Executive summary!: Flash card reader/writer locks linux solid (mouse freezes, only way out is reset button) on my HD install of Knoppix BUT not when running from the Knoppix live CD! (and I cannot spot the difference!). I'm looking for pointers (please!).

The device causing the fuss is a PQI USB "travel flash" smartmedia flash card reader/writer - I checked first that this would work with the qbik.ch site..... I'm using a HD install (2.4.22) from the Knoppix Linux live CD, ver 3.3 - which I did a few months ago, the CD version I have is still ver 3.3 (but slightly newer).

So, If I plug the device in with the HD install running after a few seconds (I have the dmesg stuff below) it locks the PC. If I boot the same machine from the live CD and plug it in it works fine. So, same machine, same config.

What I've tried to look at is the dmesg from the boot and the irqs are the same, modules loaded the same (versions I'm not sure - don't know how to check) - it all looks fine to me. I've captured where the PC hangs on the HD install as compared to the CD no hang:

The contents of dmesg.

WORKING booted from knoppix live CD, plug in the PQI:

hub.c: new USB device 00:10.2-1, assigned address 2
usb.c: USB device 2 (vend/prod 0x58f/0x9350) is not claimed by any active driver.
Initializing USB Mass Storage driver...
usb.c: registered new driver usb-storage
usb-uhci.c: interrupt, status 2, frame# 672
scsi2 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
usb_control/bulk_msg: timeout
usb-uhci.c: interrupt, status 2, frame# 1454
usb-uhci.c: interrupt, status 3, frame# 1185
WARNING: USB Mass Storage data integrity not assured
USB Mass Storage device found at 2
USB Mass Storage support registered.

NOT working on my HD setup, plug in the PQI:

hub.c: new USB device 00:10.2-1, assigned address 2
usb-uhci.c: interrupt, status 2, frame# 1232
usb_control/bulk_msg: timeout
scsi1 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
usb_control/bulk_msg: timeout
usb-uhci.c: interrupt, status 2, frame# 969

then it locks.....

Okay, so usb-storage is initialized on the first one so I rmmod usb-storage on the HD install, to force it to do this, but no change.

I have other dmesg stuff from the boot, but this is already quite a long post. Any suggestions? hotplug? versions of the modules? (how to check?)

Any pointers welcome. Thanks in advance.

Stoo.....

I've just noticed something else that has been staring me in the face. This item is PQI and on www.qbik.ch this device should have a vendor/product ID of 0x3538:0x0001 but it doesn't, it has an ID of 058f/9350 which is listed as a PNY brand which does not work. We won't mention this to it and see why the Knoppix live CD does have it working! (Besides Alcor (the manufacturer) state it is USB bulk storage compatable)

Any ideas?

The plot THICKENS and now I have a "work-around!" - someone MUST be able to help me with this!

As the ability to plug and unplug these things depends on 'hotplug', I thought I'd try and do some reading on the subject. As an experiment I disabled hotplug by using the 'stop' feature of 'SysV Init Editor' and sure enough plug in the flash R/W and it doesn't get recognised. So I then bring hotplug back into operation by using the 'start' feature...... check my USB scanner works again (yes), bring my USB network connection back up (yes).

AND NOW!!!..... I can plug and unplug the flash reader/writer without any problems!!!

What is hotplug doing during boot that is different from a manually restart? - HELP! (please!)

Stu.....

Below is the successful hotplug dmesg (proof!)

root@Home:/home/stuart# dmesg
hub.c: new USB device 00:10.2-1, assigned address 2
usb.c: USB device 2 (vend/prod 0x58f/0x9350) is not claimed by any active driver.
Initializing USB Mass Storage driver...
usb.c: registered new driver usb-storage
scsi1 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
Vendor: Generic Model: USB SMC Reader Rev: 1.00
Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 02
Attached scsi removable disk sda at scsi1, channel 0, id 0, lun 0
SCSI device sda: 64000 512-byte hdwr sectors (33 MB)
sda: Write Protect is off
sda: sda1
WARNING: USB Mass Storage data integrity not assured
USB Mass Storage device found at 2
USB Mass Storage support registered.

Okay, I looked at the difference between the USB bits in dmesg from the boot and what happens when hotplug is restarted. The difference is that during boot usb_uhci is used but restarting hotplug uses uhci - so it seems that uhci is the one that works with this device.

How do I change this to be the case at boot?

FIXED! subject to some proper testing - yippee (steady on old boy! - not terribly English!)

I changed the entry in /etc/modules 'usb-uhci' to 'uhci' and it now works and so does my USB scanner and my USB network connection! - An awful lot of luck.

So the lesson is: "If your USB connected mass storage device gives problems with 'usb_uhci', try the 'uhci' alternative driver"

Cheers to all. Stu.....

Aw well, back to the job application letters!

www.stuartkennedy.org.uk