It seems to be a common problem getting these devices to work, but everyone I see have problems with mounting the device, while no one has problems with it detecting it.

I have a Lexar USB memory Key under Slackware 9.0.

The problem is that it never detects it:
- dmesg gives nothing whether I just put it in or booted with it
- cdrecord -scanbus gives nothing but my cd burner
- fdisk -l [for every sd[a-g][1-6] device] gives nothing
- attempts to mount the device using a vfat file system give an invalid block device

I have tried with the bare.i 2.4.20 kernel and custom built 2.4.20/2.4.21 kernels.

My custum built kernels all have:
- USB Support
- SCSI Support
- SCSI Emulation
- UHCI (tried both usb-uhci and uhci)
- USB Mass Storage

I have little experience with USB under linux, but I did manage to get both my keyboard and mouse working under USB. Is there any other usb devices that I should be linking with an sda device? or do I need some sort of lilo boot option to enable scsi-emulation for the usb device?

BTW. My IDE CD Burner works with scsi emulation

1. Have you taken that Lexar and tried it in a different computer?
2. Have you put the Lexar in a 'known good' USB port, like where the mouse works, put the Lexar in that one and see what happens.
3. You should see the Lexar blink while the system accesses it on boot, check your BIOS settings, although having your KB/Mouse working tells me maybe that's not it either, but check all your BIOS settings and see if there is something set wrong.

1. It works on this computer in WinXP and I have used it on many computers, but only in windows (Win98SE, Win2k, WinXP)
2. Yes I have tried replacing the mouse and it gives the same behavior as all the other USB ports (My mouse works in all 6 of my USB ports)
3. The light never blinks when in linux. I am able to detect it in BIOS and even boot from it so my BIOS settings should be fine.

BTW. I have talked to people that have gotten this device working in RH9, just not Slackware

Thanks for the good hardware check. I've got mine working in MDK 9.1, with no problems at all.

We'll need someone with good module experience to step in now. I would think that they would like to see the output of lsmod. Can you post that. And confirm again that dmesg and /var/log/messages show no remarks concerning the Lexar when you plug it in? Thanks again.

lsmod doesn't show any of the relevant modules, because they were built right into the kernel.

And I have checked dmesg many many times, greped it for lexar as well. I am almost positive that it doesn't show up, but all the needed USB stuff shows and USB-Mass Storage appears in dmesg, but no devices for it show up.

/var/log/messages shows nothing when I try plugging in the device

It's like it doesn't exist

Well, Here's what my 'dmesg' says on boot when the Lexar is plugged in to a VIA motherboard, maybe there is a hint in there for you:

SCSI subsystem driver Revision: 1.00
Initializing USB Mass Storage driver...
usb.c: registered new driver usb-storage
usb-uhci.c: interrupt, status 2, frame# 1914
scsi0 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
Vendor: LEXAR Model: JUMPDRIVE PRO Rev: 0
Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 02
WARNING: USB Mass Storage data integrity not assured
USB Mass Storage device found at 4
USB Mass Storage support registered.
Attached scsi removable disk sda at scsi0, channel 0, id 0, lun 0
SCSI device sda: 503808 512-byte hdwr sectors (258 MB)
sda: Write Protect is off
/dev/scsi/host0/bus0/target0/lun0: p1 p2
(I fdisk'd my lexar and put two partitions on it)

I hope there is something in the above that might help. Any other people out there that might want to step in, FEEL FREE to do so.
Thanks!

thanks for the help, but I don't think it will help me

1) I know that my device is supposed to be:
Vendor: LEXAR Model: DIGITAL FILM
2) I get a similar dmesg as you do except a device on scsi0 is detected before USB Mass Storage is initialized, because it is my cd burner.
Then I get the line about initializing USB Mass Storage and all the required usb stuff is initialized. But when I'd expect it to say:

scsi1 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices

it doesn't and just moves on to other things

You are correct, it should step up to the next one, scsi1, ie:
scsi1 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices .
So, you never see a 'sda' line anywhere in your dmesg, so strange.

Could you take a look here and see if anything might be of help.

http://www.linux-usb.org/tools.html
Specifically the hotplug tools etc.

Is this memory inside a 'camera'? or like the keychain usb memory?

Thanks.

It's a keychain one.

Thanks for the link, I'll see what I can make of it.

BTW. Does anyone know if I have all the correct modules built in to the kernel?

and also if there's anything special I have to do to get SCSI Emulation for USB devices? I know with my cd-burner I had to put an 'hdd=ide-scsi' as a lilo boot option to get SCSI Emulation to work for it.

Thanks

Can you give me the www link for the exact model of your usb keychain, or just give me the exact model of what you have.
Also, can you pastethe contents of the /proc/bus/usb/devices file while the device is plugged in.
Thanks.

I haven't been able to get online lately, first because of the massive blackout, second because my modem is fried (on a friend's puter now)

anyways, I got it working purely by accident. I accidentally loaded usb-ohci instead of usb-uhci and it worked. It's wierd that this worked since I know that I'm supposed to be using usb-uhci.

I'm gunna go test my other USB devices and see if they work under ohci

thanks for all the help

Stranger things have happened. Sometimes a reboot, sometimes a comma or a period there, and magic, everything is OK. I sure wish I was the one that helped fixed it. Sometimes kicking the tire enough times does it! Oh well! I left that controller part alone, "- UHCI (tried both usb-uhci and uhci)", which I took to mean 'ohci' included.
The important thing is that you have a functional device, isn't life grand, peachy keen...