I have a Sony NWZ-B183F MP3 player and have lots of problems using it with Debian. I have zero problems using it with Windows 10 (same PC - dual boot).

Copying files to the device using Debian is much much slower than Windows 10 and I often get an write error. After such an error, the device is inaccessible until I reboot the PC.

When I delete files, they are copied to a trash folder. I need to empty the trash or the player will try to play them. Emptying the trash often fails.

After the player has been mounted in Debian, Windows 10 always claims it needs repair although it generally says "No error found" at the end of the repair, except after Debian has had a write error.

When I insert the player in a USB slot, I get the following in /var/log/messages:

Feb 15 07:19:58 rusty kernel: [33393.655713] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 FAILED Result: hostbyte=DID_ERROR driverbyte=DRIVER_OK
Feb 15 07:19:58 rusty kernel: [33393.655720] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 CDB: Read(10) 28 00 00 00 1d 13 00 00 e8 00
Feb 15 07:19:58 rusty kernel: [33393.802210] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 FAILED Result: hostbyte=DID_ERROR driverbyte=DRIVER_OK
Feb 15 07:19:58 rusty kernel: [33393.802217] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 CDB: Read(10) 28 00 00 00 1e 12 00 00 cb 00
Feb 15 07:19:58 rusty kernel: [33393.984965] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 FAILED Result: hostbyte=DID_ERROR driverbyte=DRIVER_OK
Feb 15 07:19:58 rusty kernel: [33393.984972] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 CDB: Read(10) 28 00 00 00 1e 13 00 00 ca 00
Feb 15 07:19:58 rusty kernel: [33394.100109] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 FAILED Result: hostbyte=DID_ERROR driverbyte=DRIVER_OK
Feb 15 07:19:58 rusty kernel: [33394.100116] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 CDB: Read(10) 28 00 00 00 1f 12 00 00 f0 00

No idea what this means.

Its actually quicker to copy podcasts to a USB stick under Debian, boot to Windows and copy from the USB stick to the MP3 player.

Before I revert to using Windows 10 for downloading podcasts, I thought to seek for possible solutions here. I haven't been able to find anything useful on the Internet.

I have no experience with that device, but here's an article from the Ubuntu forums that might prove helpful: https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=866297

Is this you?

http://www.sony.com.my/electronics/w...specifications
http://www.sony.com.my/electronics/w...wz-b180-series

How are you copying files? My AntiX install based on Debian loves my RCA and Chinese Knockoff 4 gig mp3 players and automounts them in spacefm ( file manager ) when plugged in. But mine are formatted as fat32.


Also.

Post out put of

From terminal

when you plug in your mp3 player into Debian so members can see what file system is on your Walkman.
You might have a hinky non free file system that requires a certain Debian driver to access the files.

I mention this only because of read errors in your post. usually when I want to view error messages.

Helped me out on a express card usb 3.0 I bought from china to find the problem on why my usb drive would not show in my file manager when plugged into that card.

That troubles me and since I don't mix Windows and Linux on the same computer < I never dual boot anymore >
I can't comment on that but it seems it might be a Windows inducing a problem so Debian won't be access it.
Knowing that Hibernate in Windows 10 kills ntfs file access in Linux file managers.
You have to turn hibernate off in Windows to fix that.
Sneaky.

Could be a permission problem with Debian accessing the files also I guess.
I don't go in for fancy MP3 players. Mine are waterproof though for motorcycle riding.

that is a real problem.

how do you attempt that, and how des it fail?
fwiw, you can just permanently delete the .Trashxxxx folder with Shift+Del.
and maybe your filemanager has a setting to NOT use trash folders on removable devices.
it should.

windows will claim that for anything that has been used in linux.
not sure how exactly they do that, but the choice is to NOT repair the disk.

i will assume this has to do with problem nr. 1.
i think we need that output requested by rokytnji.
also make sure the dmesg output contains messages about the mp3 player.

