Re: Does the linux kernel contain support for ATA Security feature set?

Robert Nicholson
2009-04-19T19:32:33Z

So when I do a hdparm --security-set-pass NULL /dev/sda

I get a

SECURITY_ERASE: Input/output error

This is with a kernel that doesn't have CONFIG_IDE_TASK_IOCTL=y defined

I'm also told that for SATA drives that's not necessary anyway. Is
that correct?

What should the response be for hdparm if CONFIG_IDE_TASK_IOCTL isn't
defined for a drive that needs it?

The drive is an Intel X-25M

HDDERASE won't work since I'm on a Mac.

I don't want to create a customized lived CD witth a new kernel unless
it's necessary.

On Apr 16, 2009, at 7:50 PM, Robert Nicholson wrote:

> So you're implying that it is possible to do a SECURE_ERASE using
> hdparm then.
>
> I don't know why but HDDERASE tool requires legacy IDE mode.
>
> On Apr 16, 2009, at 7:46 PM, Matthew Garrett wrote:
>
>> On Thu, Apr 16, 2009 at 06:49:59PM -0500, Robert Nicholson wrote:
>>> So, I've got an X-25M that I want to securely erase and it turns out
>>> on a Mac I'm not going to be able to issue the command because it
>>> doesn't support legacy IDE mode from what I understand. So the
>>> idea of
>>> a any boot CD that I could boot and run a program that can issue a
>>> SECURE_ERASE (SE) to the drive is only applicable to PC's.
>>
>> Why is the lack of legacy IDE an issue? hdparm works fine with SATA
>> setups.
>> --
>> Matthew Garrett | mjg59@srcf.ucam.org
>