Bug 7610

Summary: sense key error when sending even number of bytes to /dev/st0
Product: Other Reporter: Rachel Beil (bergenia)
Component: ModulesAssignee: other_modules
Status: REJECTED UNREPRODUCIBLE    
Severity: normal CC: protasnb
Priority: P2    
Hardware: i386   
OS: Linux   
Kernel Version: 2.6.19 Subsystem:
Regression: --- Bisected commit-id:

Description Rachel Beil 2006-12-01 08:37:28 UTC
Most recent kernel where this bug did *NOT* occur: unknown
Distribution: Debian, but using kernel from kernel.org
Hardware Environment: Dell Poweredge 2800 Xeon, Quantum DLT VS160 tape drive, 
scsi1 : Adaptec AIC7XXX EISA/VLB/PCI SCSI HBA DRIVER, Rev 7.0
        <Adaptec 3960D Ultra160 SCSI adapter>
        aic7899: Ultra160 Wide Channel B, SCSI Id=7, 32/253 SCBs
Software Environment: 
Gnu C                  3.3.5
Gnu make               3.80
binutils               2.15
util-linux             2.12p
mount                  2.12p
module-init-tools      3.2.2
e2fsprogs              1.37
nfs-utils              1.0.6
Linux C Library        2.3.6
Dynamic linker (ldd)   2.3.6
Procps                 3.2.1
Net-tools              1.60
Console-tools          0.2.3
Sh-utils               5.2.1
udev                   088
Modules Loaded         st parport_pc parport

Problem Description: 
When sending an even number of bytes to /dev/st0, I get the following error in
/var/log/kernel:

Nov 30 16:13:47 mugsy kernel: st0: Current: sense key: Illegal Request
Nov 30 16:13:47 mugsy kernel:     Additional sense: Invalid field in cdb

Steps to reproduce:
this will write to the tape:

echo "A" > /dev/st0
echo "ABC" > /dev/st0

this will not write to the tape and will produce the kernel error:

echo "AB" > /dev/st0
echo "ABCD" > /dev/st0
Comment 1 Rachel Beil 2006-12-01 11:23:35 UTC
I got my odds/evens mixed up because I wasn't thinking about the newline that
echo would add. So it's odd bytes that give the error.

Also, when I send a large amount of bytes to the drive (for example 25,000),
then it doesn't matter if it's an odd number or even number, it will write
successfully.

Comment 2 Andrew Morton 2006-12-02 10:13:40 UTC
(Originator and bugzilla added to cc)

On Sat, 2 Dec 2006 17:27:20 +0200 (EET)
Kai Makisara <Kai.Makisara@kolumbus.fi> wrote:

> On Fri, 1 Dec 2006, Andrew Morton wrote:
> 
> > 
> > 
> > Begin forwarded message:
> > 
> > Date: Fri, 1 Dec 2006 08:40:16 -0800
> > From: bugme-daemon@bugzilla.kernel.org
> > To: bugme-new@lists.osdl.org
> > Subject: [Bugme-new] [Bug 7610] New: sense key error when sending even number of bytes to /dev/st0
> > 
> > 
> > http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=7610
> > 
> >            Summary: sense key error when sending even number of bytes to
> >                     /dev/st0
> >     Kernel Version: 2.6.19
> >             Status: NEW
> >           Severity: normal
> >              Owner: other_modules@kernel-bugs.osdl.org
> >          Submitter: bergenia@pair.com
> > 
> > 
> > Most recent kernel where this bug did *NOT* occur: unknown
> > Distribution: Debian, but using kernel from kernel.org
> > Hardware Environment: Dell Poweredge 2800 Xeon, Quantum DLT VS160 tape drive, 
> > scsi1 : Adaptec AIC7XXX EISA/VLB/PCI SCSI HBA DRIVER, Rev 7.0
> >         <Adaptec 3960D Ultra160 SCSI adapter>
> >         aic7899: Ultra160 Wide Channel B, SCSI Id=7, 32/253 SCBs
> > Software Environment: 
> > Gnu C                  3.3.5
> > Gnu make               3.80
> > binutils               2.15
> > util-linux             2.12p
> > mount                  2.12p
> > module-init-tools      3.2.2
> > e2fsprogs              1.37
> > nfs-utils              1.0.6
> > Linux C Library        2.3.6
> > Dynamic linker (ldd)   2.3.6
> > Procps                 3.2.1
> > Net-tools              1.60
> > Console-tools          0.2.3
> > Sh-utils               5.2.1
> > udev                   088
> > Modules Loaded         st parport_pc parport
> > 
> > Problem Description: 
> > When sending an even number of bytes to /dev/st0, I get the following error in
> > /var/log/kernel:
> > 
> > Nov 30 16:13:47 mugsy kernel: st0: Current: sense key: Illegal Request
> > Nov 30 16:13:47 mugsy kernel:     Additional sense: Invalid field in cdb
> > 
> > Steps to reproduce:
> > this will write to the tape:
> > 
> > echo "A" > /dev/st0
> > echo "ABC" > /dev/st0
> > 
> > this will not write to the tape and will produce the kernel error:
> > 
> > echo "AB" > /dev/st0
> > echo "ABCD" > /dev/st0
> > 
> I think this is not a bug but a user error.
> 
> Firstly, the report should say that writing odd number of bytes does not 
> work (echo adds newline to the data).
> 
> The reason for the problem is probably that the drive in question does not 
> support writing blocks with odd number of bytes. I just tested the echo 
> commands with my drive and all echos succeeded (kernel 2.6.19).
> 
> -- 
> Kai

Comment 3 Natalie Protasevich 2007-07-31 00:43:30 UTC
Rachel, have you done more testing with the tape drive? Does current kernel work for you?
Thanks.
Comment 4 Natalie Protasevich 2008-04-08 00:59:56 UTC
Closing this bug for no recent activity.
Please reopen if confirmed with latest kernel.