Linux Could Use A New Maintainer For Its CD-ROM Code

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Linux Could Use A New Maintainer For Its CD-ROM Code

Current Linux block subsystem maintainer Jens Axboe started out in the late 90's taking over maintainership of the Linux kernel's CD-ROM driver code. However, as he's busy these days with IO_uring and other prominent I/O activities for Linux, he's hoping someone interested and capable would want to take over the Linux kernel's CD-ROM code...

https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Linux-New-CD-ROM-Maintainer

[doomie]

... When is the last time you've used a CD/DVD drive on Linux? ...

A couple of days ago I ripped some CDs I bought (still the best long-term durable way to buy music you deem worth it) and will likely do it again today. Before that I watched a DVD. Backing up classic games, or even just playing some that are not available online requires this stuff too. (Prey 2006? etc)
I'd probably even look into this if I were a proper dev and knew $%^& about kernel code. Streaming services piss me off in multiple ways (won't get started on copyright system) and most are run by people I won't give money to.

Perhaps a pertinent topic, does anyone know what is currently accepted as the most long-term durable way to store data? I've heard conflicting things about optical and flash, and I'm sure specific tech and products make a difference...

[titaniumtown]

I haven't used nor owned a CD/DVD drive in YEARS

[s_j_newbury]

I've heard conflicting things about optical and flash, and I'm sure specific tech and products make a difference...

Archive quality optical media should be fine long term. Random recordable CD/DVD probably not so much.

Flash retention is normally given as ~10 years, YMMV. Power cycling it every few years should help though.

[PluMGMK]

I have a machine running MythTV that I use to watch DVDs on a regular basis. For some reason MythTV sometimes freezes when trying to play a new disc, and the machine needs a reboot before it'll read it properly. No idea where the issue is (hardware / kernel / software)…

[uxmkt]

Archive quality optical media should be fine long term. Random recordable CD/DVD probably not so much.

Archival Disc? Sounds reeally niche. And its media cost is probably not worth the trouble. Serious people will just put it to tape, as they have always done - and the infrastructure already exists.

Secondly, if your storage farm is "big enough", storing a bunch of blurays on flash, nonwithstanding flash's failure rate, having just one storage type around means that your so-copied blurays benefit from the regular harddisk/flash replacement pace that your storage system already had to go through anyway.

[ssokolow]

When is the last time you've used a CD/DVD drive on Linux?

Yesterday.

I still have about ten 100-disc cakebox spindles of archival-grade JVC Taiyo Yuden DVD+Rs that I stockpiled back before the supply chain dried up and I use them for making backups (dvdisaster ECC-augmented) that don't require a horrendously expensive recovery service if the drive electronics or mechanics fail, and, even if that weren't the case, I just ripped a bunch of game resources for ScummVM yesterday.

In fact, I had to plug a couple of them into my airgapped Windows XP retro PC along with a USB stick, because Linux apparently lost the ability to read standard-noncompliant 512-byte sectored ISO9660 filesystems somewhere around v2.2 (and SHSUCDX from FreeDOS aped that limitation). (Yes, I reported it years ago.)

[caligula]

Archive quality optical media should be fine long term. Random recordable CD/DVD probably not so much.

Flash retention is normally given as ~10 years, YMMV. Power cycling it every few years should help though.

It's surprising how bad some old flash drives are. I found one old samsung evo 840 drive. Even after wiping the old stuff, sustained write speed is like 30-40 MB/s (sata3). Old usb2 keys might have a write speed of 0,5 - 2 MB/s. I wonder if they've gotten slower over time.

[sinepgib]

Perhaps a pertinent topic, does anyone know what is currently accepted as the most long-term durable way to store data? I've heard conflicting things about optical and flash, and I'm sure specific tech and products make a difference...

I can't tell if it's just tradition or based on technical merits, but I've seen places that still do critical backups on tape. But AFAIR that's just a matter of capacity per dollar, right? I'm not 100% it's even meant for long term, as those would be weekly backups and the like, so the oldest you're likely to use is a week old.

[schmidtbag]

How much maintenance is even necessary for this? I imagine there aren't really any open bugs or compatibility issues, so, what exactly is Jens having a hard time keeping up with? Regardless, it's still good to have a replacement now, while Jens is still available for help if necessary.

Perhaps a pertinent topic, does anyone know what is currently accepted as the most long-term durable way to store data? I've heard conflicting things about optical and flash, and I'm sure specific tech and products make a difference...

There aren't really any cheap options, though, flash memory seems to be a decent middle-ground for reliability and cost. Optical discs are better if you keep them in a dark place that doesn't face extreme temperatures.