intermittent USB devices

Tamber-Krain · 09-21-2008, 08:25 AM

I am having problems with the USB ports on my gentoo box functioning somewhat intermittently

lsusb returns:

Code:

Bus 002 Device 003: ID 046d:c501 Logitech, Inc. Cordless Mouse Receiver
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 046a:0023 Cherry GmbH Cymotion Master Linux Keyboard
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001

(This is 5 minutes after a reboot, and 3 minutes after the entire of Bus 001 vanished, taking the printer's entry with it.
Plugged the printer into one of the front USB port, and nothing happened. lsusb returned exactly the same information.)

uname -a:

Code:

Linux deamon 2.6.25-gentoo-r7 
#1 SMP Fri Sep 5 18:50:19 BST x86_64 
AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3500+ AuthenticAMD GNU/Linux

(Not sure what other information I should post, but can post required info on request.)

I am hoping this is not a hardware problem, but can't figure out what else it could be.

EDIT: rebooted with the printer unplugged, and lsusb had one extra entry:

Code:

Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002

EDIT2: plugged the printer back in, and got:

Code:

 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002

EDIT3: started xsane, and both the Bus 001 entries vanished.

onebuck · 09-23-2008, 03:13 PM

Hi,

It could be a USB load problem. You could try a powered hub an see if that solves the issue.

Tamber-Krain · 09-27-2008, 10:50 AM

I'm afraid I don't have a powered hub, but now I have the PC back in it's usual place (sat on my desk), everything seems to be working perfectly. o.O

lsusb:

Code:

Bus 001 Device 007: ID 04fc:0c25 Sunplus Technology Co., Ltd 
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002  
Bus 002 Device 003: ID 046d:c501 Logitech, Inc. Cordless Mouse Receiver
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 046a:0023 Cherry GmbH Cymotion Master Linux Keyboard
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001

(with external HDD (not bus powered), keyboard and mouse (both bus powered).)

I'm beginning to think it's the printer causing these problems (the small sparks between USB plug's shield and the I/O shield on the back of the PC may be a clue... O.O), but the same printer plugged into the family PC (where it usually is) works fine. Needless to say, I will not be trying to use that printer with my PC any more.