SG_GET_CONFIG(8) SG3_UTILS SG_GET_CONFIG(8)
NAME
sg_get_config - sends a SCSI GET CONFIGURATION command
SYNOPSIS
sg_get_config [--brief] [--current] [--help] [--hex] [--inner-hex] [--list] [--raw] [--rt=RT] [--starting=FC] [--verbose] [--version]
DEVICE
DESCRIPTION
Sends a SCSI GET CONFIGURATION command to DEVICE and decodes the response. The response includes the features and profiles of the device.
Typically these devices are CD, DVD, HD-DVD and BD players that may (but not necessarily) have media in them. These devices may well be
connected via ATAPI, USB or IEEE 1394 transports. In such cases they are "SCSI" devices only in the sense that they use the "Multi-Media
command" set (MMC). MMC is a specialized SCSI command set whose definition can be found at http://www.t10.org .
This utility is based on the MMC-4 and MMC-5 draft standards. See section 5 on "Features and Profile for Multi_Media devices" for more
information on specific feature parameters and profiles. The manufacturer's product manual may also be useful.
Since modern DVD and BD writers support many features and profiles, the decoded output from this utility can be large. There are various
ways to cut down the output. If the --brief option is used only the feature names are shown and the feature parameters are not decoded.
Alternatively if only one feature is of interest then this combination of options is appropriate: "--rt=2 --starting=FC". Another possibil-
ity is to show only the features that are relevant to the media in the drive (i.e. "current") with the "--rt=1" option.
OPTIONS
Arguments to long options are mandatory for short options as well.
-b, --brief
show the feature names but don't decode the parameters of those features. When used with --list outputs known feature names but not
known profile names.
-c, --current
output features marked as current. This option is equivalent to '--rt=1'.
-h, --help
output the usage message then exit.
-H, --hex
output the response in hex (don't decode response).
-i, --inner-hex
decode to the feature name level then output each feature's data in hex.
-l, --list
list all known feature and profile names. Ignore the device name (if given). Simply lists the feature names and profiles (followed
by their hex values) that this utility knows about. If --brief is also given then only feature names are listed.
-r, --rt=RT
where RT is the field of that name in the GET CONFIGURATION cdb. Allowable values are 0, 1, 2, or 3 . The command's action also
depends on the value given to the --starting=FC option. The default value is 0. When RT is 0 then all features, regardless of cur-
rency, are returned (whose feature code is greater than or equal to FC given to --starting=). When RT is 1 then all current features
are returned (whose feature code is greater than or equal to FC). When RT is 2 then the feature whose feature code is equal to FC,
if any, is returned. When RT is 3 the response is reserved (probably yields an "illegal field in cdb" error). To simplify the mean-
ings of the RT values are:
0 : all features, current on not
1 : only current features
2 : only feature whose code is FC
3 : reserved
-R, --raw
output response in binary (to stdout). Note that the short form is -R unlike most other utilities in this package that use -r for
this action.
-s, --starting=FC
where FC is the feature code value. This option works closely with the --rt=RT option. The FC value is in the range 0 to 65535
(0xffff) inclusive. Its default value is 0. A value prefixed with "0x" (or a trailing 'h') is interpreted as hexadecimal.
-v, --verbose
increase the level of verbosity, (i.e. debug output).
-V, --version
print the version string and then exit.
NOTES
There are multiple versions of the MMC (draft) standards: MMC [1997], MMC-2 [2000], MMC-3 [2002], MMC-4 and MMC-5. The first three are now
ANSI INCITS standards with the year they became standards shown in brackets. The draft immediately prior to standardization can be found at
http://www.t10.org . In the initial MMC standard there was no GET CONFIGURATION command and the relevant information was obtained from the
"CD capabilities and mechanical status mode page" (mode page 0x2a). It was later renamed the "MM capabilities and mechanical status mode
page" and has been made obsolete in MMC-4 and MMC-5. The GET CONFIGURATION command was introduced in MMC-2 and has become a replacement for
that mode page. New features such as support for "BD" (blue ray) media type can only be found by using the GET CONFIGURATION command. Hence
older CD players may not support the GET CONFIGURATION command in which case the "MM capabilities ..." mode page can be checked with
sdparm(8), sginfo(8) or sg_modes(8).
In the 2.4 series of Linux kernels the DEVICE must be a SCSI generic (sg) device. In the 2.6 series block devices can also be specified.
For example "sg_get_config /dev/hdc" will work in the 2.6 series kernels as long as /dev/hdc is an ATAPI device. In the 2.6 series external
DVD writers attached via USB could be queried with "sg_get_config /dev/scd1" for example.
EXIT STATUS
The exit status of sg_get_config is 0 when it is successful. Otherwise see the sg3_utils(8) man page.
AUTHORS
Written by Douglas Gilbert.
REPORTING BUGS
Report bugs to <dgilbert at interlog dot com>.
COPYRIGHT
Copyright (C) 2004-2008 Douglas Gilbert
This software is distributed under a FreeBSD license. There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PUR-
POSE.
SEE ALSO
sginfo(8), sg_modes(8), sg_inq(8), sg_prevent(8), sg_start(8) [all in sg3_utils], sdparm(8)
sg3_utils-1.26 May 2008 SG_GET_CONFIG(8)