Do you need drivers for external hard drives for Linux?

dragonmaster · External Since: Aug 05, 2007 Posts: 2

I'm new to linux, so don't laugh too hard, but do you need drivers to
use external USB hard drives? I'm used to Windows where you need
drivers for everything, but it looks like you may not for Linux from
what little experience I have.

ray · External Since: Nov 13, 2004 Posts: 3312

On Sun, 05 Aug 2007 13:04:45 -0700, dragonmaster wrote:

> I'm new to linux, so don't laugh too hard, but do you need drivers to
> use external USB hard drives? I'm used to Windows where you need
> drivers for everything, but it looks like you may not for Linux from
> what little experience I have.

No, you don't.

Nicolas George · External Since: Jul 31, 2007 Posts: 8

dragonmaster DeleteThis @redwing.net wrote in message
<1186344285.183882.54440 DeleteThis @m37g2000prh.googlegroups.com>:
> I'm new to linux, so don't laugh too hard, but do you need drivers to
> use external USB hard drives?

Of course you need a driver -- just one, the same as for USB sticks.
Fortunately, it is included in the standard kernel since more than six
years, and shipped with every distribution where it may be useful. You
probably will not remark anything as it will be automatically loaded.

dragonmaster · External Since: Aug 05, 2007 Posts: 2

> Just the usb_storage support, which you likely already have.
>
> --
>
> -John (john@os2.dhs.org)

Ok... those are some conflicting answers. I have a 1GB flash drive,
and all I had to do to use it was mount it. To those of you who say I
do need a driver, would I do the same thing for, say, a 500GB external
USB drive?

John Thompson · External Since: Apr 03, 2004 Posts: 156

On 2007-08-05, dragonmaster DeleteThis @redwing.net <dragonmaster DeleteThis @redwing.net> wrote:

> I'm new to linux, so don't laugh too hard, but do you need drivers to
> use external USB hard drives? I'm used to Windows where you need
> drivers for everything, but it looks like you may not for Linux from
> what little experience I have.

Just the usb_storage support, which you likely already have.

--

-John (john@os2.dhs.org)

Oldtech · External Since: Jun 14, 2007 Posts: 128

dragonmaster.TakeThisOut@redwing.net wrote:
>> Just the usb_storage support, which you likely already have.
>>
>> --
>>
>> -John (john@os2.dhs.org)
>
> Ok... those are some conflicting answers. I have a 1GB flash drive,
> and all I had to do to use it was mount it. To those of you who say I
> do need a driver, would I do the same thing for, say, a 500GB external
> USB drive?
>
Have a 500Gb drive, external Firewire 1394. Formatted it as EXT3. It
stays plugged in to a firewire port, along with other drives, on this
system to act as network collectors of great files and stuff...

But, Firewire is actually faster than USB 2.0 on many systems, because
many of us run USB devices , USB trackballs, drawing pads, web cams, and
each added device cuts the bandwidth and thus, the speed for data for
every item!

Chris · External Since: May 27, 2005 Posts: 473

dragonmaster DeleteThis @redwing.net wrote:
>> Just the usb_storage support, which you likely already have.
>>
>> --
>>
>> -John (john@os2.dhs.org)
>
> Ok... those are some conflicting answers.

Really? I only saw answers which more complete than others. The succinct
answer is 'No. You don't need an /extra/ driver'. Linux comes with the
USB drivers already enabled in the kernel.

> I have a 1GB flash drive,
> and all I had to do to use it was mount it. To those of you who say I
> do need a driver, would I do the same thing for, say, a 500GB external
> USB drive?
>

Yes. Just mount it as you would a flash drive.

ray · External Since: Nov 13, 2004 Posts: 3312

On Sun, 05 Aug 2007 20:30:24 -0700, dragonmaster wrote:

>> Just the usb_storage support, which you likely already have.
>>
>> --
>>
>> -John (john@os2.dhs.org)
>
> Ok... those are some conflicting answers. I have a 1GB flash drive,
> and all I had to do to use it was mount it. To those of you who say I
> do need a driver, would I do the same thing for, say, a 500GB external
> USB drive?

You plug it in, it should work. Yes, the technical answer is: you need a
driver. The practical answer is: it's almost certainly there by default so
you need not do anything special.

Rikishi 42 · External Since: Oct 27, 2005 Posts: 177

On 2007-08-06, dragonmaster.DeleteThis@redwing.net <dragonmaster.DeleteThis@redwing.net> wrote:

>> Just the usb_storage support, which you likely already have.
>
> Ok... those are some conflicting answers.

You need a driver. An USB Mass-Storage driver. But that driver is allready
in every distro out there.

So no, you don't need a driver, not in the sence you have to find one. It's
allready there.

> I have a 1GB flash drive,
> and all I had to do to use it was mount it. To those of you who say I
> do need a driver, would I do the same thing for, say, a 500GB external
> USB drive?

I use:
- 128MB flash drive
- 256MB flash drive
- 1 GB flash drive
- 40 GB HD
- 250 GB HD
- a Sony Cybershot camera
- a memory card (CF, SD, etc...) reader

They all behave as 'USB Mass Storage' devices. They're all working with the same
driver. The one allready in my/your system.

--
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The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.
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