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4 quirks with Slackware.

I've been running Slackware for a couple of days now, and it rocks. :) It's so much more sleeker than Red Hat. There are a couple of little things though, which I hope you guys can help me out with.

(1) USB CDROM & Camera

How do I get this to work? I tried

modprobe usb-storage

mount -t iso9660 /dev/sda /mnt/cdrom
mount: device /dev/sda is not a valid block device

mkdir /mnt/camera
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/camera

mount: device /dev/sda is not a valid block device

Same with sda1, etc.

(2) X crashes when I switch between it and a virtual console. I have no idea what's causing it. I found an instance on google where passing on vga=0x317 as a kernel parameter helped solve this (for monitor resolutions of 1024x768), but I opened my lilo configuration file and found append vga=0x317 already there. Red Hat 9.0 did not have this problem... I could switch happily to and fro.

I suspect it may be my monitor or video card, so I tried to run SuperProbe as suggested by the book Slackware Essentials. It doesn't seem to exist, and I can't find it online or in the Slackware mirrors. Where can I get this?

(3) When I log in as "Ren", most of my commands don't work (No such file or directory). So I copied the PATH in root, su-ed to Ren, and hit PATH="whatever was copied from root". But some commands don't seem to exist at all, unless I su to root. Sometimes, su-ing to root doesn't work either. I have to switch to a virtual console, and then everything will be alright on that console.

(4) This is the weirdest one.

#ls

bla bla bla xf86cfg xf86config

#xf86cfg
command not found
#xf86config
command not found

I just used them yesterday, and now I can't?

Out of curiousity, can I cut and paste from a rxvt terminal?

Other than these weird little problems, I'm so happy with Slackware and Linux (was a fulltime WinXP user until a few days ago). All those wasted years!

Ren

Unfortunetly, I can not help out with 1 or 2, I have had very good success with X and have yet to have to try to mess with any of the default settings. One idea though:
At first you are at a console then when you do startx it takes you over to tty7 console, but the orginal console you typed startx on should be giving messages. For instance on my system, I am logging on in tty1, I startx and it takes me over to tty7, but if I go back to tty1 I can see messages on the screen telling me what X is doing. That might be an idea to see what X is doing when it freezes.

The other problems sound like you have a PATH issue. When you are signed in as ren typed
echo $PATH
and see what it gives you mine looks like this:
bash-2.05b$ echo $PATH
/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin:/usr/games:/opt/www/htdig/bin:/usr/lib/java/bin:/usr/lib/java/jre/bin:/opt/kde/bin:/usr/lib/qt-3.2.2/bin:/usr/share/texmf/bin:.:/home/me/scripts

If yours is not listing anything or just a few things, that could be your problem. There are some things on the system, that you can't run enless you are root, most of these are in the /sbin or /usr/sbin directories. I have found that a regular user has somethings in their path that root does not, so that could be why you are having the problem of some programs working under other users, ect. Now if you echo $PATH and /bin is in your path, and the programs in /bin won't run, then I would check permissions on them. Other than that I would be at a loss. You can, also, run a command by in the directory that command is in and typing ./<command>. That will tell you where or not it is the command or the path.

If you PATH=$PATH:/home/me
in the terminal that will remain valid only for this session. When you log out, then back in again the /home/me will not be on your path any longer. To make it stick, you can do one of two things:
1. edit the file /etc/profile, and add to the PATH variable in there.
2. You can create a file and put it in your home directory that will be executed every time you log in. The name of the file depends on what shell you are using. For bash the name is .bashrc, I believe for the korn shell it is .kshrc, but I am not sure for the others. But you can create this file add in the path you want, then everytime you log in it should be set.

Hopefully some of this helps a little bit.

mike

With the CDROM issue, look into lilo.conf, whether u have:

append=" hdd=ide-scsi " the like on it ?
If it is ur cdrom is installed on hdd channel, then try

mount -t iso9660 /dev/hdd /mnt/cdrom
If worked create a symbolic link in /dev/cdrom to point to it, if not try hdc ..

As for /etcc/X11/XFree86Config, try replace it with that one from redhat,
if worked like it should, then u can find out the diff between them ..

