Fw: [Sussex] Problem writing image to CD

Tue Oct 11 21:10:52 UTC 2005

On Tue, 2005-10-11 at 21:21 +0100, Brendan Whelan wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I still haven't managed to be able to write a CD from a cron job - it is
> still the same pattern i.e. the LED flashes for about 20 minutes and then
> goes on steady. The image file is only 76Mb and the writing process works
> fine when run through a terminal window.
> 
> I have checked the following:
> /etc/acpi/actions/ is empty
> /etc/acpi/events/ just contains sample.conf  so, presumably, there are no
> power saving settings.
> 
> dmesg log contains:
> Probing IDE interface ide0...
> hda: TSSTcorpCD-RW/DVD-ROM TSL462C, ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive
> 
> messages log
> Oct 11 20:11:19 localhost kernel: hda: TSSTcorpCD-RW/DVD-ROM TSL462C, ATAPI
> CD/DVD-ROM drive
> 
> I was wondering whether the particular combo model was part of the problem.
> It is a Toshiba Samsung TS-L462 and some users have reported odd problems.
> 
> Any suggestions?
> 

I can't really help you much more Brendan. I'm stumped.

Steve Williams.

> Regards, Brendan
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Brendan Whelan" <b_whelan at mistral.co.uk>
> To: "LUG email list for the Sussex Counties" <sussex at mailman.lug.org.uk>
> Sent: Monday, October 10, 2005 1:11 PM
> Subject: Re: Fw: [Sussex] Problem writing image to CD
> 
> 
> > Steve,
> >
> > Thanks for the responses. I had a look and there are no options in the
> BIOS
> > for setting timeouts.
> > I increased the writing speed from 4x to 10x but the pattern was still the
> > same i.e. the led on the drive flashed for several minutes and then came
> on
> > steady.
> > I will reboot and try to write to a CDR at 24x.
> > I still find it bizarre that the script to burn the CD works fine from a
> > terminal window, under Root, but when run on the cron queue, using the
> > default (presumably Root) user, I can only write very small images!
> >
> > Any information on apm or acpi settings or any other suggestions will be
> > much appreciated.
> >
> > Regards,  Brendan
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Stephen Williams" <sdp.williams at btinternet.com>
> > To: "LUG email list for the Sussex Counties" <sussex at mailman.lug.org.uk>
> > Sent: Sunday, October 09, 2005 9:52 PM
> > Subject: Re: Fw: [Sussex] Problem writing image to CD
> >
> >
> > > On Sun, 2005-10-09 at 20:30 +0100, Brendan Whelan wrote:
> > > > Hi,
> > > >
> > > > I have looked up the spec for the CDRW combo drive - Toshiba Samsung
> > claim
> > > > 24x when writing to a CDR and 10x when writing to a CDRW.
> > > > So I could take my writing speed up from 4x to 10x.
> > > >
> > > > Brendan
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: "Brendan Whelan" <b_whelan at mistral.co.uk>
> > > > To: <sdp.williams at btinternet.com>; "LUG email list for the Sussex
> > Counties"
> > > > <sussex at mailman.lug.org.uk>
> > > > Sent: Sunday, October 09, 2005 3:55 PM
> > > > Subject: Re: [Sussex] Problem writing image to CD
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > Thanks for the responses.
> > > > >
> > > > > I don't have the system powered up at the moment.
> > > > > I had wondered about some sort of time out problem -where can I find
> > the
> > > > > settings for apm or acpi?
> > > > > I am only recording at x4 on a modern 3GHz system - is there a way
> of
> > > > > finding out the maximum speed at which I can record?
> > > > >
> > >
> > > I'd look in the BIOS first - there may be an option to power down the
> > > drives in BIOS Power Management. Beyond that I'd suggest you talk to
> > > Steve Dobson for advice on linux apm and acpi.
> > >
> > > I find some CD-RW drives only write at lower speeds than the drive spec
> > > and disk spec would suggest. I'm not sure why this is.
> > >
> > > Steve W.
> > >
> > >
> > > > > Thanks,  Brendan
> > > > > > down
> > > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > > From: "Stephen Williams" <sdp.williams at btinternet.com>
> > > > > To: "LUG email list for the Sussex Counties"
> > <sussex at mailman.lug.org.uk>
> > > > > Sent: Sunday, October 09, 2005 12:50 PM
> > > > > Subject: Re: [Sussex] Problem writing image to CD