I have an old 1GB version of that type of player, & have no problem mounting it from the command line, my preferred way to mount drives, & it mounts as a vfat drive.

dmesg is showing I/O errors which /var/log/messages is not

[ 266.559353] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] Write Protect is off
[ 266.559358] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] Mode Sense: 03 00 00 00
[ 266.559975] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] No Caching mode page found
[ 266.559983] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] Assuming drive cache: write through
[ 266.568257] sdd: sdd1
[ 266.570977] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] Attached SCSI removable disk
[ 266.763472] scsi_io_completion: 13 callbacks suppressed
[ 266.763481] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 FAILED Result: hostbyte=DID_ERROR driverbyte=DRIVER_OK
[ 266.763487] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 CDB: Read(10) 28 00 00 00 00 80 00 00 90 00
[ 266.763489] blk_update_request: 13 callbacks suppressed
[ 266.763491] blk_update_request: I/O error, dev sdd, sector 128
[ 266.961107] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 FAILED Result: hostbyte=DID_ERROR driverbyte=DRIVER_OK
[ 266.961114] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 CDB: Read(10) 28 00 00 00 01 10 00 00 f0 00
[ 266.961117] blk_update_request: I/O error, dev sdd, sector 272
[ 267.157730] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 FAILED Result: hostbyte=DID_ERROR driverbyte=DRIVER_OK
[ 267.157735] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 CDB: Read(10) 28 00 00 00 02 00 00 00 f0 00
[ 267.157739] blk_update_request: I/O error, dev sdd, sector 512
[ 267.361231] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 FAILED Result: hostbyte=DID_ERROR driverbyte=DRIVER_OK
[ 267.361237] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 CDB: Read(10) 28 00 00 00 03 00 00 00 f0 00
[ 267.361240] blk_update_request: I/O error, dev sdd, sector 768
[ 267.530980] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 FAILED Result: hostbyte=DID_ERROR driverbyte=DRIVER_OK
[ 267.530987] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 CDB: Read(10) 28 00 00 6e 9c 78 00 00 88 00
[ 267.530990] blk_update_request: I/O error, dev sdd, sector 7249016
[ 267.698356] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 FAILED Result: hostbyte=DID_ERROR driverbyte=DRIVER_OK
[ 267.698363] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 CDB: Read(10) 28 00 00 6e 9e 78 00 00 80 00
[ 267.698366] blk_update_request: I/O error, dev sdd, sector 7249528
[ 267.916124] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 FAILED Result: hostbyte=DID_ERROR driverbyte=DRIVER_OK
[ 267.916129] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 CDB: Read(10) 28 00 00 00 00 c0 00 00 90 00
[ 267.916132] blk_update_request: I/O error, dev sdd, sector 192
[ 268.087752] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 FAILED Result: hostbyte=DID_ERROR driverbyte=DRIVER_OK
[ 268.087759] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 CDB: Read(10) 28 00 00 00 01 50 00 00 f0 00
[ 268.087762] blk_update_request: I/O error, dev sdd, sector 336
[ 268.284365] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 FAILED Result: hostbyte=DID_ERROR driverbyte=DRIVER_OK
[ 268.284371] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 CDB: Read(10) 28 00 00 00 02 40 00 00 f0 00
[ 268.284375] blk_update_request: I/O error, dev sdd, sector 576
[ 268.494615] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 FAILED Result: hostbyte=DID_ERROR driverbyte=DRIVER_OK
[ 268.494621] sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#0 CDB: Read(10) 28 00 00 00 03 40 00 00 f0 00
[ 268.494625] blk_update_request: I/O error, dev sdd, sector 832

Output f fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sdd: 3.5 GiB, 3711959040 bytes, 7249920 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x0049c3bc

Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sdd1 64 7249919 7249856 3.5G b W95 FAT32


Windows 10 still thinks the disk is fine.

i would suggest reformatting to FAT32, and from now on never ever allow windows 10 to "repair" it.
it is of course possible that the memory is just dying of old age or something.
trying different usb slots or cleaning the plug can also help.

