LINUX & ATAPI CDROM

[Jim Philips]

Below is my reply to answer to Matthew Kirsch, author of the ATAPI FAQ.
I am using a Sony CDU55E CDROM on a Quantex computer with an Optimad
sound card. Jumpers are there, but I see no way to change the
settings--just bare pins. The controller is EIDE. My kernel version is
1.2.13. If anyone has any input on this, please let me hear from you.

>

> Q4: What options should I enable so I can use my new
>     <insert brand name/model here> ATAPI CDROM?
>
> A4: Here is an excerpt from the "make config" sequence:
>
> *
> * Please see drivers/block/README.ide for help/info on IDE drives
> *
>    Use old disk-only driver for primary i/f (CONFIG_BLK_DEV_HD) [n] n
>    Use new IDE driver for primary/secondary i/f (CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDE) [y] y
>    Include support for IDE/ATAPI CDROMs (CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDECD) [n] y
>
>     As you can see, you do NOT want to use the old disk-only driver, and you
>     DO want to use the new IDE driver and include support for ATAPI CDROMs.
>     Also, make sure you enable ISO9660 filesystem support (the standard
>     CDROM filesystem type).

Did all of these things, as always.


 Compile your kernel, and copy the compressed kernel,
>     vmlinuz, from /usr/src/linux/arch/i386/boot to / and do the same for
>     System.map.

This item is not found in this directory on my system. There is a
vmlinuz in the root directory, however.

>     Linux should have no problem recognizing the secondary interface, and your
>     bootup sequence should look something like this:
>
> hda: WDC AC1210F, 202MB w/64KB Cache, CHS=989/12/35, MaxMult=16
> hdb: Maxtor 7345 AT, 329MB w/64KB Cache, CHS=790/15/57, MaxMult=32
> hdc: FX400_02, ATAPI, CDROM drive
> ide1: secondary interface on irq 15
> ide0: primary interface on irq 14


I have never seen my cdrom recognized at boot time this way. I can force
it to happen on the "boot" disk that was created from Slackware, but it
is not there when I boot up from my kernel disk (I don't use LILO).


>
>     Once booted, you should now be able to insert your favorite Slackware
>     distribution CDROM and mount it by typing:
>
>         mount /dev/cdrom /mnt
>
>     Pretty simple, eh?

Unfortunately, no. LINUX reports that cdrom does not exist (the sym link
is there in /dev).

>
>     Note that in some cases you may have to add the following line to your
>     /etc/lilo.conf or to your loadlin script (whichever you use):
>
>         append="hdc=cdrom"    <--- for lilo.conf
>         hdc=cdrom             <--- from the lilo "boot:" prompt

Did this, with no noticeable difference.

>
> Q5: I've installed the drive as the only device on the secondary interface,
>     with the CDROM drive jumpered as SLAVE/SINGLE, and Linux won't
>     see it. What am I missing?
>
> A5: Well, quite a lot, to be frank. 99.99% of the ATAPI CDROM drives
>     are shipped jumpered as SLAVE or SINGLE, and this simply will
>     not work with Linux. By the IDE standard, a single
>     drive on an interface must be jumpered as MASTER. There isn't (or
>     shouldn't be) a specification for SINGLE in the IDE standard.
>     Change the jumper on the back of the CDROM drive to MASTER,
>     and follow the directions in Question 4, and you should be set to go.

No pins are jumpered on the back of my CDROM and no provision is made
for adding  a jumper. What do you do here?