Re: usb connected hard drives and i/o errors.

["Aaron J. Grier" <agrier%poofygoof.com@localhost>]

On Sat, Aug 23, 2008 at 12:07:32PM -0700, Darren Reed wrote:

> I'm looking for recommendations...
> - are there USB SATA/IDE connectors that don't silently report errors?
> - is there something in NetBSD that is ignoring an error?
> - is there a "raw" mode to access hard drives connected via USB in
>  such a manner that errors are properly seen by the O/S and where
>  the adapter doesn't try to "cover up"?

the protocol translators in the USB adapters I have don't propagate
extended commands -- I expect that they don't propagate errors very
well either.

I have:

umass0 at uhub3 port 2 configuration 1 interface 0
umass0: Genesys Logic USB TO IDE, rev 2.00/0.33, addr 2
umass0: using SCSI over Bulk-Only
scsibus0 at umass0: 2 targets, 1 lun per target
sd0 at scsibus0 target 0 lun 0: <TOSHIBA, MK3018GAS, 0811> disk fixed
sd0: fabricating a geometry
sd0: 28615 MB, 28615 cyl, 64 head, 32 sec, 512 bytes/sect x 58605120 sectors

# scsictl sd0 defects 
/dev/rsd0d: Check Condition on CDB: 37 00 1d 00 00 00 00 ff ff 00
    SENSE KEY: Illegal Request
     ASC/ASCQ: Illegal Field in CDB
# scsictl sd0 getcache
/dev/rsd0d: Check Condition on CDB: 1a 00 08 00 1f 00
    SENSE KEY: Illegal Request
     ASC/ASCQ: Illegal Field in CDB

etc...  lovely, isn't it?  these are about the dumbest "SCSI" devices
ever.  I also see the same thing from my other IDE-USB adapter:

umass0: Cypress Semiconductor Cypress AT2LP RC42, rev 2.00/4.20, addr 2

isn't the SATA form factor the same between laptop and desktop drives?
can't you just hook your laptop drive straight to desktop SATA?

makes me wonder if any IDE-over-USB (or firewire) bridges actually
exist, or if they all present dumbed-down SCSI.  I haven't found any,
but would love to be shown otherwise.

-- 
  Aaron J. Grier | "Not your ordinary poofy goof." | 
agrier%poofygoof.com@localhost