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How to install external devices


william
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After many attempts to have linux on my compaq presario 1700, at this moment, I'm surfing on the web, listening some MP3 with the internal sound card, etc, I would like to expand the pleasure to have this system in my computer so I would like to know if it's possible to have the following devices installed :

 

1 ) an USB sound blaster extigy

2 ) an USB zip drive IOMEGA 750 Mb

3 ) an USB genius scanner

 

If positive, what would be the easiest way considering I'm a linux new user?

I've noticed that plug and play procedures don't work, when I plug the sound blaster in the computer it hangs and stops working. During booting time when the OS looks for new hardware the computer gets frozem?

 

Does anyone here could help me?

 

william

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It is best to turn off plug and play in the bios. It is really a windows thing. Linux prefers to use what is already there, namely, your hardware, to set stuff up.

 

Go to http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en/hardware.php3

 

Check out the hardware there first. Scanners are the worst because, like modems, they can be windows driven devices, rather than real devices.

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Ok. But the point is:

 

After checking the link you suggested, none of my devices is listed out there.

Just a question: Do I have to conclude that if linux mandrake 9.1 doesn't recognize my usb zip drive and sound card, it's going to be impossible to have them installed unless I acquire a deep linux expertise to make them work?

 

The bios issue was already done, but as I told you, when a plug the sound card and restart the computer for the booting process it gets stucked in the "finding modules dependencies" and if I type "ctrl C" it stucks in the finding new hardware" line.

 

Ok. I intend to be a ex window user, if I have to be an expert to be able to install this sort of stuff in order to keep the same things I have with window XP on my partitioned HD (mp3 player, SONY Digital Camera, sound blaster, zip drive, scanner, USB hubs, video editors, etc), I will be.

 

Thanks.

 

william

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Guest anon
After checking the link you suggested, none of my devices is listed out there. 

Just a question: Do I have to conclude that if linux mandrake 9.1 doesn't recognize my usb zip drive and sound card, it's going to be impossible to have them installed unless I acquire a deep linux expertise to make them work?

You don't need to be an expert.

Just because your hardware is not on that list (often out dated) doesn't mean they won't work on mdk 9.1 Use the search button at the top of the page, decide which hardware your going to install/add first, then work on that.

If you can't find what your looking for, then post a question in the relevent forum. TIP. Try to keep your post to one question of hardware/software at a time.

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Just to echo anon, the list is a good place to start, but is not all inclusive. At times, none of my hardware was ever on any lists, but it worked in Mandrake. This board is full of driver and set up references, so do a search and see what comes up. :wink:

 

Unfortunately, because of the Microsoft Big Brother syndrome, hardware manufacturers are compelled to spend their time writing windows drivers. But the linux community does an excellent job in the void, and some hardware companies, like Nvidia, tell Microsoft what for, and write for linux!

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Theproblem COULD be you USb hub. Several people have posted problems here with hubs not letting linux recognize the devices attached. Do a search here first.

 

You could try unplugging all the usb stuff and booting linux. Then plugging in each piece one at a time and seeing if Mandrake picks them up. Mandrake should.

 

This might tell you just what combinations of stuff work well and what stuff gives linux a problem. Post back after this test.

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Hi william

 

1 ) an USB sound blaster extigy

2 ) an USB zip drive IOMEGA 750 Mb

3 ) an USB genius scanner

 

I have a USB Iomega zip drive and it works #1. My scanner is USB and it works #1 too!. However, I didn't know a USB sould card even existed :oops:

 

WTF about USB ?? I prefer internal things really..

 

I can help you with 2 of you devices if you want. Just start new posts for each of them ..

 

MOttS

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I checked on that site I mentioned;

http://www.qbik.ch/usb/devices/showdev.php?id=1425

is the result for the extigy. It can work, not sure if you can have all functionality though.

 

Scanner: found only Genius-Kye ColorPage-Vivid Pro (don't know if this is yours; check the usb id if necessary):

http://www.qbik.ch/usb/devices/showdev.php?id=546

 

Iomega: I suspect that it works with the usb-storage driver, so should be fine; found only similar drives (250 for instance). Give it a try.

 

About scanners: those must be the most poorly supported devices in linux, check on mostang/sane.

See also my website, links page.

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aRTee, MottS, Pzatch, lxthusdan and anon:

 

Thank you all for the inputs. The zip drive was already reconized, just following Pzatch steps. (and now investigating and studying how to "mount" it on my desktop :oops: )

 

The next challange will be the sound card, I'm very anxious to listem to some mp3s as I was used with Windows. I hope to succeed.

 

The scanner will be the third priority.

 

As soon as I get home (in the office at this moment) I'll let you know the news.

 

Thanks again for all of your help.

 

BTW: Pzatch. Your hint didn't work with the sound card, the system just got frozem during the "module dependencies" in booting time.

 

william

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Well at least we know the sound card need a little more work then.

 

As for the MP3's try xmms . Works like a charm for me. It should play off the zip drive also. You can also play off the windows partitions if you have them mounted. I even play streight off my other win98 computer using SAMBA to access it on my lan.

 

As for the scanner you might have to check the SANE web site. I installed all the latest from them and my USB Mustec scanner works great.

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Is your scanner supported? Maybe. Found these links:

 

http://www.linuxdocs.org/HOWTOs/Hardware-H...O/scanners.html

http://www.linux-directory.com/links/pages...rdware/Drivers/

 

There were other links, but those looked like the most relevant. Go to http://www.google.com/linux?restrict=linux...sb+scanner+sane

to see the other links.

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People:

 

The scanner is already working properly, but the key problem is stil with the sound blaster external usb device....

 

Whenever I attach the USB creative extigy sound blaster (during boot time or with linux already loaded) the computer freezes. I cannot do anything, a forced boot must be proceeded if I need to bring the system to the previous stage, ie: working.

 

The key point is: there's no sense to run the sndconfig, if whenever the plug is attached to the computer, in order to make the system capable of recognizing the new sound card, it freezes. I'm running the latest MDK version on my laptop!!!! The original sound card indeed is recognized, but how to disable it? It's not logic to assume that the system is going to recognize both cards. Don't you agree with me? I've downloaded the latest updates including the one that is related to USB bug issue.

 

Please, consider that I'm a new linux user, I've been visiting and reading all the mentioned links and it seems to be quite complex to understand what exactly I have to do when I read all the steps in the advanced linux sound. (recompile Kernel, Ez USB Devices, GPL, You must turn on the sound support soundcore module, etc). It's not sth self-explanatory.

 

Of course I consider the fact that I do have to pay the price for having been using Windows and MACOS for the last 10 years, but sometime it's frustating when you are obliged to face so many difficulties....

 

Unfortunately I will have to come to the conclusion that the problem is between the user and the machine. It's frustrating to assume this .... but what to do??? Insist???

Do it have any basic and more objective steps to be followed? I mean, like a cake recipe?

 

william

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Sorry for the fury moment.

 

I'm back working on the sound blaster. Have just downloaded the alsa drivers and reading the instruction to proceed with its installation.

 

My apologies again.

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