I'm running Mandrake Linux 10.1 on a Dell Optiplex GX280. I was running
10.0 for the past 6 months, and had problems with the DVD writer and USB
memory sticks. Upgrading to 10.1 fixed the problem with the DVD writer, but
I still cannot get it to pick up USB memory. There are a few other machines
in my office, older Dells, running Mandrake 10.0, and they have no problems
with the USB sticks.

When I plug the memory stick into my machine, the LED flashes a few times
then stops, as I would expect, and as happens on the other machines.

When I type lsusb , I get

Bus 005 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 004 Device 002: ID 413c:2003 Dell Computer Corp.
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 413c:3200 Dell Computer Corp.
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000

The 2 slots identified are for the mouse and keyboard. The memory stick
doesn't appear.

It looks as if all the USB modules are loaded, lsmod | grep usb produces

usb-storage 78660 0
usbmouse 5536 0
usbkbd 7264 0
usbcore 104636 9 ohci-hcd,usb-storage,usbmouse,usbkbd,hid,ehci-hcd,uhci-hcd
scsi_mod 118648 5 usb-storage,sr_mod,sg,sd_mod,libata

Other modules loaded are:

ohci-hcd 19364 0
uhci-hcd 31120 0
ehci-hcd 25444 0

A quick look at the modules on the other machines shows them to be the same.

The kernel version is 2.6.3-19.

I'd really appreciate any information, this is driving me crazy

Thanks,
SpruceMoose.

I'm not exactly sure what you are expecting to happen - have you tried mounting the file system on the memory stick?

For my system, for comparison,
lsusb gives
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 05e3:0760 Genesys Logic, Inc. Card Reader
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000

lsmod | grep usb gives
usb_storage 55392 0
scsi_mod 91344 3 sg,sd_mod,usb_storage

and I am using FC2 with 2.6.5-1.358 kernel on custom i686 (celeron).

I'm guessing, and correct me if I'm wrong, that previous systems have automounted the stick - perhaps giving you an icon on your desktop or maybe an entry in some sort of media management tool.

In general, this will not happen unless configured to do so. You may just have to try:

mount -t vfat /dev/sda1 /mnt/memstick (or wherever you'd normally mount the stick.)

You have no cardreader listed in lsusb, so how are you expecting to access the stick?

Thanks for your reply,

If the computer recognised the USB stick, I would mount it, but it's
not even getting that far.../dev/sda or whatever (/dev/sdb on my
system) isn't appearing. The system doesn't see anything connected
to the USB port, other than the mouse and keyboard. I've tried
all the ports, just in case one wasn't working, but no good.

I'm starting to think that maybe I need to update the kernel,
that'll be fun...

In general, the computer will not "see" the memory stick. You have to guess where it is and mount it. Issue mount commands to the different special devices until you score a hit. (Though it may be in something like /dev/usb/...)

You can expect your computer to see a reader.

What are you trying to read the stick with? A camera? A pendrive? Perhaos you're jamming the stick into the USB slot (because that's what it sounds like )?

USB support is good from the 2.4 kernel upwards. Don't fret.

When I say it doesn't see the memory stick, I mean nothing appears when I type dmesg
and the memory stick isn't visible when I run lsusb. Before I can try to mount it, the computer
at least has to be aware that it's been inserted...as would be indicated if it appeared when
I type lsusb. The kernel is the same as on the other machines in my lab (2.6.3-19). As soon
as I insert the memory stick in these machines, dmesg instantly reports that a device has
been inserted, the manufacturers name etc. lsusb also indicates where the device has been
inserted....just as in the example you sent in your first reply

Thanks,
SpruceMoose

Finally got it working, but not sure why. I saw on some other site that
by removing "acpi" from the options in LILO, it might solve the problem
I was having. The setting was "acpi=ht". This morning, I set it to "acpi=off"
but that didn't work. Just now, I removed it from the options completely,
and everything works fine, as soon as I plug the device in, dmesg reports
it, and it's in the list produced by lsusb.

I also updated the BIOS with a download from the Dell website, from
Optiplex A03 to Optiplex A04, I'm not sure if that had anything to do
with it.

If it had got something to do with acpi, maybe because the device
looked like it was drawing too much power, so acpi shut it down
(not really sure if I even know exactly what acpi is for). Anyone know
if it's a bad idea to remove acpi from the options list?

There's another identical machine in my office with the same problem,
I'll go through the steps tomorrow and nail down exactly what the fix
is.

SpruceMoose

Great - congrats SpruceMoose on solving the problem and thanks for posting back with the solution that worked for you. This will be very helpful to future readers who may have the same question -- J.W.

Welcome to LQ!