By default, Slack doesnt allow non root to view or use commands that can change OS stuff.
Of, course you can always add your own paths and permissions.
Its kinda kewl, especially if you dont want non root peeps messing with those commands.
One more security plus for Slackware.

I had issues running xf86config as root as well.

Seems that if you "su" to root the paths aren't the same.

What worked for me was physically logging in as "root" at the login prompt (instead of "su"ing). Worked for me then.

Cheers,
Bob

You can 'su -' which makes it like a login shell. And 'man su' for how to change the 'supath'. Many commands can be accessed by typing their full path even if they aren't on your normal path. Only those that check the UID (I suppose) will refuse to run. If you don't know where they are (and 'which' indicates they aren't on your path) 'whereis' will usually turn them up. If not, 'locate' will unless your 'slocate' has actually been set to conceal stuff you don't have access to.

I don't know if the rxvt copy issue was addressed, but you should be able just to drag the mouse over rxvt and middle click wherever you want to paste. If some app takes the mouse in rxvt, like mc, you can shift-drag to get a normal copy operation.

Sorry I can't help with the more serious issues.

Thanks for all the replies, everyone. :) It's much appreciated.

I set the path thing. I'll let you know how it works.

"su -" is new to me. Thanks!

About my CDROM...

I added append=" hdb=ide-scsi" to lilo.conf. Still no luck with it.

I went directory hopping in seach of modules, and loaded every one I could find. This one had a problem.

root@slackware:~# modprobe usb-ohci
/lib/modules/2.4.22/kernel/drivers/usb/host/usb-ohci.o.gz: init-module: No such device
/lib/modules/2.4.22/kernel/drivers/usb/host/usb-ohci.o.gz: Hint: insmod errors can be caused by incorrect module parameters, including invalid IO or IRQ parameters.
/lib/modules/2.4.22/kernel/drivers/usb/host/usb-ohci.o.gz: insmod usb-ohci failed

What parameters are there? Is this OHCI thing important?

Ren

Quote:

About my CDROM...
I added append=" hdb=ide-scsi" to lilo.conf. Still no luck with it.

If u change lilo.conf, u have to run lilo to make it take effect, like "lilo -v -v"
lilo will prompt for successfull, if ur lilo.conf is ok, after reboot take change can then take effect, if u have not yet knew that...

As for which hdx u should use, there is 2 EIDE-slots(4 channel), primary master/hda, primary slave/hdb, secondary master/hdc, secondary slave/hdd.
You should know to which one ur cdrom is attached on. If u said hdb, it looked like that u shared the same data cable between ur primary master (hda,harddisk) with the cdrom (primary slave, hdb).

For performance reason it is recomended to use both of the EIDE-slots primary as well as secondary (with 2 data cables, prevent cable bottle neck..).

Quote:

Originally posted by dirstyGuy
If u change lilo.conf, u have to run lilo to make it take effect, like "lilo -v -v"
lilo will prompt for successfull, if ur lilo.conf is ok, after reboot take change can then take effect, if u have not yet knew that...

Hiya,

No, I didn't know that. Thanks for the clarification. :)

I did that, rebooted, and then tried #mount -t iso9660 /dev/hdc /dev/cdrom
hdc is not a valid block device.

Arghh.

Ren

I suggest :

# dmesg > dmesg.out

then grab dmesg.output here enclosed between [_code_] .. [_/code_] with out the underscore.

/dev/hd? is only for IDE devices. Since your CD ROM is a USB device it should show up as /dev/sda?. Do a dmesg to see if it shows up during boot. Or watch while booting, scrolling back with SHIFT+PGUP in order to see the messages. There are several modules tha'll have to load for your CD ROM and camera to show up. Which kernel are you using? If all else fails go to RUNT linux homepage and get yourself a boot floppy from there. It's designed to boot linux from a USB FLASH device, but also will boot from USB floppy or CD ROM. Boot with that and then do lsmod to see which modules are used.

dirstyguy:
I'm sorry, I'm not sure what you meant. I did #dmesg > dmesg.out, opened up the dmesg.out files with an editor, but couldn't find the word [code] anywhere, with out without an underscore.

gnashley:
I can't seem to see it in dmesg. There's an interesting bit here...
usb-ohci.c: usb-00:0d.1, NEC Corporation USB (#2)
usb-ohci.c: USB HC TakeOver failed!

