USB HD Blues

[kmc77]

Hey, here's one for you guys. I have a USB external HD, formatted for Windows, with 25 to 30 gig of media files. I don't want to copy and reformat that HD because I need it for some work projects (Only Windows at work), but want to access the media files (read/write) from Mandrake. Mandrake recognizes and mounts the drive, but I can't see anything on it. Is there an easy solution, or do I need to break down and buy another external HD?

[scoopy]

you most likely need to create a folder in /mnt that matches the entry for the drive in your fstab.

 

may want to post a copy of fstab here.

[kmc77]

Do I need to post /etc/fstab.mdkgiorig also or just /etc/fstab?

 

/dev/hda6 / ext2 noatime 1 1
none /dev/pts devpts mode=0620 0 0
none /mnt/cdrom supermount dev=/dev/hdc,fs=udf:iso9660,ro,--,iocharset=iso8859-1 0 0
none /mnt/cdrom2 supermount dev=/dev/scd0,fs=udf:iso9660,ro,--,iocharset=iso8859-1 0 0
none /mnt/floppy supermount dev=/dev/fd0,fs=ext2:vfat,--,umask=0,sync,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850 0 0
/dev/hda2 /mnt/windows ntfs ro,iocharset=iso8859-1,umask=0 0 0
none /mnt/zip supermount dev=/dev/sda4,fs=ext2:vfat,--,umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850 0 0
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
/dev/hda5 swap swap defaults 0 0
none /mnt/removable supermount dev=/dev/sdb1,fs=ext2:vfat,--,codepage=850,iocharset=iso8859-1,kudzu 0 0

[DragonMage]

As far as my case with external usb storage in mandrake, it should be supported very well in Mandrake. Usually, the HD is formatted as FAT32 out of the box in order to preserve the compatibility with windows non-NT based os (such as win9x/ME). Therefore, since Mandrake (and any linux distros pretty much) can read and write to fat32 partitions, compaitibily will not be a problem.

 

Anyway, it seems that from your /etc/fstab file your usb harddrive is already mounted as /mnt/removable. Mandrake sees your drive as a scsi drive (not surprising really, just about any usb storage device counts as scsi devices in linux), particularly /dev/sdb1. Therefore, all you have to do is just go to /mnt/removable and then you can read and write files into the drive. Maybe mandrake cannot see anything on it because the drive is empty?

[kmc77]

Yes, it is fat32. Is the removable mount supposed to stay there even when HD is not connected? That paste is without the HD connected. I know for a fact that there is 25 to 30 gig worth of stuff on that HD. I'm not sure why I can't see it. Can I manualy unmount and manualy remount it to see if that helps anything?

Edited April 7, 2004 by kmc77

[kmc77]

Here's the error that I get if I try to write anything to the HD

 

 

 
Error "Generic Error" while copying.
Would you like to continue?

[aRTee]

There is some info on my website on usb drives, basically you don't want to use supermount with them.

Read the mdk 10.0 article, and use the google search on the site.

 

Mounting by hand:

su

(give root password)

mount -t vfat /dev/sdb1 /mnt/removable

 

should work.

[scoopy]

kmc77, I got my own fstab problems, but will pass along what I can. Maybe it will help you, and then again... maybe it just may make things worse :unsure:

 

I got that same line in my fstab and I can't get rid of it. It keeps coming back:

none /mnt/removable supermount dev=/dev/scsi/host1/bus0/target0/lun0/part1,fs=ext2:vfat,--,umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-1,kudzu,codepage=850 0 0

I have this other line that actually mounts my drive and allows me to view my files with konq in the folder I have named "usb40" ( I see nothing if I browse the "removable" folder):

/dev/sda1 /mnt/usb40 vfat umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850 0 0

Now if I use konq and browse my /dev folder, I see I have an sda which points to the harddrive as a whole, and also a sda1 which points to the only partition on this drive. sda1 is also the same as that "removable" item listed in fstab.

 

I see you have a zip drive marked as sda4. Any ideas where sda1, 2, and 3 are?

 

Now seeing your "removable" is listed as sdb1, I would guess and try adding this line to your fstab:

/dev/sdb1 /mnt/usbHD vfat umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850 0 0

AND also create a folder in /mnt named "usbHD" (or use name of your choosing)

[kmc77]

aRTee

Mounting by hand:

su

(give root password)

mount -t vfat /dev/sdb1 /mnt/removable

 

Tried this but kept getting this error

mount: permission denied

 

And I did make sure I was logged in as root.

 

Gona go try scoopy's suggestions now.

Be back shortly.

Edited April 7, 2004 by kmc77

[kmc77]

Ok scoopy, I added the line into fstab. I added it over the removable line (not sure if that is what you wanted me to do)

 

Here is what fstab looks like now

/dev/hda6 / ext2 noatime 1 1
none /dev/pts devpts mode=0620 0 0
none /mnt/cdrom supermount dev=/dev/hdc,fs=udf:iso9660,ro,--,iocharset=iso8859-1 0 0
none /mnt/cdrom2 supermount dev=/dev/scd0,fs=udf:iso9660,ro,--,iocharset=iso8859-1 0 0
none /mnt/floppy supermount dev=/dev/fd0,fs=ext2:vfat,--,umask=0,sync,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850 0 0
/dev/hda2 /mnt/windows ntfs ro,iocharset=iso8859-1,umask=0 0 0
none /mnt/zip supermount dev=/dev/sda4,fs=ext2:vfat,--,umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850 0 0
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
/dev/hda5 swap swap defaults 0 0
/dev/sdb1 /mnt/usbHD vfat umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850 0 0

 

I created usbHD but It is still empty.

