I don't know if this is the right place to post this but since I'm fairly new at linux I can't think where else to put it.

I'm using mandrake linux 10.1 on an AMD based PC. I'm trying to set up a USB hard drive (Firefly 20Gb). It works OK in windows and it works in knoppix live CD.

I tried a few things and now I'm looking at USBView, and this is the error I'm getting:

"Can not open the file /proc/bus/usb/devices

Verify that you have USB compiled into your kernel, have the USB core modules loaded and that you have the usbdevfs filesystem mounted."

This might as well be in chinese for all I'm understanding

ok questions:

1) How do I check I have USB compiled into kernal? I'm guessing I don't, since I couldn't get my USB mouse to work (ended up using a PS/2). Is it difficult? Bear in mind I haven't the faintest idea about compiling kernals and don't want to ruin this installation.

2) Load USB core modules? usbdevfs filesystem? How do I do that??? I'm assuming modprobe is the thing that loads USB stuff, is that right?

Oh... and happy christmas y'all

Since you probably have the stock mandrake kernel, You probably have a properly working USB subsystem, asuming you installed it, right? (: If you didn't fool around with the install too much, it should be there.

The USB modules and usbdevfs should all be working per default, no user interaction should be neccesary.. I don't know much of usbview, but have you tried just mounting the drive? (:

If all goes well, it now mounted under /mnt/usb. The device might vary basing on what port you shove it in. It could be sda2, sda3, etc etc, or sdb1, sdb2, etc etc.. You can use the command dmesg right after connecting the appliance to verify that the USB sybsystem found it and assigned a device for it. The output of dmesg is very long, but all that you need to read is prolly in the last screenfull.

Oh, and btw, its usually wise to connect USB storage appliances in this order:
Connect cable to appliance and then computer, then power the computer (if not already powered on) and then the appliance. Wait a few seconds before attemting to interact with the device. Its sometimes crucial not to have power in the device before connecting it.. And sometimes it just wont work, power down the device and try again. (e.g. my digicam always fails the first attempt but usually works on the second.. (: )

Probably is the stock kernal, yes (2.6 or something?) Not sure if USB is enabled or even how to check that, I know my USB mouse never worked but I wasn't too bothered by that.

I tried mounting the thing, but there are no /dev/sda0 - /dev/sda9 devices at all. There is no such device to mount (I did do this, quite easily on another machine running Mandrake 10.0).

The drive itself is powered by the USB cable so there's no order to connect it, it either is or isn't plugged in.

Nothing useful in the dmesg output either as far as I can see, certainly no mention of USB devices or /dev/sda or anything similar.

Kind of infuriating, really, I know it works and that it works on the version of linux I have but I seem to be missing some crucial step. How can I check the USB system works? Given that my USB mice don't, I think I can safely assume it isn't, which leads to the probably more important question, what package needs to be installed or script activated or whatever?