BU50N with firmware GE04 (Lenovo OEM?): "No SDF v0a6", then hangs forever at "SDF auto"

[MinTasy]

Hi,

I have an LG BU50N slim drive with firmware GE04. It seems to be a Lenovo OEM variant (it shows up in ThinkStation P3 hardware probes). MakeMKV doesn't recognise the firmware and hangs forever at "SDF auto". The disc never spins up, and after 10+ minutes it is still stuck at the same line.

Drive string: HL-DT-ST_BD-RE_BU50N_GE04_212005290841_MO7OBEE2311
MakeMKV: v2.0.0 linux (x64), beta key
OS: Linux 7.3 (CachyOS), sg module loaded
Connection: slim SATA -> USB 3 enclosure (bridge 0204:6025), usb-storage, 5 Gbit/s
Disc: 4K UHD Blu-ray (reading it with dd works fine)

Debug log (makemkvcon --debug -r info disc:0):

MakeMKV v2.0.0 linux(x64-release) started
Debug logging enabled ...
Using 6144KB for read cache.
Network access is ENABLED, CURL version 8.23.0/OpenSSL/3.6.5/1.71.0 (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu) , proxy server not set.
No SDF v0a6: HL-DT-ST_BD-RE_BU50N_GE04_212005290841_MO7OBEE2311
SDF auto v0a6: HL-DT-ST_BD-RE_BU50N_GE04_212005290841_MO7OBEE2311
(nothing more, waited 10 min)

Things I already tried:
- Fresh install, and also _private_data.tar copied from a working install (contains sdf_000000a6.bin): same result
- Without a disc and with --noscan: same hang
- sdftool -l lists the drive correctly

Questions:
1. Can GE04 be added to the SDF, so I can at least see the LibreDrive status?
2. Can this drive be crossflashed safely to BU40N 1.03-MK (or 1.00), or is GE04 a different platform? If yes, what is the safe way to do it?
3. Could the cheap USB bridge be the reason for the "SDF auto" hang? Would a different enclosure (ASMedia/JMicron) help?

Thanks!

[MartyMcNuts]

Hi,

I have an LG BU50N slim drive with firmware GE04. It seems to be a Lenovo OEM variant (it shows up in ThinkStation P3 hardware probes). MakeMKV doesn't recognise the firmware and hangs forever at "SDF auto". The disc never spins up, and after 10+ minutes it is still stuck at the same line.

Drive string: HL-DT-ST_BD-RE_BU50N_GE04_212005290841_MO7OBEE2311
MakeMKV: v2.0.0 linux (x64), beta key
OS: Linux 7.3 (CachyOS), sg module loaded
Connection: slim SATA -> USB 3 enclosure (bridge 0204:6025), usb-storage, 5 Gbit/s
Disc: 4K UHD Blu-ray (reading it with dd works fine)

Debug log (makemkvcon --debug -r info disc:0):

MakeMKV v2.0.0 linux(x64-release) started
Debug logging enabled ...
Using 6144KB for read cache.
Network access is ENABLED, CURL version 8.23.0/OpenSSL/3.6.5/1.71.0 (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu) , proxy server not set.
No SDF v0a6: HL-DT-ST_BD-RE_BU50N_GE04_212005290841_MO7OBEE2311
SDF auto v0a6: HL-DT-ST_BD-RE_BU50N_GE04_212005290841_MO7OBEE2311
(nothing more, waited 10 min)

Things I already tried:
- Fresh install, and also _private_data.tar copied from a working install (contains sdf_000000a6.bin): same result
- Without a disc and with --noscan: same hang
- sdftool -l lists the drive correctly

Questions:
1. Can GE04 be added to the SDF, so I can at least see the LibreDrive status?
2. Can this drive be crossflashed safely to BU40N 1.03-MK (or 1.00), or is GE04 a different platform? If yes, what is the safe way to do it?
3. Could the cheap USB bridge be the reason for the "SDF auto" hang? Would a different enclosure (ASMedia/JMicron) help?

Thanks!

Start by removing that MakeMKV v2.0.0 and installing v1.18.4 or even v1.17.6. MakeMKV v2.0.0 has many issues and shouldn't be used, especially for flashing.