    /dev/sr0
Generic device:
Vendor:         LITE-ON
Description:    DVDRW LH-20A1P
Version:        KL0N
Write speed:    3324
Profiles:       DVD-ROM, DVD-R Sequential, DVD-R Dual Layer Sequential, DVD-R Dual Layer Jump, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW Restricted Overwrite, DVD-RW Sequential, DVD+RW, DVD+R, DVD+R Dual Layer, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW
Read Cap:       DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-R Sequential, DVD-R Dual Layer, DVD-R Dual Layer Sequential, DVD-R Dual Layer Jump, DVD-RW, DVD-RW Restricted Overwrite, DVD-RW Sequential, DVD+RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW Dual Layer, DVD+R Dual Layer, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW
Write Cap:      DVD-R, DVD-R Sequential, DVD-R Dual Layer, DVD-R Dual Layer Sequential, DVD-R Dual Layer Jump, DVD-RW, DVD-RW Restricted Overwrite, DVD-RW Sequential, DVD+RW, DVD+R, DVD+R Dual Layer, CD-R, CD-RW
Writing modes:  SAO, TAO, RAW, SAO/R96P, SAO/R96R, RAW/R16, RAW/R96P, RAW/R96R, Restricted Overwrite, Layer Jump
Reader aliases: /dev/sr0
------------------------------
DiskInfo:
Mediatype:       CD-R
Current Profile: CD-R
Disk state:      empty
Empty:           1
Rewritable:      0
Appendable:      0
Sessions:        0
Tracks:          0
Layers:          1
Capacity:        79:57:74 (LBA 359849) (736970752 Bytes)
Remaining size:  79:57:74 (LBA 359849) (736970752 Bytes)
Used Size:       00:00:00 (LBA 0) (0 Bytes)
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0:  Number of supported write speeds via 2A: 5
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0 : 8467 KB/s
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0 : 7056 KB/s
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0 : 5645 KB/s
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0 : 4234 KB/s
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/sr0 : 2822 KB/s
(K3bDevice::DeviceManager) request for empty device!
(K3bDevice::DeviceManager) request for empty device!
(K3bDevice::DeviceManager) request for empty device!
(K3bDevice::HalConnection) lock queued for /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/storage_model_DVDRW_LH_20A1P
(K3bDevice::HalConnection) unlock queued for /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/storage_model_DVDRW_LH_20A1P
removing udi /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/volume_empty_cd_r

Is there any way to get my CDs written without it taking forever?

stress_junkie · 05-30-2008, 07:58 AM

Are you trying to rewrite a disk that already has something on it? The automounter won't mount a blank disk. In a case like that can't you just unmount the mounted CD/DVD?

What level of computing power does your computer have? If you are using a Pentium III with 64 MB RAM then maybe you just need a beefier machine. K3b, like most X software, does a lot of stuff without displaying messages in the GUI. Maybe that is what happens when the GUI appears to hang during startup.

The application messages included in your post look okay to me. I don't see any thrashing around. Each hardware item is dealt with one time. K3b is just identifying the hardware resources that you may ask it to use.

pwabrahams · 06-01-2008, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stress_junkie

Are you trying to rewrite a disk that already has something on it? The automounter won't mount a blank disk. In a case like that can't you just unmount the mounted CD/DVD?

Apparently the problem goes beyond k3b and maybe even beyond the CD/DVD drives (I have two, and they behave the same way). I tried to copy the contents of a CD to my desktop. The process started at a reasonable speed but then slowed down and ultimately took half an hour! I've also noticed slowdowns with other programs -- they start up fine and then gradually slow down. And the drives work fine under Windows.

Quote:

What level of computing power does your computer have? If you are using a Pentium III with 64 MB RAM then maybe you just need a beefier machine. K3b, like most X software, does a lot of stuff without displaying messages in the GUI. Maybe that is what happens when the GUI appears to hang during startup.

The computer is not likely to be underpowered. It's a 64-bit Pentium system, 3GHz, with 2GB of memory.

Quote:

The application messages included in your post look okay to me. I don't see any thrashing around. Each hardware item is dealt with one time. K3b is just identifying the hardware resources that you may ask it to use.

I'm beginning to suspect some problem with memory usage, even though top shows nothing obvious and there's plenty of physical memory. Thrashing is often the kind of behavior that gradually builds up. But how can I isolate and correct it?