System: Dell Precision 3620 with CentOS 7.5 + Mate desktop. Asus DVD writer. I am using k3b as my burning software.

I had the need to add another hard drive temporarily so, as I do not burn DVDs very often, I connected the DVD drive with a Vantec SATA/PATA to USB converter to an internal USB 2 port on an addon USB 2 card. Why I have that card is another story.

Yesterday I was about to burn my end-of-month data backup. I started k3b as normal and it recognized the drive. However, it would only present a 700 MB CD upon which to write data. I had a blank DVD in the drive. I connected an external USB DVD writer and k3b recognized it as a DVD and burned the disk correctly.

I have used the Vantec adapter to connect an old PATA DVD writer and burn DVDs successfully - I think with k3b although it has been quite a while. Any ideas?

TIA,

Ken

I have an internal Blu-Ray burner from LG.
This device is connected to a SATA port and works fine.

Thanks Keruskerfuerst,

My drive worked fine when hooked up by SATA. It is only when I connected it with the SATA to USB converter that the issue started. I just ordered a new hard drive so I can replace two with one and get my SATA port back. Still, it was very curious.

Ken

I can only guess that for whatever reason there is an error, bug or fault in the USB/SATA bridge.

what says lshw?

did you try brasero for example. do you experience the same with brasero or any well known burning software?



k3b from gentoo portage is broken for myself for several tasks. i switched to brasero and it works flawless. also less dependencies. I know at least 3 k3b related bugs which are still unsolved after more than 2 years. I would not recommend using k3b anymore. And i am quite certain these bugs are in other distros too. k3b is just a frontend for the command line burning tools anyway.

Thank you for the followup posts. It gets stranger... I needed to scan a document with my ancient Brother MFC240c multifunction machine. That is why I have the USB 2 card in the first place - it will not work with a USB 3 controller - even on a dedicated USB 2 port. It would not connect It would neither scan nor print. That functionality I need - jury rigged DVD drive I can do without for a little while.

I shut down the computer, unplugged the USB - SATA adapter and rebooted. The MFC works again

I plugged the USB - SATA adapter into one of the computer's build in USB ports and inserted a blank DVD. 4.4 GB available. I plugged the thing into the USB 2 card - still 4.4 GB. I rebooted the computer. Only 700 MB. This occurs with the built in USB or the USB 2 card. If I boot with it connected I only see 700 MB available - i.e. a CD.

I have put the USB - SATA adapter back in it's storage box and will hookup the DVD drive to a SATA port once I replace the two small hard drives with one larger one.

I do not know what is causing this but I do not think I will investigate any further. If I need to burn DVDs in the next few days I will plug the drive in after booting or use my external burner.

Thanks again,

Ken

USB to SATA/PATA conversion ICs can be flaky. Some of them are just impossible to use with Linux. Most of them have little quirks that aren't too serious. I have one that works with everything but XFS. Go figure! You just never can tell.