USB Storage

cccc828 · 05-05-2005, 11:00 AM

Hello,

I just got a new USB-Stick and wanted to try it out. As I never needed USB before I recompiled my kernel, but now cannot mount the stick.
Here is the output of lsmod:

Code:

 # lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by
usb_storage            29696  0 
scsi_mod               80072  1 usb_storage
[....nvida and printer modules]
ohci_hcd               19336  0 
uhci_hcd               30480  0 
ehci_hcd               29576  0 
usbcore               106744  5 usb_storage,ohci_hcd,uhci_hcd,ehci_hcd
[....sound modules]
ntfs                  106480  1 
vfat                   11648  1 
fat                    36252  1 vfat

So I think all modules I need are loaded.

I can even see the stick in proc/scsi/usb-storage/

Code:

# cat /proc/scsi/usb-storage/1 
   Host scsi1: usb-storage
       Vendor: USB     
      Product: Flash Disk      
Serial Number: None
     Protocol: Transparent SCSI
    Transport: Bulk
       Quirks:

Also lsusb shows it:

Code:

# lsusb
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
Bus 003 Device 007: ID 045e:0038 Microsoft Corp. SideWinder Precision 2
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
Bus 001 Device 009: ID 0ea0:2168 Ours Technology, Inc. Transcend JetFlash 2.0
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000

dmesg looks ok too:

Code:

[...]
usb 1-1: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 9
scsi1 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
usb-storage: device found at 9
usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning
  Vendor: OTi       Model: Flash Disk        Rev: 2.00
  Type:   Direct-Access                      ANSI SCSI revision: 02
usb-storage: device scan complete
[...]

However, if I try to mount it, it says /dev/sda* is not a valid block device:

Code:

# mount -t vfat /dev/sda /mnt/hd/
mount: /dev/sda is not a valid block device

Thank you for your time!

xgreen · 05-05-2005, 11:16 AM

try sda1 instead of sda or

ls -l /dev/sda* right after you plug in the usb stick..

cccc828 · 05-05-2005, 11:33 AM

I tryed that, but it did not help. Even if no USB device is plugged in and the modules are not loaded (and a reboot), ls -l /dev/sda* gives me devices numbered form 1-15 and sda. I will now try all the 15 devices and see if one of them is the correct one

Edit: None of the 15 devices is a "valid block device"

keefaz · 05-05-2005, 11:44 AM

I don't see sd_mod module loaded in your output, it is needed for /dev/sda* devices

xgreen · 05-05-2005, 11:45 AM

just try without "-t vfat" mount /dev/sda* /mnt/hd

cccc828 · 05-05-2005, 11:55 AM

Ah I found the error: I forgot to compile SCSI-Disk support (sd_mod.ko)....
(Edit: Thx keefaz, I overlooked you reply sorry)

However now I could mount the stick, but the filesystem is "bad":

Code:

# mount -t vfat /dev/sda /mnt/hd/
mount: wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/sda,
       missing codepage or other error
       In some cases useful info is found in syslog - try
       dmesg | tail  or so

I am fairly sure that the stick is formatted with FAT, because as far as I know all new sticks are formated with it. Maybe the factory uses a "nonstandard FAT". Can I simply make a FAT filesystem with mkdosfs?
Just when I try I get this output:

Code:

 # mkdosfs /dev/sda
mkdosfs 2.10 (22 Sep 2003)
mkdosfs: Will not try to make filesystem on full-disk device '/dev/sda' (use -I if wanted)

Could mkdosfs -I in anyway harm the stick and render it useless?

cccc828 · 05-05-2005, 01:04 PM

Just to answer my own question: it workd very well.

Thank you all for the help!

wpyh · 05-05-2005, 02:06 PM

My flash disk uses a partition in /dev/sda1. Did you try using the flashdisk under windows, after the whole thing has been formatted?

keefaz · 05-05-2005, 04:37 PM

Or use cfdisk on /dev/sda to create partitions on it maybe ?

cccc828 · 05-06-2005, 01:38 AM

mkdosfs -I gives me "one big disk" (as I read this is called "Superfloppy"). Windows has no problems with a stick formatted that way. Also I win one more cylinder of disk space, because I do not need it for the partition table.
Maybe I will try to play with cfdisk later, but for now I just need the stick to "work".