CD/DVD reader does'nt work properly on VAIO NS

[Iggy]

Hi I'm using Ubuntu 8.10 regulary updated on a Sony Vaio NS laptop.
I've got this problem:
If I put a CD/DVD (blank or not) in the CD reader and I boot Ubuntu I can use the CD or the DVD (as normal).
If the CD reader is empty and I boot Ubuntu it will ignore the CD/DVD reader all the session long, I can't read CDs or DVDs and I must restart my sistem with a CD in, to use them.
I can put an extract from the lshw command when the cdrom is recognized:
           *-cdrom
                description: DVD-RAM writer
                product: DVD-RW DVRTD08
                vendor: PIONEER
                physical id: 1
                bus info: scsi@1:0.0.0
                logical name: /dev/cdrom2
                logical name: /dev/cdrw2
                logical name: /dev/dvd2
                logical name: /dev/dvdrw2
                logical name: /dev/scd0
                logical name: /dev/sr0
                version: 1.00
                capabilities: removable audio cd-r cd-rw dvd dvd-r dvd-ram
                configuration: ansiversion=5 status=ready

I've also opened a thread on ubuntu forum with more information (lshw, lspci,lsmod with CD/DVD recognized and with CD/DVD non recognized), this is the link:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1031170
Thanks for the attention.

[Ben James (something-for-the-pain)]

Could you please add the full model number of the laptop you have and (if possible) the manufacturer and model of the CD/DVD drive you have - this information will help developers debug the problem.

Additionally, I am waiting for an NS series laptop to be delivered and am interested to note your experience with Ubuntu 8.10 on your laptop - my current Vaio lacks Fn key support, for example.

[Iggy (ribaluigi)]

First of all I want to say you the notebook is (and works) fine. The only thing that does not work is the internal microphone but I did not fight so much against. FN Keys are ok. There is a small bug about headphone: if you plug your headphone the speaker does not mute. You can solve this problem in one second using this:
open with gedit /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base and write this line:
options snd-hda-intel model=sony-assamd
With this everything goes allright.
Onestly I want to say to you that I've haven't tested the SD card reader 'cause I don't use them.
I've opened a topic on the Ubuntu forum at this link:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1031170
Could you reply on this topic, please?
Thanks for the attention.

[Iggy (ribaluigi)]

These are two discussion and a preliminary patch:

Thread:
http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux....90/focus=36819

Post with Patch:
http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.ide/36833

[Norbert Schultz (zaiib)]

Here the same problem on Sony Vaio NS11S/S in fresh installed Intrepid.

[ld (ld-dubois)]

Here same problem with a NS11E

[Spyros Kavvadias (thunk)]

I also confirm the problem, exists in jaunty alpha 6 too.

[Spyros Kavvadias (thunk)]

Made progress with the problem.

I upgraded a Hardy installation to Intrepid via network with a data cd on the drive and voila! The dvd drive works!

I don't really know how it happened, maybe someone more technically skilled than me can help me backtrace it?

[Iggy (ribaluigi)]

I'm now using Ubuntu Jaunty 9.04 with kernel 2.6.28.11 same problem but I've got a news when ubuntu starts I've got the error:
ata2.00 failed to set xfermode.
Hope this will be useful to solve this bug!
This is a link to a similar problem:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/299865

Thank so much for everithing!

[Tetsuotram (tetsuotram)]

hi, same problem here with Jaunty 9.04 on vaio NS11S. maybe is not important, but I notice that is not necessary a cd inside the drive: just close the cd/dvd drive at the right moment will work (the right moment is, in my system, when the countdown reaches the 0 on grub boot).

I would like to try thunk77's method (upgrade via network from 8.10 to 9.04 with cd inside the drive)... if I will try I'll report my experience!
thanks you all

[s0nic (godwin-caruana)]

I have the same issue on Jaunty 9.04 with the VAIO NS21Z. If a media is present in DVD bay and VAIO is powered up, DVD is visible otherwise no.

thanks!

[Andreas Olsson (andol)]

Confirming, based on multiple testimonials.

[LagartoFlojo (lagartoflojo)]

Same issue here on a Vaio VGN-FW290N, both on Ubuntu 8.10 and 9.04.

[Tetsuotram (tetsuotram)]

hi! I've tried thunk77's method (upgrade via network from 8.10 to 9.04 with cd inside the drive)... same problem...this is not a workaround.
I've also tried installation via usb pendrive (with a cd inside the drive), same problem...
thunk77's method doesn't work for me

[Tetsuotram (tetsuotram)]

maybe is not relevant, but i've tried also with other linux distro like Fedora 10 and Opensuse 11.1 , but same problem... it seems to me a kernel problem, not a distro one

[osiris_s (soringilmeanu)]

I have the same problem with my Vaio NS11S but i'm using Ubuntu 9.04 and the latest Kernel 2.6.28-13.

[Spyros Kavvadias (thunk)]

Problem is fixed for me with Ubuntu 10.04. Maybe we should mark this as solved?

[Tetsuotram (tetsuotram)]

problem is fixed for me also in Karmic and in every distribution with kernel version number bigger than 2.6.30
I think that we can mark as solved!

[Spyros Kavvadias (thunk)]

Marking as "Fix Released" since issue is resolved.