# "error issuing ATA PACKET command"



## jaymax (Sep 29, 2015)

I have just done a clean install on a new disk 
`uname -a`

```
FreeBSD MACH1 10.2-RELEASE FreeBSD 10.2-RELEASE #0 r286666: Wed Aug 12 19:31:38 UTC 2015  root@releng1.nyi.freebsd.org:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/GENERIC  i386
```

and I am now getting error messages ==>

```
ATA1: error issuing ATA PACKET command
```

I had seen these before on the older disk, which I thought was failing!
That was running 10.2-Beta

From the dmesg

```
root@MACH1:/ # dmesg | grep -in ata1
41:atapci0: <SiI 3114 SATA150 controller> port 0xa400-0xa407,0xa800-0xa803,0xac00-0xac07,0xb000-0xb003,0xb400-0xb40f mem 0xe6000000-0xe60003ff irq 5 at device 10.0 on pci0
58:ata1: <ATA channel> at channel 1 on atapci2
118:cd0 at ata1 bus 0 scbus7 target 0 lun 0
123:cd1 at ata1 bus 0 scbus7 target 1 lun 0
135:ata1: error issuing ATA PACKET command
```

Line 135 repeats ad infinitum

What is the cause and remedy for this?

Thanks!


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## Wozzeck (Sep 29, 2015)

It could be a specific problem related to 10.2 build (not 10.1) which raises compatibility issues with some SCSI/ATA controler. I have also some weird problems with some storage devices try this :

add to the file /boot/loader.conf the following line, reboot and give us a feedback


```
vfs.unmapped_buf_allowed=0
```

This is not a solution, only a workaround waiting for further kernel correction.

I have also noticed a critical issue with the packages devel/gvfs, devel/gnome-gvfs on another computer when I decided to activate the geom journaling system gJournal. System hangs at undefined moment with infinite gvfs error messages, I must shut off with the button. I don't know if this could be linked to the same problem. So for moment I would advise you not to switch to gjournal, use UFS2 with softupdate + journal or use ZFS.

Unfortunately theses two ports are mandatory for Gnome desktop, and some other applications coming from Gnome desktop.


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## jaymax (Oct 1, 2015)

Wozzeck said:


> It could be a specific problem related to 10.2 build (not 10.1) which raises compatibility issues with some SCSI/ATA controler. I have also some weird problems with some storage devices try this :
> 
> add to the file /boot/loader.conf the following line, reboot and give us a feedback
> 
> ...



It probably worked, I don't know - as after rebooting a new issue popped up =>

```
gptboot: invalid backup GPT header
```
I have to work on that next.

Somewhat bizarre: fresh install (OK) => Boot (OK) => Reboot (loader.conf problem) then GPT Header issue. Usually indicative of the disk been previously partitioned with GPT, then re-partitioned to MBR with MBR metadata fragments of GPT table at the end of the disk. Well, there was no MBR on this disk, it was a new disk - except for GPT formatting as an external USB disk and the protected PMBR insertion with the bootcode. However, before the re-install I did perform a `gpart delete` of all partitions. [???]

I'll just do a zeroing of the disk with a `dd if=/dev/null ..` reinstall and hope for the best.
Hopefully I can do this from a life file system (LFS).


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