Trying to Mount USB mounting /dev/sda1 on /mnt/usb failed: Invalid argument

JamesMore · 07-23-2010, 12:02 PM

I am using an embed linux application and trying to mount a USB device.
The USB worked fine in windows. I then put it on my Linux box formatted (I hope correctly)

And then tried to do the following to mount it

Code:

Disk /dev/sda: 4040 MB, 4040748544 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 491 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks  Id System
/dev/sda1               1         491     3943926  83 Linux
-bash-3.2# mkdir /mnt/usb
-bash-3.2# mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/usb
mount: mounting /dev/sda1 on /mnt/usb failed: Invalid argument
-bash-3.2#

Thanks for your help

Web31337 · 07-23-2010, 12:13 PM

what's the filesystem on that USB? did you partitioned it only with fdisk and not used mkfs.ext3/etc?
blkid /dev/sda1 can reveal some info.

kilgoretrout · 07-23-2010, 12:15 PM

Try:

# mount -t vfat /dev/sda1 /mnt/usb

If that doesn't work, you probably don't have the necessary modules loaded for usb mass storage devices and/or for vfat. Post the output of:

# lsmod

Edit: Didn't notice that sda1 was a linux filesystem. Never mind vfat; just post the output of lsmod.

Didier Spaier · 07-23-2010, 02:04 PM

You should indicate to the mount command what is the filesystem type of your USB device wilt the the -t <fstype> option, see "man mount".

Which fixe system did you put on it (e.g. ext2, ext3, reiserfs, ...) ?

JamesMore · 07-23-2010, 06:14 PM

Thank you all for your help and hints

Quote:

what's the filesystem on that USB? did you partitioned it only with fdisk and not used mkfs.ext3/etc

Yes sorry I did not format it I only used fdisk :-(

Now I did try and format it as well as use a few other commands you guys gave hints on.

Looks like on my embed device I am running a very limited set of commands or just still doing some thing wrong.

Code:

-bash-3.2# lsmod
-bash: lsmod: command not found
-bash-3.2# mkfs.ext3
-bash: mkfs.ext3: command not found
-bash-3.2# sudo mkfs.ext3 /dev/sda1
-bash: sudo: command not found
-bash-3.2# which lsmod
-bash-3.2# which sudo
-bash-3.2# which man 
-bash-3.2# which mkfs.ext3 
-bash-3.2# which bash
/bin/bash
cd /usr/
-bash-3.2# ls
[               expand          nohup           taskset
[[              expr            nslookup        tcpsvd
ar              fdformat        od              tee
arping          find            openvt          telnet
awk             flash_eraseall  passwd          test
basename        fold            patch           tftp
bunzip2         free            printf          time
bzcat           ftpget          pscan           top
cal             ftpput          readahead       tr
chpst           fuser           readlink        traceroute
chrt            head            realpath        tty
chvt            hexdump         renice          ttysize
cksum           hostid          reset           udpsvd
clear           id              resize          unexpand
cmp             install         rpm2cpio        uniq
comm            ipcrm           runsv           unix2dos
crontab         ipcs            runsvdir        unlzma
cryptpw         killall         rx              unzip
cut             killall5        scp             uptime
dc              last            seq             uudecode
deallocvt       length          setkeycodes     uuencode
diff            less            setsid          vlock
dirname         loadfont        setuidgid       wc
dos2unix        logger          sha1sum         wget
dropbearkey     logname         softlimit       which
du              lzmacat         sort            who
dumpleases      md5sum          split           whoami
eject           mesg            strings         xargs
env             mkfifo          sum             yes
envdir          nandwrite       sv
envuidgid       nc              svlogd
ether-wake      nmeter          tail
-bash-3.2# cd /sbin/
-bash-3.2# ls
adjtimex           ifup               modprobe           sulogin
arp                init               nameif             swapoff
fdisk              insmod             pivot_root         swapon
freeramdisk        klogd              poweroff           switch_root
fsck               loadkmap           raidautorun        sysctl
fsck.minix         logread            reboot             syslogd
getty              losetup            rmmod              udhcpc
halt               lsmod              route              vconfig
hdparm             makedevs           runlevel           watchdog
hwclock            mdev               setconsole         zcip
ifconfig           mkfs.minix         slattach
ifdown             mkswap             start-stop-daemon

Web31337 · 07-23-2010, 06:26 PM

you can format your USB device using any LiveCD on your desktop computer, if you don't have full-featured inatlled linux distro atm.

kilgoretrout · 07-23-2010, 06:59 PM

lsmod is in /sbin which is not in PATH so you have to give the full path to the command like:

# /sbin/lsmod

Quote:

I did not format it

Undoubtedly, that's your problem. Format using a livecd or format it back to FAT32 in windows.

JamesMore · 07-23-2010, 11:46 PM

Thanks kilgoretrout for the hint I swear at one stage I did that guess not

Quote:

-bash-3.2# /sbin/lsmod /dev/sda1
Module Size Used by Not tainted

can you let me know what the syntax will be to format it the drive, will grab ubuntu I guess in the morning thanks for every ones help

Web31337 · 07-24-2010, 03:49 AM

boot into livecd, find your usb device(likely still /dev/sda1 , but check it with fdisk first), then

Code:

mkfs.ext3 /dev/sda1

and that's it.
or, yes, alternatively you can format it to fat32.
Unfortunately, it seems to me that either of ways won't actually help you using this drive on this device(what's the device btw?), as far as I can see there is no fsck.ext2/fsck.ext3 only minix fs, so likely you will not be able to use any of previously mentioned filesystems with current kernel of the device.
lsmod is command that lists loaded kernel modules, not for reading some info from drives as you used it. It requires no additional parameters but that won't help you here: it's just for your future reference.

JamesMore · 07-28-2010, 03:27 PM

I tried to format the drive in a live cd but I am getting a error that the drive is in use, even when i try and format it from the gui it fails

I tried to "safely remove device" but then the format command would not work either saying device was busy made sure i was no in it in termnal and also not a open window but still no luck:-(

Any ideas