I bought a new and possibly unsupported device, "mpathy 3310", a CompactFlash-based mp3 player with USB connection. I was told that it's a USB storage device, "like all other such players and jukeboxes". But I couldn't make my linux kernel 2.4.18 (stable Debian 3.0) work with it.
I have all scsi, usbcore, usb-uhci, usb-storage modules loaded (I recompiled the kernel with *all* usb devices supported). usbmgr is running, I added information about the new device (i.e. its vendor/product numbers and the module name 'usb-storage') to /etc/usbmgr/config file as appropriate. I get messages about hot-plugging a new storage device, but then there are various failure messages in kern.log and daemon.log, and the scsi subsystem hangs when I try sg3utils such as sg_scan -i or sginfo -l or even 'cat /dev/sg0'. All of this hangs.

/proc/bus/usb/devices says: I Driver=(none), i.e. no driver.
Sometimes usbmgr installes two scsi adapters instead of one; both are marked as "scsi host type <NULL>", i.e. they are non-working "scsi adapters".
I have searched the web and basically the only info I could get was that it either works by providing a scsi emulation and then just /dev/sda or /dev/sdb or whatever should work, or it's "not supported", whatever that means (isn't a USB external disk just a generic device with identical interface? ).
How do I diagnoze this problem further? I can provide lots of log messages of the kind "scsi command failed", "auto-sense failure", etc. coming from usb-storage into kern.log.
Any help will be appreciated.

for example, here is some info from kern.log:
(the usb device was plugged in when I booted)

Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: hub.c: USB new device connect on bus1/1, assigned device number 2
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: usb.c: kmalloc IF c6dc3d40, numif 1
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: usb.c: new device strings: Mfr=0, Product=0, SerialNumber=0
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: usb.c: unhandled interfaces on device
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: usb.c: USB device 2 (vend/prod 0x90a/0x1100) is not claimed by any active driver.
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: Length = 18
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: DescriptorType = 01
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: USB version = 1.10
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: Vendor:Product = 090a:1100
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: MaxPacketSize0 = 8
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: NumConfigurations = 1
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: Device version = 1.00
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: Device Class:SubClass:Protocol = 00:00:00
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: Per-interface classes
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: Configuration:
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bLength = 9
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bDescriptorType = 02
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: wTotalLength = 0027
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bNumInterfaces = 01
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bConfigurationValue = 01
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: iConfiguration = 00
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bmAttributes = 80
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: MaxPower = 60mA
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel:
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: Interface: 0
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: Alternate Setting: 0
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bLength = 9
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bDescriptorType = 04
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bInterfaceNumber = 00
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bAlternateSetting = 00
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bNumEndpoints = 03
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bInterface Class:SubClass:Protocol = 08:01:01
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: iInterface = 00
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: Endpoint:
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bLength = 7
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bDescriptorType = 05
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bEndpointAddress = 81 (in)
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bmAttributes = 02 (Bulk)
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: wMaxPacketSize = 0040
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bInterval = 00
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: Endpoint:
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bLength = 7
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bDescriptorType = 05
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bEndpointAddress = 02 (out)
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bmAttributes = 02 (Bulk)
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: wMaxPacketSize = 0040
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bInterval = 00
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: Endpoint:
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bLength = 7
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bDescriptorType = 05
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bEndpointAddress = 83 (in)
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bmAttributes = 03 (Interrupt)
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: wMaxPacketSize = 0008
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: bInterval = ff
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: usb.c: kusbd: /sbin/hotplug add 2
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: usb.c: kusbd policy returned 0xfffffffe
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: SCSI subsystem driver Revision: 1.00
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: Initializing USB Mass Storage driver...
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: usb.c: registered new driver usb-storage
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: act_altsettting is 0
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: id_index calculated to be: 64
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: Array length appears to be: 83
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: USB Mass Storage device detected
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: Endpoints: In: 0xc7ddb720 Out: 0xc7ddb734 Int: 0xc7ddb748 (Period 255)
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: New GUID 090a11000000000000000000
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: Transport: Control/Bulk
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: Protocol: Reduced Block Commands (RBC)
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: *** thread sleeping.
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: scsi0 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: queuecommand() called
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: *** thread awakened.
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: Command INQUIRY (6 bytes)
Aug 9 20:03:58 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: 12 00 00 00 ff 00 00 00 55 d7 16 c0
Aug 9 20:03:59 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: Call to usb_stor_control_msg() returned 6
Aug 9 20:03:59 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: usb_stor_transfer_partial(): xfer 255 bytes
Aug 9 20:04:04 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: command_abort() called
Aug 9 20:04:04 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: usb_stor_bulk_msg() returned -2 xferred 0/255
Aug 9 20:04:04 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: usb_stor_transfer_partial(): transfer aborted
Aug 9 20:04:04 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: CB data stage result is 0x3
Aug 9 20:04:04 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: -- transport indicates command was aborted
Aug 9 20:04:04 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: Fixing INQUIRY data to show SCSI rev 2
Aug 9 20:04:04 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: scsi command aborted
Aug 9 20:04:04 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: *** thread sleeping.
Aug 9 20:04:04 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: queuecommand() called
Aug 9 20:04:04 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: *** thread awakened.
Aug 9 20:04:04 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: Command TEST_UNIT_READY (6 bytes)
Aug 9 20:04:04 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 55 d7 16 c0
Aug 9 20:04:14 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: command_abort() called
Aug 9 20:04:14 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: Call to usb_stor_control_msg() returned -2
Aug 9 20:04:14 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: -- transport indicates command was aborted
Aug 9 20:04:14 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: scsi command aborted
Aug 9 20:04:14 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: *** thread sleeping.
Aug 9 20:04:14 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: device_reset() called
Aug 9 20:04:14 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: CB_reset() called
Aug 9 20:04:14 tp600 kernel: usb-uhci.c: interrupt, status 2, frame# 752
Aug 9 20:04:14 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: CB[I] soft reset failed -110
Aug 9 20:04:14 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: bus_reset() called
Aug 9 20:04:14 tp600 kernel: hub.c: port 1 enable change, status 110
Aug 9 20:04:14 tp600 kernel: hub.c: port 1 connection change
Aug 9 20:04:14 tp600 kernel: hub.c: port 1, portstatus 103, change 1, 12 Mb/s
Aug 9 20:04:14 tp600 kernel: usb.c: USB disconnect on device 2
Aug 9 20:04:14 tp600 kernel: usb.c: kusbd: /sbin/hotplug remove 2
Aug 9 20:04:15 tp600 kernel: usb.c: kusbd policy returned 0xfffffffe
Aug 9 20:04:15 tp600 kernel: hub.c: port 1, portstatus 103, change 0, 12 Mb/s
Aug 9 20:04:15 tp600 kernel: hub.c: port 1, portstatus 103, change 0, 12 Mb/s
Aug 9 20:04:15 tp600 kernel: hub.c: USB new device connect on bus1/1, assigned device number 3
Aug 9 20:04:15 tp600 kernel: usb.c: kmalloc IF c6dc3e60, numif 1
Aug 9 20:04:15 tp600 kernel: usb.c: new device strings: Mfr=0, Product=0, SerialNumber=0
Aug 9 20:04:20 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: host_reset() requested but not implemented
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: scsi: device set offline - command error recover failed: host 0 channel 0 id 0 lun 0
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: queuecommand() called
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: *** thread awakened.
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: Bad target number (1/0)
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: *** thread sleeping.
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: queuecommand() called
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: *** thread awakened.
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: Bad target number (2/0)
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: *** thread sleeping.
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: queuecommand() called
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: *** thread awakened.
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: Bad target number (3/0)
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: *** thread sleeping.
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: queuecommand() called
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: *** thread awakened.
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: Bad target number (4/0)
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: *** thread sleeping.
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: queuecommand() called
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: *** thread awakened.
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: Bad target number (5/0)
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: *** thread sleeping.
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: queuecommand() called
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: *** thread awakened.
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: Bad target number (6/0)
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: *** thread sleeping.
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: queuecommand() called
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: *** thread awakened.
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: Bad target number (7/0)
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: *** thread sleeping.
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: WARNING: USB Mass Storage data integrity not assured
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: USB Mass Storage device found at 2
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb.c: usb-storage driver claimed interface c6dc3d40
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: USB Mass Storage support registered.
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: act_altsettting is 0
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: id_index calculated to be: 64
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: Array length appears to be: 83
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: USB Mass Storage device detected
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: Endpoints: In: 0xc7ddb7a0 Out: 0xc7ddb7b4 Int: 0xc7ddb7c8 (Period 255)
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: New GUID 090a11000000000000000000
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: Transport: Control/Bulk
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: Protocol: Reduced Block Commands (RBC)
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: *** thread sleeping.
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: scsi1 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: queuecommand() called
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: *** thread awakened.
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: Command INQUIRY (6 bytes)
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: 12 00 00 00 ff 00 00 00 55 d7 16 c0
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: Call to usb_stor_control_msg() returned 6
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: usb_stor_transfer_partial(): xfer 255 bytes
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-uhci.c: interrupt, status 2, frame# 1532
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: usb_stor_bulk_msg() returned -32 xferred 0/255
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: clearing endpoint halt for pipe 0xc0008380
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: usb_stor_transfer_partial(): unknown error
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: CB data stage result is 0x2
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: -- CB transport device requiring auto-sense
Aug 9 20:04:30 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: Issuing auto-REQUEST_SENSE
Aug 9 20:04:36 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: command_abort() called
Aug 9 20:04:36 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: Call to usb_stor_control_msg() returned -2
Aug 9 20:04:36 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: -- auto-sense failure
Aug 9 20:04:36 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: CB_reset() called
Aug 9 20:04:36 tp600 kernel: usb-uhci.c: interrupt, status 2, frame# 1384
Aug 9 20:04:36 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: CB[I] soft reset failed -110
Aug 9 20:04:36 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: scsi cmd done, result=0x70000
Aug 9 20:04:36 tp600 kernel: usb-storage: *** thread sleeping.

