Hi all,

I am a total beginner to Linux so please bare with me.

I own a Dell Poweredge 1750 1U server, Bios rev A10 running VMWare ESX 2.5 (RH 7.1.? + Kernel 2.4.9). I have recently added a zonet usb2.0+firewire PCI combo card (model # ZUC2400) (sever has two USB 1.1 ports). Attached to the zonet pci card is my ultra HD IDE 3.5'' Enclosure which supports both USB and Firewire *******link to product***** .ultraproducts.com/product_info.php?cPath=33&products_id=249[/url])
and inside the HD enclosure I have a WD 200GB HD.

Zonet informs me that Via.com.tw make there usb card chipsets so I went to the download area at
viaarena.com/default.aspx?PageID=2.[/url]
I downloaded a PDF file showing me step by step instructions on how to upgrade my Kernel (Remember I know ZERO about linux let alone rebuilding kernels). After reviewing what seemed like a clear step by step I quikly noticed that the command "make config" would take me on a totally unfriendly ride of answering each question of the build...so I scrapped that idea.

Now, all I want to do is make my usb port work. Dell has informed me their ports do not support anything but keyboards at low power consumption, and that kernel 2.4 does not support USB? True or not I do not know. They say go to 2.6 but I am not sure that my ESX server will work after that.

I have tried the following commands:

1) modprobe usb-storage
2) modprobe usb-uhci
3) modprobe usb-ohci

but I have read I need to add CONFIG_USB_EHCI_HCD=y and
CONFIG_USB_OHCI=y to the .config file. Sounds good but I have no idea where this file is and what will happen if I just add these lines in. I mean doesn't it still need the module files to install after?

After the modprobe steps I ran the command dmesg..this is what I get (in brief):

megaraid: being unloaded...ok.
scsi singledevice 0 0 0 0
usb.c: registered new driver usbdevfs
usb.c: registered new driver hub
Initializing USB Mass Storage driver...
usb.c: registered new driver usb-storage
USB Mass Storage support registered.
usb-ohci.c: USB OHCI at membase 0xcd00a000, IRQ 11
usb-ohci.c: usb-00:0f.2, ServerWorks OSB4/CSB5 OHCI USB Controller
usb.c: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 1
hub.c: USB hub found
hub.c: 4 ports detected
usb-uhci.c: $Revision$ time 15:32:29 Nov 29 2004
usb-uhci.c: High bandwidth mode enabled
usb-uhci.c: USB UHCI at I/O 0xcce0, IRQ 24
usb-uhci.c: Detected 2 ports
usb.c: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 2
hub.c: USB hub found
hub.c: 2 ports detected
usb-uhci.c: USB UHCI at I/O 0xccc0, IRQ 25
usb-uhci.c: Detected 2 ports
hub.c: USB new device connect on bus2/2, assigned device number 2
usb.c: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 3
hub.c: USB hub found
hub.c: 2 ports detected
usb-uhci.c: v1.251:USB Universal Host Controller Interface driver
scsi1 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
usb-uhci.c: interrupt, status 3, frame# 321
Vendor: Maxtor 6 Model: Y200P0 Rev: YAR4
Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 02
usb-uhci.c: interrupt, status 2, frame# 338
usb-uhci.c: interrupt, status 2, frame# 352
usb-uhci.c: interrupt, status 2, frame# 366
VMWARE: Device that would have been attached as scsi disk sdb at scsi1, channel 0, id 0, lun 0
Has not been attached because this path could not complete a READ command eventhough a TUR worked.
result = 0x8000002 key = 0x5, asc = 0x20, ascq = 0x0
VMWARE: Device that would have been attached as scsi disk sdb at scsi1, channel 0, id 0, lun 0
Has not been attached because it is a duplicate path or on a passive path
scsi_register_host starting finish
scsi_register_host done with finish
WARNING: USB Mass Storage data integrity not assured
USB Mass Storage device found at 2
hub.c: USB new device connect on bus3/1, assigned device number 2
hub.c: USB hub found
hub.c: 4 ports detected
hub.c: USB new device connect on bus3/1/1, assigned device number 3
usb.c: USB device 3 (vend/prod 0x46d/0xc512) is not claimed by any active driver.

What is happening? What is missing? Is it the drivers for the usb card? or the Enclosure? I must admit I have not contacted Ultra to see if there was a linux driver but I also have a USB keyboard plugged in the PCI card and that is not working either....remember I am using the USB port on the enclosure not the Firewire port. I would like to try the IEEE1394 port but probably will need the module for it.

Anyway I hope I supplied anyone that can help me, with enough info that can help me just get my card detected and working. I am sure there is a way to just add support for usb and firewire in my situation. Just remember to give me step by step as I am a newbie!

Thank you,

VMProxy

Dell is wrong because kernel version 2.4.x supports USB. USB ports can only provide 500 mA of current which is sufficient to provide power to 2.5 inch hard drive, NIC, sound, fans, leds. You can also charge batteries through USB ports, so I do not why DELL said you can not power any devices except for keyboards and mouse.

You need to load sd_mod, usb-storage, and scsi modules in Linux for the USB storage to work. As root or su type modprobe sd_mod usb-storage. This will get something going. Then type fdisk -l /dev/sda.

