Using hdparm to enable diabled features of a hard drive

[JD]

  On 10/17/2010 02:49 PM, Bill Davidsen wrote:
> JD wrote:
>>     When I issued
>> sudo hdparm -I /dev/hdb I got, among other info,
>> a list of commands/features, most of which are enabled,
>> except for a few. To wit:
>>
>> Commands/features:
>>        Enabled    Supported:
>>           *    SMART feature set
>>                Security Mode feature set<<<<<<<
>>           *    Power Management feature set
>>           *    Write cache
>>           *    Look-ahead
>>           *    Host Protected Area feature set
>>           *    WRITE_BUFFER command
>>           *    READ_BUFFER command
>>           *    DOWNLOAD_MICROCODE
>>                SET_MAX security extension<<<<<<<<<<<<
>>           *    Automatic Acoustic Management feature set
>>           *    48-bit Address feature set
>>           *    Device Configuration Overlay feature set
>>           *    Mandatory FLUSH_CACHE
>>           *    FLUSH_CACHE_EXT
>>           *    SMART error logging
>>           *    SMART self-test
>>           *    General Purpose Logging feature set
>>           *    WRITE_{DMA|MULTIPLE}_FUA_EXT
>>           *    64-bit World wide name
>>                Write-Read-Verify feature set<<<<<<<<<<
>>           *    WRITE_UNCORRECTABLE_EXT command
>>           *    {READ,WRITE}_DMA_EXT_GPL commands
>>           *    Segmented DOWNLOAD_MICROCODE
>>           *    Gen1 signaling speed (1.5Gb/s)
>>           *    Gen2 signaling speed (3.0Gb/s)
>>           *    Native Command Queueing (NCQ)
>>           *    Phy event counters
>>                Device-initiated interface power management<<<<<<<<
>>           *    Software settings preservation
>>           *    SMART Command Transport (SCT) feature set
>>           *    SCT Long Sector Access (AC1)
>>           *    SCT LBA Segment Access (AC2)
>>           *    SCT Error Recovery Control (AC3)
>>           *    SCT Features Control (AC4)
>>           *    SCT Data Tables (AC5)
>>                unknown 206[12] (vendor specific)
>>
>> So, my questions are:
>>
>> a.  how can I use hdparm to enable write/read verify? That's what I am
>> interested in.
>>         Man page does not mention this.
> I don't think hdparm is the tool to install new firmware with more features.
> There are FOSS programs to install new versions, and usually the vendor has an
> install for Windows to upgrade.
>
Well, write/read verify is reported by hdparm
as an available feature of the drive's firmware,
but it is disabled by default.
The lines above narked by <<<<<< on the right side
are the firmware features available, but disabled.
That's why I am trying to see if hdparm can turn
it on - but man page says nothing about how to enable it.
>> b. What is the effect of enabling "SET_MAX security extension", i.e.:
>>         hdparm --security-mode m  /dev/hdb
>>         What does it buy me?
>>
>>
>