The verbose kernel log isn't as useful as the device scan that hits dmesg, do you have a partition register for a scsi device in dmesg, it'll be about 10 or so lines... alot of the above isn't anything to worry about as its probing 7 LUNs, 1 of which has a device attached to it.

Cheers,

Finegan

cat /proc/bus/usb/devices gives:

T: Bus=01 Lev=00 Prnt=00 Port=00 Cnt=00 Dev#= 1 Spd=12 MxCh= 2
B: Alloc= 0/900 us ( 0%), #Int= 0, #Iso= 0
D: Ver= 1.00 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS= 8 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=0000 ProdID=0000 Rev= 0.00
S: Product=USB UHCI Root Hub
S: SerialNumber=8400
C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=40 MxPwr= 0mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub
E: Ad=81(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS= 8 Ivl=255ms
T: Bus=01 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=00 Cnt=01 Dev#= 3 Spd=12 MxCh= 0
D: Ver= 1.10 Cls=00(>ifc ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS= 8 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=090a ProdID=1100 Rev= 1.00
C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=80 MxPwr= 60mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 3 Cls=08(stor.) Sub=01 Prot=01 Driver=(none)
E: Ad=81(I) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 64 Ivl= 0ms
E: Ad=02(O) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 64 Ivl= 0ms
E: Ad=83(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS= 8 Ivl=255ms

cat /proc/bus/usb/drivers gives:

usbdevfs
hub
hid
usb-storage

according to what I understand, the device is not recognized for some reason although the module usb-storage is loaded and I compiled into it all possible options.

dmesg contains the above kernel messages from usb-storage and no mention of any scsi devices.

cat /proc/scsi/scsi gives:

Attached devices:
Host: scsi1 Channel: 00 Id: 00 Lun: 00
Vendor: Model: Rev:
Type: <NULL> ANSI SCSI revision: ffffffff

however, /proc/scsi contains files /proc/scsi/usb-storage-0/0 and /proc/scsi/usb-storage-1/1,

cat usb-storage-0/0 file gives

Host scsi0: usb-storage
Vendor: Unknown
Product: Unknown
Serial Number: None
Protocol: Reduced Block Commands (RBC)
Transport: Control/Bulk
GUID: 090a11000000000000000000
Attached: Yes

but /proc/scsi/usb-storage-1/1 is empty.

this is the problem: it tries to attach a scsi host but fails, then it tries to attach a second scsi host and also kind of fails. /proc/scsi/scsi gives only one host (scsi1) and not scsi0. Note that I have no other scsi hosts or cards.

ok, it looks like the usb system on my computer is working fine, I just got a card reader working without any problem whatsoever, so this player is probably just a nonstandard device that needs a special driver. Since I already have a card reader that I can use to transfer files to the player, the issuem should be considered closed.