[wellylug] Warning: Mandrake 9.2 and LG CD-ROM Drives

[Cameron Hart]

> The strange thing (to me), about the LG issue, is how a read can
> physically
> damage a CDROM. Normally the drive can only do what the firmware lets
> it, &
> having firware with built in self destruct capability is not normal
> practice
> :-)
> 

According to the Mandrake Webpage, A mandrake wont _physically_ damage
a LG drive per se, however it will make it unusable by overwriting its
firmware. Apparently LG have decided to go against ATAPI specification
and made the drive understand FLUSH_CACHE as though it were a 
UPLOAD_FIRMWARE command. 

The Mandrake kernel that comes with the 9.2 install issues this very
command and therefore the CD drive thinks it is going to get a firmware
update but as the Mandrake kernel does not send a updated firmware to
the CD drive, what this achieves is wiping the CD drives firmware.

In the end the result of installing Mandrake 9.2 on an affected CD drive
is an unusable CD drive.

This webpage details the problem as well as some affected models of CD
drives : http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en/lgerrata.php3

Cameron