1 members found this post helpful.

Yes. ^^^^^^^^ What he said. My 2 gig RCA mp3 player is as old as the hills and twice as dusty. I am surprised the battery life is still good.

I find 90% wood alcohol and removing 1/2 the cotton on the end of a q tip works Ok for cleaning. I use a can of compressed air to blow out excess wetness and dry things out when done.

You just reminded me to check my 2 gig sandisk cruzer usb ondoho that was in my pants pocket and ended up in the wash machine. It has been drying for few days now. I have a antix 17 live iso on it. Guess I'll see if I got lucky or not.

Edit: Got Lucky. Apparently. Washing in detergent did not break it.

My USB memory stick works perfectly fine under Linux and Windows.

My MP3 player works perfectly fine under Windows but has lots of errors under Linux.

The obvious conclusion is that the MP3 player is incompatible with Linux. This seems rather strange - I was expecting it to be OK.

I'll restrict pod catching to Windows for the moment. I regularly use both platforms so its no big deal.

Thanks to all for your advice.

it seems you are determined to have it your way, but why?
wouldn't you benefit from an mp3 player that works under linux?

fwiw, there's a few more suggestions right in this thread that you haven't commented on yet, and i think it's a little early to "give up".

Yes, I would like to be able to use the device under Linux.

If you want my comments to suggestions I have received:

Frankbell provided a link which I investigated. This led me to a lot of hits claiming that various NWZ models were not being correctly mounted under Linux. I tried several different suggested fixes but none made any difference.

Thanks to the user who suggested dmesg, I discovered that the messages I was seeing in /var/log/messages were associated with I/O errors. This explained all the strangeness I was seeing. I had thought dmesg only showed boot messages.

Ondoho seemed to suggest that I can configure the File Manager to not put the trash on the device itself. My research had indicated that I could not modify this. If I ever get the device working properly under Linux, I will follow this up.

Ondoho suggested that I reformat the device (presumably using Linux).

Sony says: Be sure not to initialize (format) the memory of your Walkman using a computer.

When I have finished listening to the current batch of podcasts, I will try reformatting using the built-in formatting feature and re-test.

I don't think the USB ports are faulty, the memory stick works fine in both the ports I use. I don't think the MP3 player is faulty or dirty, it works fine under Windows.

I discovered why Windows kept complaining about the device after it was mounted under Linux - Linux isn't clearing the mounted flag (I/O error?). Linux itself reports the device to be improperly unmounted (dmesg) after it is ejected properly and reinserted. The suggestion that Windows is doing something to the device that is causing Linux problems seems hugely unlikely to me. In most cases Windows is simply clearing the mounted flag and reporting that it found no errors.

As far as I know, Sony don't provide Linux support for this device. I don't think there is any guarantee that it will work under Linux despite claims to the contrary - http://www.linuxcompatible.org/compa...nwz_linux.html.

It may be that the device is being mounted with the wrong parameters. But the parameters Debian uses for the MP3 player are identical to those it uses for the USB memory stick. That is what I would expect.

I haven't given up on a solution but until I find one, I won't use the player under Linux.

Same problem here using the Sony NWZ-B183F under Ubuntu 16.04, Manjaro Budgie Desktop, Antergos Gnome and so on... So it seem not a Debian only problem but a whole Sony problem with any Linux distribution. The symptom is a very low copy speed. In my case I can copy files but with a lot of time to finish the task. I can't figure how to solve this issue as I love how the Sony NWZ-B183F performs. Any idea, please?

please start your own thread with a detailed problem description.
you might want to read this first.

My dmesg shoved the same errors. I lowered ATTR{max_sectors} value to 64 by following udev rule:

/etc/udev/rules.d/01-sony_walkman.rules
After this, all errors went away. Linux USB FAQ says:

2 members found this post helpful.

That seems to work thankyou.