Thanks for the reply. I wasn't sure if Dell was right or not, I guess I just came across someone who was not to sure.

I tried the command you specified..with no further results until I type modprobe sd_mod usb-uhci .....yet unfortuantely nothing has changed. I still get:

scsi singledevice 0 0 0 0
usb.c: registered new driver usbdevfs
usb.c: registered new driver hub
Initializing USB Mass Storage driver...
usb.c: registered new driver usb-storage
USB Mass Storage support registered.
usb-ohci.c: USB OHCI at membase 0xcd00a000, IRQ 11
usb-ohci.c: usb-00:0f.2, ServerWorks OSB4/CSB5 OHCI USB Controller
usb.c: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 1
hub.c: USB hub found
hub.c: 4 ports detected
usb-uhci.c: $Revision$ time 15:32:29 Nov 29 2004
usb-uhci.c: High bandwidth mode enabled
usb-uhci.c: USB UHCI at I/O 0xcce0, IRQ 24
usb-uhci.c: Detected 2 ports
usb.c: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 2
hub.c: USB hub found
hub.c: 2 ports detected
usb-uhci.c: USB UHCI at I/O 0xccc0, IRQ 25
usb-uhci.c: Detected 2 ports
hub.c: USB new device connect on bus2/2, assigned device number 2
usb.c: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 3
hub.c: USB hub found
hub.c: 2 ports detected
usb-uhci.c: v1.251:USB Universal Host Controller Interface driver
scsi1 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
usb-uhci.c: interrupt, status 3, frame# 321
Vendor: Maxtor 6 Model: Y200P0 Rev: YAR4
Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 02
usb-uhci.c: interrupt, status 2, frame# 338
usb-uhci.c: interrupt, status 2, frame# 352
usb-uhci.c: interrupt, status 2, frame# 366
VMWARE: Device that would have been attached as scsi disk sdb at scsi1, channel 0, id 0, lun 0
Has not been attached because this path could not complete a READ command eventhough a TUR worked.
result = 0x8000002 key = 0x5, asc = 0x20, ascq = 0x0
VMWARE: Device that would have been attached as scsi disk sdb at scsi1, channel 0, id 0, lun 0
Has not been attached because it is a duplicate path or on a passive path
scsi_register_host starting finish
scsi_register_host done with finish
WARNING: USB Mass Storage data integrity not assured
USB Mass Storage device found at 2
hub.c: USB new device connect on bus3/1, assigned device number 2
hub.c: USB hub found
hub.c: 4 ports detected
hub.c: USB new device connect on bus3/1/1, assigned device number 3
usb.c: USB device 3 (vend/prod 0x46d/0xc512) is not claimed by any active driver.

I have been using the PCI card all along during these tests...I gave up on the internal usb ports long time ago.
What else should we do? What about usb-ehci? Don't have the modules though.

In the maufacturers document of the PCI card suggests we go to 2.4.23 kernel at least.

If so how do I do this?

Type /sbin/lsmod after you connect the drive.

You may have to make a node device in /dev to force to use the usb storage. Sometimes devfsd glitches.

Kernel version 2.4.9 is very old to use USB, I suggest getting the latest 2.4.x kernel.

Okay...how about we do that then...meaning upgrade the Kernel to 2.4.29.

How do I do that exactly. I just downloaded
patch-2.4.29.bz2 and patch-2.4.29-bk6.bz2. (What is the diff)

Could you give me step by step instructions on what to do along with post steps...such as modprobe xxxx (whatever)

Thanks,

VMProxy

If you have the bandwidth just download the full version. With patches you have to start with 2.4.10 and incremently go to 2.4.29.

Read http://www.justlinux.com/nhf/Compili...mpilation.html. It will help you on the steps to configure and compile the kernel.

Well my pci card (with usb+firewire ports) worked after all without having to update the kernel. All I needed to do was issue 2 more commands modprobe hid and modprobe keybdev to get my usb keyboard working. This at least confirms the card is being recognized. But still no success on the mass storage device I am connecting to it...however I feel looking over the dmesg it must be a tweek somewhere.

Can anybody shed some light on this message...this is where the problem lies.

Device that would have been attached as scsi disk sdb at scsi1, channel 0, id 0, lun 0
Has not been attached because this path could not complete a READ command eventhough a TUR worked.
result = 0x8000002 key = 0x5, asc = 0x20, ascq = 0x0
VMWARE: Device that would have been attached as scsi disk sdb at scsi1, channel 0, id 0, lun 0
Has not been attached because it is a duplicate path or on a passive path
scsi_register_host starting finish
scsi_register_host done with finish
WARNING: USB Mass Storage data integrity not assured


It obviously communicating with the device but seems to fail when it assigns it to SDB....why? Is there a conflict with another device?

Any ideas?

The disk is sdb but from the dmesg log it seems its on sda. Try doing "fdisk -l /dev/sd[a-z]" as root or su.

I suggest compiling the new latest stable 2.4.x kernel because it has more support for USB mass storage devices. Make sure usb input devices are not as modules, but hardcoded in the kernel. This will make them easier to use. I suggest using PS/2 instead of USB for keyboard and mouse because they are more reliable than USB models.