My kernel version is 2.4.22. I'd be really interested to know what modules to load. I tried loading everything I could find, with no luck. The usb-ohci.c one refuses to load, as I posted earlier.

I wish I could follow your suggestion about the RUNT homepage, but I don't have a floppy drive, no external drives at all save for this USB CDROM which I can't access.

Actually, while waiting for advice here, I figured maybe I could compile a new kernel and see if that worked. Pretty scary for a newbie. I downloaded the 2.6.1 kernel, compiled it, set up lilo and rebooted. Basically, I followed all the instructions on the www.slackware.com/book site to compile a new kernel, but when I booted up I was at same old 2.4.22

Just not my week. :)

Ren

Forget about the hdx thingy I mentioned if u have a USB CDROM..

I meant, that u should post the entire dmesg.out in here, enclosed between the [ code ] and [ /code ] tag, that help ppl to interprete or find out something ..

Kernel compile would be a little bit too much advanture for now I'd say, if .. then better try to upgrade, try swaret, look into /etc/swaret.conf, man swaret.

I'd say try to search on the LQ forums for the keywords "USB CDROM" maybe also on google, but post ur dmesg.out here, possibly some one will even can figured out faster ..

Ah, sorry for misunderstanding you. Here it is. :)

I've looked for several hours on Google and on this site. I can't count how many people have gotten away with #mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/cdrom ... they don't know how lucky they are. ;)

Here's the output. I'll look for swaret in the meantime.

Code:

Linux version 2.4.22 (root@midas) (gcc version 3.2.3) #6 Tue Sep 2 17:43:01 PDT 2003

BIOS-provided physical RAM map:

 BIOS-e820: 0000000000000000 - 000000000009ec00 (usable)

 BIOS-e820: 000000000009ec00 - 00000000000a0000 (reserved)

 BIOS-e820: 00000000000cc000 - 00000000000d0000 (reserved)

 BIOS-e820: 00000000000e0000 - 0000000000100000 (reserved)

 BIOS-e820: 0000000000100000 - 000000000f6f0000 (usable)

 BIOS-e820: 000000000f6f0000 - 000000000f6ff000 (ACPI data)

 BIOS-e820: 000000000f6ff000 - 000000000f700000 (ACPI NVS)

 BIOS-e820: 000000000f700000 - 000000000f800000 (usable)

 BIOS-e820: 00000000fffe0000 - 0000000100000000 (reserved)

248MB LOWMEM available.

On node 0 totalpages: 63488

zone(0): 4096 pages.

zone(1): 59392 pages.

zone(2): 0 pages.

Kernel command line: auto BOOT_IMAGE=linux ro root=302 hdc=ide-scsi

ide_setup: hdc=ide-scsi

Initializing CPU#0

Detected 799.890 MHz processor.

Console: colour dummy device 80x25

Calibrating delay loop... 1595.80 BogoMIPS

Memory: 247936k/253952k available (1813k kernel code, 5560k reserved, 614k data, 116k init, 0k highmem)

Dentry cache hash table entries: 32768 (order: 6, 262144 bytes)

Inode cache hash table entries: 16384 (order: 5, 131072 bytes)

Mount cache hash table entries: 512 (order: 0, 4096 bytes)

Buffer cache hash table entries: 16384 (order: 4, 65536 bytes)

Page-cache hash table entries: 65536 (order: 6, 262144 bytes)

CPU: L1 I cache: 16K, L1 D cache: 16K

CPU: L2 cache: 512K

CPU:    After generic, caps: 0383f9ff 00000000 00000000 00000000

CPU:            Common caps: 0383f9ff 00000000 00000000 00000000

CPU: Intel(R) Pentium(R) III Mobile CPU      800MHz stepping 01

Enabling fast FPU save and restore... done.

Enabling unmasked SIMD FPU exception support... done.

Checking 'hlt' instruction... OK.