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > > On Fri, 2005-10-07 at 21:28 +0100, Brendan Whelan wrote:
> > > > > > > Hello,
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I have created a backup shell script which exports a database,
> > gathers
> > > > > > > files, creates a CD image file and then writes it to a CD.
> > > > > > > The shell script is then scheduled to run during the night.
> There
> > are
> > > > > > > a pair of, logically identical, systems one a Dell tower and the
> > other
> > > > > > > a Dell rack mountable servers. (Fedora Core 3 is used on both
> > > > > > > systems.) The shell script works perfectly on the tower system
> but
> > on
> > > > > > > the rack mounted machine the CD writing fails. The image to be
> > copied
> > > > > > > is only about 360Mb, I have used different manufacturers CDs but
> > the
> > > > > > > problem persists. I changed the CD drive but the problem
> persists.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I have taken an image copy of the offending system and placed it
> > my
> > > > > > > test system with the same type of CD writer which is in the rack
> > > > > > > mountable system.
> > > > > > > To simplify the problem I created a shell script which just
> > > > > > > contains the line which writes to the CD.  When I run the script
> > in a
> > > > > > > terminal window it works. When I run it as a cron job it fails.
> > The
> > > > > > > led on the CD writer flashes for a number of minutes and then
> goes
> > on.
> > > > > > > The CD cannot be unmounted and the only way to extract the CD is
> > to
> > > > > > > either power the system down and back up or to use a paper clip
> to
> > > > > > > release the CD drawer. (As an aside small image files can be
> > written
> > > > > > > to the CD using a cron job.)
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Any suggestions as to what might be causing the problem or how I
> > could
> > > > > > > find out more information.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > My suspicions centre around power saving. Is apm or acpi set to
> > power
> > > > > > down the CD-RW in the rackmount box and not in the tower box for
> > > > > > example.  Perhaps the user account under which the cron job is run
> > needs
> > > > > > sufficient authority to be able to prevent power down signals from
> > > > > > affecting the CD-RW when a job is in progress? Might be something
> > worth
> > > > > > investigating.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Steve W.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Thanks, Brendan
> > > > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > > > Sussex mailing list
> > > > > > > Sussex at mailman.lug.org.uk
> > > > > > > Sussex LUG Website: http://www.sussex.lug.org.uk/
> > > > > > > http://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/sussex
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > > Sussex mailing list
> > > > > > Sussex at mailman.lug.org.uk
> > > > > > Sussex LUG Website: http://www.sussex.lug.org.uk/
> > > > > > http://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/sussex
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > Sussex mailing list
> > > > > Sussex at mailman.lug.org.uk
> > > > > Sussex LUG Website: http://www.sussex.lug.org.uk/
> > > > > http://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/sussex
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > Sussex mailing list
> > > > Sussex at mailman.lug.org.uk
> > > > Sussex LUG Website: http://www.sussex.lug.org.uk/
> > > > http://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/sussex
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Sussex mailing list
> > > Sussex at mailman.lug.org.uk
> > > Sussex LUG Website: http://www.sussex.lug.org.uk/
> > > http://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/sussex
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Sussex mailing list
> > Sussex at mailman.lug.org.uk
> > Sussex LUG Website: http://www.sussex.lug.org.uk/
> > http://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/sussex
> >
> >
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Sussex mailing list
> Sussex at mailman.lug.org.uk
> Sussex LUG Website: http://www.sussex.lug.org.uk/
> http://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/sussex