Reading SD cards in Debian Lenny

Larry Webb · 01-12-2011, 04:37 AM

Quote:

1. On my computer (OS Debian Lenny) the "mount" command - either "mount /dev/sda1" or "mount /mem/memstick" - works perfectly when a flash-drive is plugged into any of my vacant usb ports.

2. Both "mount" commands fail on my computer when the flash-drive is replaced by an SD-Card Reader.

All that I can suggest now is use your daughters computer and see which file system is on the card. The stick is vfat but apparently the card is something that Lenny will not read.

felixk · 01-13-2011, 02:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry Webb

All that I can suggest now is use your daughters computer and see which file system is on the card. The stick is vfat but apparently the card is something that Lenny will not read.

The (Linux) error message is incorrect. The problem is not with the file-system but with the OS. The Apple Mac can handle the contents of my SD-card. Both Debian and Microsoft Vista cannot; the Microsoft message is:

"Unknown device plugged in to usb port".

One more idea!

The SD-Card comes from a Computer Tablet that runs Android 1.6. Do I also need Android on my computer, before I can persuade the (newly-acquired) tablet and my (aged) computer to talk to each other?

felixk

farslayer · 01-13-2011, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by felixk

None of the hitherto suggested strategies for identifying the file-type of the contents of the SD-Card work on my computer. Below is the output of "fdisk -l" when a flash-drive is mounted:

Disk /dev/sda: 1002 MB, 1002438656 bytes
65 heads, 32 sectors/track, 941 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 2080 * 512 = 1064960 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xdd206466

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 942 978928 6 FAT16
Partition 1 has different physical/logical endings:
phys=(956, 64, 32) logical=(941, 18, 32)

The file system was identified just fine.. it's FAT16

I think the problem lies with the partition on the SD card..

michaelk · 01-13-2011, 12:09 PM

FYI the output is from a flash drive and not an SD card.

farslayer · 01-13-2011, 12:20 PM

Gah missed that switch in his post.. disregard my previous post.. although the partition on your flash drive still isn't quite right..

other commands to ID file system

df -T

file -sL /dev/sd(x)
file -sL /dev/sd(x)1

felixk · 01-14-2011, 03:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by farslayer

other commands to ID file system

df -T

file -sL /dev/sd(x)
file -sL /dev/sd(x)1

When a flash drive is plugged into one of my usb ports, these commands give an output; with the SD-Card reader there is no output.

The hard fact is that my Computer Tablet (running Android 1.6) has no problem in reading the content of the SD Card. Neither Debian Linux nor Microsoft Vista can do that.

felixk

Larry Webb · 01-14-2011, 06:01 AM

I am not the sharpest here but which kernel are you using, try a 2,6,32 or newer. I have an older Tiny Me that will not read ext4 files.

farslayer · 01-14-2011, 07:14 AM

I'm beginning to wonder if the fault here is the OS or the SD card reader device itself... since neither windows or Linux can see it properly, the issue seems to be independent of the OS. Since the tablet can read it then The SD card seems to be fine.. so the only piece left is the card reader itself....

Do you have another SD card reader you can use ?

Larry Webb · 01-14-2011, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by farslayer

I'm beginning to wonder if the fault here is the OS or the SD card reader device itself...

I did not think about that, I had some quirks with sd to sdhc cards. I upgraded all my readers to sdhc so have no way of checking.

felixk · 01-15-2011, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by farslayer

I'm beginning to wonder if the fault here is the OS or the SD card reader device itself... since neither windows or Linux can see it properly, the issue seems to be independent of the OS. Since the tablet can read it then The SD card seems to be fine.. so the only piece left is the card reader itself....

.

Or it is the kernel. No idea what Vista uses; but, by default, Debian Lenny uses kernel 2.6.26.

And I am not smart enough to attempt to upgrade Debian to a later kernel; so I wait (patiently) for the next release of Debian-Stable.

Quote:

Originally Posted by farslayer

Do you have another SD card reader you can use ?

No. But easily tested; buying another SD-Card reader will not break the bank. :-)

Thank you for the suggestion.

felixk

Larry Webb · 01-15-2011, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by felixk

.No. But easily tested; buying another SD-Card reader will not break the bank. :-)

Thank you for the suggestion.

felixk

Watch the specs, there are a lot of card readers that say they read all cards but do not list reading the sdhc cards. I bought 2 usb that only read mmc and sd or sdhc cars that were reasonable. I did not worry about any other cards as all my cameras use sd cards.