I have just installed Slackware 12.2 on a PC that was Win98 before. AMD K6 processor, had to use the huge.s kernel rather than the hugesmp.s version, but all working fine if a little slow apart form usb ports. When I kick off with a wireless usb keyboard plugged in that is recognised OK and works if a little jerkily. Plugging in usb memory sticks does not bring up the usual KDE hot-plug dialog, but lsusb does list the devices as found. After some further pluggin, unplugging and replugging, lsusb shows only one entry - the usb hub. If this problem rings a bell with anybody I would be grateful for guidance - Is there some kernel config that I am missing or some package that needs loading to get these usb ports running properly. Thanks.

If you look in /etc/rc.d/rc.modules-`uname -r` under ### USB Host Controllers you will see that you can choose different host controller kernel modules.
Look at the output of 'lsmod | grep hcd'.
I suspect that you are loading the ehci-hcd and uhci-hcd modules. You may find that your hardware will work better with the ohci-hcd module in place of the uhci-hcd module.

Thanks for the advice - tried lsmod, but (because I am using huge kernel?) there are no *hcd modules reported. When I try lodading (with modprobe) uhci-hcd or ohci-hcd, I get errors - presumably because the code is already there in non-module format. Does this mean re-build the huge kernel with these drivers as modules, which I can then experiment with adding and removing until the hardware and software match ?

btw I also added a usb printer and again there was recognition that it has been plugged in from lsusb but the driver did not seem to send actual data to the printer.

I have now delivered the PC with non-fucntional usb to the client (my mum) and in a couple of days (like all the best support people) am going on holiday for two weeks, so thread unlikely to be very active.

Hi,

Do you have the user in the proper groups? Most users groups should have;

What do you see in the 'dmesg' when you plug the device into the port?

No need to rebuild the huge kernel, just install the generic kernel using an initrd that includes modules for your file system and also usb modules. (You can get the mkinitrd_command_generator.sh script from -current to help with this.) Keep the huge kernel as a backup that you can boot from in case there is a problem, especially if you are using a wireless usb keyboard.

Are you plugging the keyboard into the same hub as the USB drives are on? If so, try plugging the keyboard into a separate (main) USB port.

Guys - Thanks for various adivce offered. I will re-visit this in a couple of weeks time when I get back from holidays. If I continue to have problems I will probably start a new thread then.

@onebuck - I think the groups are OK, I have been there before , especially with plugdev. The dmesg messages after plugging in a device is something I will check next time I have physical access to the machine.

@allend - I will do as you say with the generic kernel and the initrd.