Help using usb.

Keith Harwood · External Since: Jan 19, 2005 Posts: 9

Please help.

I am trying to use a usb memory stick on linux. I have tried to follow the
instructions in the usb documentation, but I believe I have missed some
step along the way. Could someone please give me a checklist or recipe to
follow.

I have recompiled the kernel appropriaely and /proc/bus/usb/devices reports
the memory stick exists. In /etc/fstab I have
usbfs /proc/bus/usb usbfs defaults 0 0
/dev/sdb1 /mnt/usbhd auto noauto,user 0 0

My feeling is that there should be some configuration thingy that associates
/dev/sdb1 with the memory stick, but I can't find anywhere in the doco that
mentions it. The Mass Storage Devices section under the Linux USB
sub-system doco seems to imply it happens automagically.

Thanks in advance.

Keith Harwood.

Robert M. Riches Jr. · External Since: Apr 19, 2004 Posts: 1289

On 2006-10-13, Keith Harwood <vitalmis.DeleteThis@optusnet.com.au> wrote:
> Please help.
>
> I am trying to use a usb memory stick on linux. I have tried to follow the
> instructions in the usb documentation, but I believe I have missed some
> step along the way. Could someone please give me a checklist or recipe to
> follow.
>
> I have recompiled the kernel appropriaely and /proc/bus/usb/devices reports
> the memory stick exists. In /etc/fstab I have
> usbfs /proc/bus/usb usbfs defaults 0 0
> /dev/sdb1 /mnt/usbhd auto noauto,user 0 0
>
> My feeling is that there should be some configuration thingy that associates
> /dev/sdb1 with the memory stick, but I can't find anywhere in the doco that
> mentions it. The Mass Storage Devices section under the Linux USB
> sub-system doco seems to imply it happens automagically.

Ummm, are you aware that this newsgroup is for discussion
related to the 64-bit Alpha instruction set architecture
made by DEC, bought by Compaq, bought by HP? If you're
using a more popular instruction set, another newsgroup will
probably get you a quicker answer. On the other hand, if
you are using an Alpha, and if it happens to be a UP2000
motherboard, the last I heard is the USB ports do not work
because of a problem in the SRM firmware.

For any future questions, I would recommend giving a lot
more information to help someone help you. What Linux
distribution and release are you using? What machine are
you using (processor, motherboard, chipset, etc.)? What
type of memory stick are you using (make, model, etc.)?

--
Robert Riches
spamtrap42.DeleteThis@verizon.net
(Yes, that is one of my email addresses.)

Keith Harwood · External Since: Jan 19, 2005 Posts: 9

Robert M. Riches Jr. wrote:

> On 2006-10-13, Keith Harwood <vitalmis RemoveThis @optusnet.com.au> wrote:
>> Please help.
>>
>> I am trying to use a usb memory stick on linux. I have tried to follow
>> the instructions in the usb documentation, but I believe I have missed
>> some step along the way. Could someone please give me a checklist or
>> recipe to follow.
>>
>> I have recompiled the kernel appropriaely and /proc/bus/usb/devices
>> reports the memory stick exists. In /etc/fstab I have
>> usbfs /proc/bus/usb usbfs defaults 0 0
>> /dev/sdb1 /mnt/usbhd auto noauto,user 0 0
>>
>> My feeling is that there should be some configuration thingy that
>> associates /dev/sdb1 with the memory stick, but I can't find anywhere in
>> the doco that mentions it. The Mass Storage Devices section under the
>> Linux USB sub-system doco seems to imply it happens automagically.
>
> Ummm, are you aware that this newsgroup is for discussion
> related to the 64-bit Alpha instruction set architecture
> made by DEC, bought by Compaq, bought by HP?

Yes, indeed.

> If you're
> using a more popular instruction set, another newsgroup will
> probably get you a quicker answer. On the other hand, if
> you are using an Alpha, and if it happens to be a UP2000
> motherboard, the last I heard is the USB ports do not work
> because of a problem in the SRM firmware.

I am using a DS10. I am aware that the USB ports don't work. Indeed, after
my last effort at making them work they vanished from the system
altogether. I have installed a PCI card using VIA chips and am using that.

> For any future questions, I would recommend giving a lot
> more information to help someone help you. What Linux
> distribution and release are you using? What machine are
> you using (processor, motherboard, chipset, etc.)? What
> type of memory stick are you using (make, model, etc.)?

Machine is DS10, distribution is Linux From Scratch (that is, I have
compiled it all myself from source) and Beyond Linux From Scratch (X, KDE,
all the bits I need). Linux version is 2.6.12. All the usb code comes from
linux; I haven't included any from elsewhere. Nor have I patched or fiddled
with the linux code in any way.

I have two memory sticks, both ElCheapo generic. This is how the
/proc/bus/usb/devices describes them.

T: Bus=01 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=03 Cnt=01 Dev#= 2 Spd=480 MxCh= 0
D: Ver= 2.00 Cls=00(>ifc ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS=64 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=090c ProdID=1000 Rev=11.00
S: Manufacturer=SMI Corporation
S: Product=USB DISK
S: SerialNumber=AA04012700008679
C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=80 MxPwr=100mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 2 Cls=08(stor.) Sub=06 Prot=50 Driver=usb-storage
E: Ad=81(I) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=0ms
E: Ad=02(O) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=31875us

and

T: Bus=01 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=03 Cnt=01 Dev#= 3 Spd=480 MxCh= 0
D: Ver= 2.00 Cls=00(>ifc ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS=64 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=05dc ProdID=0300 Rev= 0.01
S: Manufacturer=LEXAR MEDIA
S: Product=JUMPDRIVE GEYSR
S: SerialNumber=0A4EDA111943181
C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=80 MxPwr=120mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 2 Cls=08(stor.) Sub=06 Prot=50 Driver=usb-storage
E: Ad=81(I) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=0ms
E: Ad=02(O) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=0ms

Keith Harwood.