POSIX conformance testing by UNIFIX

mtrr: v1.40 (20010327) Richard Gooch (rgooch@atnf.csiro.au)

mtrr: detected mtrr type: Intel

PCI: PCI BIOS revision 2.10 entry at 0xfd79e, last bus=1

PCI: Using configuration type 1

PCI: Probing PCI hardware

PCI: Probing PCI hardware (bus 00)

PCI: Using IRQ router VIA [1106/0686] at 00:07.0

PCI: Found IRQ 11 for device 00:0a.0

PCI: Sharing IRQ 11 with 00:0d.1

PCI: Found IRQ 10 for device 00:0a.1

PCI: Sharing IRQ 10 with 00:0b.0

PCI: Sharing IRQ 10 with 00:0d.2

PCI: Sharing IRQ 10 with 00:0f.0

Linux NET4.0 for Linux 2.4

Based upon Swansea University Computer Society NET3.039

Initializing RT netlink socket

Starting kswapd

VFS: Disk quotas vdquot_6.5.1

Journalled Block Device driver loaded

vesafb: framebuffer at 0xf0000000, mapped to 0xd000d000, size 1536k

vesafb: mode is 1024x768x8, linelength=1024, pages=8

vesafb: protected mode interface info at c000:77b5

vesafb: scrolling: redraw

Console: switching to colour frame buffer device 128x48

fb0: VESA VGA frame buffer device

pty: 512 Unix98 ptys configured

Serial driver version 5.05c (2001-07-08) with HUB-6 MANY_PORTS MULTIPORT SHARE_IRQ SERIAL_PCI enabled

Real Time Clock Driver v1.10e

FDC 0 is a post-1991 82077

RAMDISK driver initialized: 16 RAM disks of 7777K size 1024 blocksize

loop: loaded (max 8 devices)

Uniform Multi-Platform E-IDE driver Revision: 7.00beta4-2.4

ide: Assuming 33MHz system bus speed for PIO modes; override with idebus=xx

VP_IDE: IDE controller at PCI slot 00:07.1

VP_IDE: chipset revision 6

VP_IDE: not 100% native mode: will probe irqs later

VP_IDE: VIA vt82c686b (rev 42) IDE UDMA100 controller on pci00:07.1

    ide0: BM-DMA at 0x1c20-0x1c27, BIOS settings: hda:DMA, hdb:pio

hda: TOSHIBA MK3018GAS, ATA DISK drive

blk: queue c03a9d80, I/O limit 4095Mb (mask 0xffffffff)

ide0 at 0x1f0-0x1f7,0x3f6 on irq 14

hda: attached ide-disk driver.

hda: host protected area => 1

hda: 58605120 sectors (30006 MB), CHS=3648/255/63, UDMA(100)

Partition check:

 hda: hda1 hda2 hda3

SCSI subsystem driver Revision: 1.00

kmod: failed to exec /sbin/modprobe -s -k scsi_hostadapter, errno = 2

kmod: failed to exec /sbin/modprobe -s -k scsi_hostadapter, errno = 2

kmod: failed to exec /sbin/modprobe -s -k scsi_hostadapter, errno = 2

md: linear personality registered as nr 1

md: raid0 personality registered as nr 2

md: raid1 personality registered as nr 3

md: raid5 personality registered as nr 4

raid5: measuring checksumming speed

  8regs    :  1322.800 MB/sec

  32regs    :  801.600 MB/sec

  pIII_sse  :  1886.400 MB/sec

  pII_mmx  :  1770.400 MB/sec

  p5_mmx    :  1846.000 MB/sec

raid5: using function: pIII_sse (1886.400 MB/sec)

md: md driver 0.90.0 MAX_MD_DEVS=256, MD_SB_DISKS=27

md: Autodetecting RAID arrays.

md: autorun ...

md: ... autorun DONE.

LVM version 1.0.5+(22/07/2002)

Initializing Cryptographic API

NET4: Linux TCP/IP 1.0 for NET4.0

IP Protocols: ICMP, UDP, TCP

IP: routing cache hash table of 2048 buckets, 16Kbytes

TCP: Hash tables configured (established 16384 bind 32768)

NET4: Unix domain sockets 1.0/SMP for Linux NET4.0.

VFS: Mounted root (ext2 filesystem) readonly.

Freeing unused kernel memory: 116k freed

Linux agpgart interface v0.99 (c) Jeff Hartmann

agpgart: Maximum main memory to use for agp memory: 197M

agpgart: Unsupported Via chipset (device id: 0605), you might want to try agp_try_unsupported=1.

agpgart: no supported devices found.