 

Did I do something wrong?

Edited April 7, 2004 by kmc77

[scoopy]

You did it the way I would of tried. (ALSO, be sure to leave a blank line at the end of this file) Maybe sdb1 is not the right device? What all sdx devices do you have listed in /dev?

 

I am not good at commands, but there should be a way to identify which device your usb drive is with a command. Maybe something with cat /proc ... something. Hopefully someone here will know better.

 

Also, when booting... do you see any red failed notices (hit ESC key for verbose mode)? Might key us in on a problem here.

[kmc77]

You were right Scoopy, dev/sdb1 failed as well as some other things. It all shot thru so fast, that I didn't get everything. Is there a way to pause boot so that I can see them?

 

Also, I got a couple of boxes that asked if I wanted to run certain config tools, while It was booting. I said no for now. Should I go ahead?

 

One more thing, supermount added removable back into fstab. Here's what It looks like now

/dev/hda6 / ext2 noatime 1 1
none /dev/pts devpts mode=0620 0 0
none /mnt/cdrom supermount dev=/dev/hdc,fs=udf:iso9660,ro,--,iocharset=iso8859-1 0 0
none /mnt/cdrom2 supermount dev=/dev/scd0,fs=udf:iso9660,ro,--,iocharset=iso8859-1 0 0
none /mnt/floppy supermount dev=/dev/fd0,fs=ext2:vfat,--,umask=0,sync,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850 0 0
/dev/hda2 /mnt/windows ntfs ro,iocharset=iso8859-1,umask=0 0 0
none /mnt/zip supermount dev=/dev/sda4,fs=ext2:vfat,--,umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850 0 0
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
/dev/hda5 swap swap defaults 0 0
/dev/sdb1 /mnt/usbHD vfat umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850 0 0

none /mnt/removable supermount dev=/dev/sda1,fs=ext2:vfat,--,kudzu,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850 0 0

 

Still nothing showing up in removable.

[scoopy]

When the config question comes up for me, I just hit cancel... It doesn't seem to do anything for me anyway.

 

I don't know how to pause that boot screen, but there may be a file in /log???

 

Seems like we are both stuck at about the same place now. For me tho, its a problem USB card reader and that mysterious "removable" line.

 

We will both have to wait for a more knowledgeable reply here.

 

good luck B)

[aRTee]

scoopy, that line will not come back if you point to the exact same device;

you are using:

/dev/sda1

but that line is using:

/dev/scsi/host1/bus0/target0/lun0/part1

 

so maybe you could try to use that instead, keeping the rest the same - that should take care of that entry coming back.

 

Also, you know that you can check /var/log/messages and some other files in that dir??

 

tail -f /var/log/messages

as root, when you plug in the device will tell you where it is about to end up.

Otherwise,

dmesg | less

or

less /var/log/dmesg

(also as root) will tell you what flashed by during boot - but not in the exact same terms though.

 

kmc77, I just noticed that your supermount line now says: /dev/sda1 ... this is maybe why the device cannot be mounted by hand with the command I gave: since it mentioned sdb1 instead of sda1.

 

Just reboot (sorry) without the drive, but first remove that supermount line from your fstab, and check to what the sda1 or sdb1 device is pointing to:

ls -l /dev/sda1

(or sdb1)

 

Then reboot without the drive connected.

Then (or before shutting down) create the fstab line as scoopy suggested, but with the whole device path:

/dev/scsi/host1/bus0/target0/lun0/part1

Then connect the drive, check messages, mount by hand (adapt the command accordingly) or semi automatic with

mount /mnt/removable

(or whatever mountpoint you define in fstab)

[kmc77]

aRTee, I have followed your instructions, but can only get as far as turning on the usb drive again. Once I start the usb drive, supermount remounts it and overwrites the line I just added in fstab.

 

Here's what it looks like:

/dev/hda6 / ext2 noatime 1 1
none /dev/pts devpts mode=0620 0 0
none /mnt/cdrom supermount dev=/dev/hdc,fs=udf:iso9660,ro,--,iocharset=iso8859-1 0 0
none /mnt/cdrom2 supermount dev=/dev/scd0,fs=udf:iso9660,ro,--,iocharset=iso8859-1 0 0
none /mnt/floppy supermount dev=/dev/fd0,fs=ext2:vfat,--,umask=0,sync,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850 0 0
/dev/hda2 /mnt/windows ntfs ro,iocharset=iso8859-1,umask=0 0 0
none /mnt/zip supermount dev=/dev/sda4,fs=ext2:vfat,--,umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850 0 0
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
/dev/hda5 swap swap defaults 0 0
/dev/scsi/host1/bus0/target0/lun0/part1 /mnt/mount vfat umask=0,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850 0 0



none /mnt/removable supermount dev=/dev/sdb1,fs=ext2:vfat,--,kudzu,codepage=850,iocharset=iso8859-1 0 0

 

The line with the full location was entered as /mnt/removable, but once supermount gets to it, it becomes /mnt/mount.

 

Did I miss something here?