Staffan Tjernstrom · External Since: Aug 29, 2006 Posts: 10

On Sat, 2006-10-14 at 10:41 +0000, voyeur wrote:

> Have a DEC Alpha 166, and now, I am ready to play with adding a USB
> port...

I would suggest taking a quick peek over on comp.os.vms, where there are
numerous threads on getting USB working on Alpha (including what cards
work, which probably don't, etc from a firmware point of view).

In particular posts from Forrest are a good source of info on this topic
(as he wrote the VMS drivers, and had to play a lot himself to get it
right).

Rgds
Staffan Tj.

Keith Harwood · External Since: Jan 19, 2005 Posts: 9

Staffan Tjernstrom wrote:

> On Sat, 2006-10-14 at 10:41 +0000, voyeur wrote:
>
>> Have a DEC Alpha 166, and now, I am ready to play with adding a USB
>> port...
>
> I would suggest taking a quick peek over on comp.os.vms, where there are
> numerous threads on getting USB working on Alpha (including what cards
> work, which probably don't, etc from a firmware point of view).
>
> In particular posts from Forrest are a good source of info on this topic
> (as he wrote the VMS drivers, and had to play a lot himself to get it
> right).
>
> Rgds
> Staffan Tj.

This did give me some useful background information, particularly about why
my motherboard USB ports vanished.

However, my problem seems to have fixed itself. There seems to be two
catches. One is that I had a real scsi drive on the system, but it was
powered off. The system was recognising the scsi board, but couldn't find
anything that it talked to and also finding the usb port then getting its
knickers in a knot. With the scsi drive powered up and a disk in it, the
system knew who was who. The second problem seems to be something to do
with the M$ system that originally formatted the memory sticks. It looks as
if M$ have changed the file system in some way that prevents linux from
recognising it. The same change seems to prevent M$ from recognising memory
sticks formatted by M$ last year. This second catch still needs to be
verified. However, I can now use a memory stick as a perfectly good ext2
disk.

Thanks all for your suggestions.

Keith Harwood.

Gary Heston · External Since: Jul 09, 2005 Posts: 3

In article <4539bfc1$0$22937$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au>,
Keith Harwood <vitalmis.TakeThisOut@optusnet.com.au> wrote:
> [ ... ] The second problem seems to be something to do
>with the M$ system that originally formatted the memory sticks. It looks as
>if M$ have changed the file system in some way that prevents linux from
>recognising it. The same change seems to prevent M$ from recognising memory
>sticks formatted by M$ last year. This second catch still needs to be
>verified. [ ... ]

Microsoft has several different filesystems--FAT16, FAT32, and NTFS are
the major ones. They require different drivers for each filesystem. A
driver for NTFS can't recognzie FAT32 and vice-versa (even in their own
operating systems--for example Windows NT4 could not read FAT32 partitions,
causing problems for people upgrading from Windows 98,).

You may simply need another filesystem driver, or to specify a filesystem
compatable with the M$ box you want to use..

Gary

--
Gary Heston gheston.TakeThisOut@hiwaay.net http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/

Astronomers have developed a definition of "planet" which excludes Pluto.
I'm developing a definition of "scientist" which excludes astronomers.

thursday · External Since: Jan 12, 2005 Posts: 5

Gary Heston wrote:
> In article <4539bfc1$0$22937$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au>,
> Keith Harwood <vitalmis RemoveThis @optusnet.com.au> wrote:
> > [ ... ] The second problem seems to be something to do
> >with the M$ system that originally formatted the memory sticks. It looks as
> >if M$ have changed the file system in some way that prevents linux from
> >recognising it. The same change seems to prevent M$ from recognising memory
> >sticks formatted by M$ last year. This second catch still needs to be
> >verified. [ ... ]
>
> Microsoft has several different filesystems--FAT16, FAT32, and NTFS are
> the major ones. They require different drivers for each filesystem. A
> driver for NTFS can't recognzie FAT32 and vice-versa (even in their own
> operating systems--for example Windows NT4 could not read FAT32 partitions,
> causing problems for people upgrading from Windows 98,).
>
> You may simply need another filesystem driver, or to specify a filesystem
> compatable with the M$ box you want to use..
>
>
> Gary
>

to the list:
This whole discussion interests me. I had always assumed the USB ports
on my Alphas were dead as the dodo, or at least too much hassle to use.
There's a lot of experience out there apparently, that says otherwise.
Perhaps we could put our heads together and do a "HowTo: USB ports on
Alpha" ??

jn

Staffan Tjernstrom · External Since: Aug 29, 2006 Posts: 10

On Wed, 2006-10-25 at 21:58 -0700, thursday DeleteThis @allidaho.com wrote:
> There's a lot of experience out there apparently, that says otherwise.
> Perhaps we could put our heads together and do a "HowTo: USB ports on
> Alpha" ??
>
> jn
>

Just to whet appetites, I would point to the USB missile launchers that
are now getting quite common on various AlphaStation 500/600s...

Keith Harwood · External Since: Jan 19, 2005 Posts: 9

thursday.TakeThisOut@allidaho.com wrote:

>
> to the list:
> This whole discussion interests me. I had always assumed the USB ports
> on my Alphas were dead as the dodo, or at least too much hassle to use.
> There's a lot of experience out there apparently, that says otherwise.
> Perhaps we could put our heads together and do a "HowTo: USB ports on
> Alpha" ??

I tried thetrick that is supposed to reveal them on the XP1000 on my DS10.
It didn't work. I still have the printout from when they existed, so I know
where they are supposed to be, but I can't find any sight of them.

Keith Harwood.