8139too Fast Ethernet driver 0.9.26

PCI: Found IRQ 10 for device 00:0f.0

PCI: Sharing IRQ 10 with 00:0a.1

PCI: Sharing IRQ 10 with 00:0b.0

PCI: Sharing IRQ 10 with 00:0d.2

eth0: RealTek RTL8139 Fast Ethernet at 0xd0199400, 00:30:13:da:44:10, IRQ 10

eth0:  Identified 8139 chip type 'RTL-8139C'

scsi0 : SCSI host adapter emulation for IDE ATAPI devices

Linux Kernel Card Services 3.1.22

  options:  [pci] [cardbus] [pm]

isapnp: Scanning for PnP cards...

isapnp: No Plug & Play device found

Intel PCIC probe: not found.

Databook TCIC-2 PCMCIA probe: not found.

PCI: Found IRQ 11 for device 00:0a.0

PCI: Sharing IRQ 11 with 00:0d.1

PCI: Enabling device 00:0a.1 (0000 -> 0002)

PCI: Found IRQ 10 for device 00:0a.1

PCI: Sharing IRQ 10 with 00:0b.0

PCI: Sharing IRQ 10 with 00:0d.2

PCI: Sharing IRQ 10 with 00:0f.0

Yenta IRQ list 0038, PCI irq11

Socket status: 30000006

Yenta IRQ list 0038, PCI irq10

Socket status: 30000006

cs: IO port probe 0x0c00-0x0cff: clean.

cs: IO port probe 0x0800-0x08ff: clean.

cs: IO port probe 0x0100-0x04ff: excluding 0x4d0-0x4d7

cs: IO port probe 0x0a00-0x0aff: clean.

eth0: Setting 100mbps full-duplex based on auto-negotiated partner ability 45e1.

PCI: Found IRQ 11 for device 00:07.5

PCI: Sharing IRQ 11 with 00:07.6

PCI: Setting latency timer of device 00:07.5 to 64

usb.c: registered new driver usbdevfs

usb.c: registered new driver hub

PCI: Found IRQ 9 for device 00:0d.0

usb-ohci.c: USB OHCI at membase 0xd023b000, IRQ 9

usb-ohci.c: usb-00:0d.0, NEC Corporation USB

usb-ohci.c: USB HC TakeOver failed!

Trying to vfree() nonexistent vm area (d023b000)

PCI: Found IRQ 11 for device 00:0d.1

PCI: Sharing IRQ 11 with 00:0a.0

usb-ohci.c: USB OHCI at membase 0xd023b000, IRQ 11

usb-ohci.c: usb-00:0d.1, NEC Corporation USB (#2)

usb-ohci.c: USB HC TakeOver failed!

Trying to vfree() nonexistent vm area (d023b000)

usb.c: deregistering driver usbdevfs

usb.c: deregistering driver hub

usb.c: registered new driver usbdevfs

usb.c: registered new driver hub

PCI: Found IRQ 9 for device 00:0d.0

usb-ohci.c: USB OHCI at membase 0xd023b000, IRQ 9

usb-ohci.c: usb-00:0d.0, NEC Corporation USB

usb-ohci.c: USB HC TakeOver failed!

Trying to vfree() nonexistent vm area (d023b000)

PCI: Found IRQ 11 for device 00:0d.1

PCI: Sharing IRQ 11 with 00:0a.0

usb-ohci.c: USB OHCI at membase 0xd023b000, IRQ 11

usb-ohci.c: usb-00:0d.1, NEC Corporation USB (#2)

usb-ohci.c: USB HC TakeOver failed!

Trying to vfree() nonexistent vm area (d023b000)

usb.c: deregistering driver usbdevfs

usb.c: deregistering driver hub

Sorry I can help with usb, never deal with. U can now remove the line u added to lilo.conf (append=" hdx=ide-scsi "). It is only for ide-atapi-cdrom. Then run lilo, reboot.

In linux, if u use brand new hardware u have count with "patience" ..

If u r looking on swaret.conf, comment (or delete) that line that say
EXCLUDE=kernel
to be
#EXCLUDE=kernel
Or ur kernel will not be updated.

Using swaret mean:

swaret --updated
then wait .., and later
swaret --upgrade

Good luck ..