A software that sends SCSI commands to devices running Linux operating system. It is a utility tool designed for managing and controlling devices connected to Linux machines.
The sg3_utils package is a highly versatile utility that allows you to send SCSI commands to Linux devices. It works with devices on SCSI transports including Fibre channel and the SCSI parallel interface. Additionally, the package is capable of working with many other devices that use SCSI command sets, such as ATAPI cd/dvd drives and SATA disks.
One of the key features of the sg3_utils package is its ability to handle the different types of SCSI command sets. There are "primary" commands (e.g. SPC-3) that are used universally and device class-specific sets (e.g. SBC-2 for disks and MMC-4 for cd/dvd devices). You can find detailed definitions of these sets and transports on the t10.org website.
The sg3_utils package is designed to work with the Linux kernel 2.4 and 2.6 series and is still actively in development. It is actually an updated version of an earlier package called sg_utils, which targeted the Linux kernel 2.2 series with some support for the 2.0 series.
Version 1.18 of the sg3_utils package is being described in this document. On the Linux kernel 2.4 series, most of the utilities in the package must be used with a SCSI generic (sg) driver device name (e.g. /dev/sg0). However, on the lk 2.6 series, almost all of the utilities can be used with the primary device names as well (e.g. /dev/sda, /dev/sdc0, /dev/st0, and /dev/hdd).
It is important to note that the SCSI generic (sg) interface still represents a cleaner interface than the primary device names. This is because the drivers behind primary device names have their own policies, may interfere with error processing, and in some cases run their own state machines. Overall, the sg3_utils package is a powerful tool for working with Linux devices that use SCSI commands.
One of the key features of the sg3_utils package is its ability to handle the different types of SCSI command sets. There are "primary" commands (e.g. SPC-3) that are used universally and device class-specific sets (e.g. SBC-2 for disks and MMC-4 for cd/dvd devices). You can find detailed definitions of these sets and transports on the t10.org website.
The sg3_utils package is designed to work with the Linux kernel 2.4 and 2.6 series and is still actively in development. It is actually an updated version of an earlier package called sg_utils, which targeted the Linux kernel 2.2 series with some support for the 2.0 series.
Version 1.18 of the sg3_utils package is being described in this document. On the Linux kernel 2.4 series, most of the utilities in the package must be used with a SCSI generic (sg) driver device name (e.g. /dev/sg0). However, on the lk 2.6 series, almost all of the utilities can be used with the primary device names as well (e.g. /dev/sda, /dev/sdc0, /dev/st0, and /dev/hdd).
It is important to note that the SCSI generic (sg) interface still represents a cleaner interface than the primary device names. This is because the drivers behind primary device names have their own policies, may interfere with error processing, and in some cases run their own state machines. Overall, the sg3_utils package is a powerful tool for working with Linux devices that use SCSI commands.
What's New
Version 1.28: N/A