USB Config, Format and Permission access

[WHODIDDAT]

Hello!
As the title implies a few questions at once.
Ive looked extensively for the answers to no avail.
I'm a novice user of linux in general - but learning everyday - so forgive my obvious mistakes.

Usually out of nessesity I'm using Knoppix as a rescue device. At this time since my main PC is being repaired, I thought to try to get some net and file access with an old Chaintech 733Mz box with the HD's removed since Knoppix runs on the fly. Although I do have a 100Mb Zip drive and 2 USB's with the ports to access both. So far so good... I'm here arn't I - Now here's the problem(s)

in another thread it suggests to first "mkdir" to mount the USB device. (If not detected or auto configured to the desktop)
- Should mention It wasn't written to /etc/fstab - therefore I had to append it in "root"
- Also these were plugged into an XP SP2 AMD box before and has only been recognized (in the past) by knoppix through SMB from the old box mounted on the new one - never on the same machine. Why?

#dmesg

d_request: I/O error, dev ubb, sector 2
Buffer I/O error on device ubb, logical block 1
end_request: I/O error, dev ubb, sector 4
Buffer I/O error on device ubb, logical block 2
end_request: I/O error, dev ubb, sector 6
Buffer I/O error on device ubb, logical block 3
end_request: I/O error, dev ubb, sector 0
Buffer I/O error on device ubb, logical block 0
ldm_validate_partition_table(): Disk read failed.
end_request: I/O error, dev ubb, sector 2
Buffer I/O error on device ubb, logical block 1
end_request: I/O error, dev ubb, sector 4
Buffer I/O error on device ubb, logical block 2
end_request: I/O error, dev ubb, sector 6
Buffer I/O error on device ubb, logical block 3
end_request: I/O error, dev ubb, sector 0
Buffer I/O error on device ubb, logical block 0
unable to read partition table
ubb: made changed
ubb: device 3 capacity nsec 50 bsize 512
ubb: device 3 capacity nsec 50 bsize 512
ubb:end_request: I/O error, dev ubb, sector 2
Buffer I/O error on device ubb, logical block 1
end_request: I/O error, dev ubb, sector 4
Buffer I/O error on device ubb, logical block 2
end_request: I/O error, dev ubb, sector 6
Buffer I/O error on device ubb, logical block 3
end_request: I/O error, dev ubb, sector 0
Buffer I/O error on device ubb, logical block 0
end_request: I/O error, dev ubb, sector 2
Buffer I/O error on device ubb, logical block 1
end_request: I/O error, dev ubb, sector 4
Buffer I/O error on device ubb, logical block 2
end_request: I/O error, dev ubb, sector 6
Buffer I/O error on device ubb, logical block 3
end_request: I/O error, dev ubb, sector 0
Buffer I/O error on device ubb, logical block 0
ldm_validate_partition_table(): Disk read failed.
........... etc repeat read attempts
uba: was not changed
spurious 8259A interrupt: IRQ7.
# END

# mount
/dev/root on / type ext2 (rw)
/dev/scd0 on /cdrom type iso9660 (ro)
/dev/cloop on /KNOPPIX type iso9660 (ro)
/ramdisk on /ramdisk type tmpfs (rw,size=245964k)
/proc/bus/usb on /proc/bus/usb type usbdevfs (rw,devmode=0666)
/dev/sda1 on /mnt/sda1 type ext3 (ro,nosuid,nodev)
/dev/sda2 on /mnt/sda2 type ext2 (rw,nosuid,nodev)
/dev/sda3 on /mnt/sda3 type ext2 (rw,nosuid,nodev)
/mnt/sda3 on /home/knoppix type none (rw,bind)
automount(pid168 on /mnt/auto type autofs (rw,fd=4,pgrp=1688,minproto=2,maxproto=4)
/dev/cdrom on /mnt/auto/cdrom type iso9660 (ro,nosuid,nodev)
/dev/uba1 on /mnt/sda2/media/usbdrive type vfat (rw)

--- END

Now the only way I can access /dev/uba1 is in superusermode otherwise I get a denied access to the files on the drive
How do I change the permissions to access the drive?
Can I set the drive with group permissions? ie: usb [group] and assign the knoppix user to the group without granting root privilages to knoppix user.
And...
Is there instruction somewhere to create (or activate) a user logon screen from created user accounts with passwords.
- I have used sudo passwd [username] found in the cheetcodes and security docs on the disk to change the root and knoppix passwords + created a new account with more rights that I would like to use.

Can I update to the latest kernel to:fix alot of these issues by saving the knoppix.sh and config to say: "/dev/sda1" without transferring the whole OS to a disk or upgrading to a new iso (at least untill I get my new Box back)

The Other Big Problem aside from all the errors at boot time - can't beleive it's been running now for over 24hrs -with an old 3.7 knoppix version at that using the 2.6 experimental Kernel - kudos to the developers!

The other USB device /dev/ubb was supposedly blank. Formatted in fat16 but will not open.
I tried viewing the structure in QTParted and the message was "partition Table empty"
often Both usb devices envoke "critical error durring ped_disk_new!"
and the /dev/ubb reports a capacity of "0.0244141" Mb (because of the table info I guess) should be @250Mb
I've attempted to create a new one - w/ no luck
What can be done with this device to correct the errors? Within the scope of this situation...
Also tried to configure using mkext3 in the same program - it won't. Is there another way to do this?

Recap:
1. How do you change permissions to access a USB drive with only superuser privilages - and what will happen once changes are made when I resume use on an XP box?

2. How do you fix a partition table and later format a USB device to be recognized with read and write privilages to assigned users ?

3. How do you innitializa a login screen at boot time? Or how do you switch user accounts once it loads into a GUI? (has the runlevels something to do with this or can you use them to switch?)

4. Can I use a newer kernel like "patch-2.6.20.3.bz2" from www.kernel.org or is there a knoppix specific one available elsewhere? For that matter even possible

5. Why have I only been able to see the contents of the USB devices through a network connection NFS or SMB and not as a plug-n-play device on the box where Knoppix is running? With the exception of point 1 above which has sort of worked.

Finally: Is there other info I need to submit to make a determination of the above?

PS. if there is a tool available and I get the other USB to read and write properly I probably have enough space to get the package and mirror the 250Mb drive if needed Hpefully new users of Linux like myself will find the info here usefull and perhaps something similar could be posted in the Wiki if it isn't there already - I've never found it.
Any suggestions?

[WHODIDDAT]

Well I see this was totally useless... However I was able to find all the info needed to figure things out for myself - guess that's really the point isn-it?

The major problem I found was in finding the appropreate info to read- most of it's all here but hard to find.
- especially vary basic (to Unix) command functions,commands to use and name conventions.
Is there a compiled list of these somewhere?

For anybody interested in the answers to the above post's questions:

1. BEFORE you mount a drive set the read and write check box in the properties/device tab then mount the drive.
Changes do not effect Windows settings.
2. As a side note to this issue I read in the man pages that dos fat partitions formatted in windows start the sectors 512 bytes above zero and is considered a bug in windows systems - there is a script command to use to correct the problem in the man fdisk ( 8 ) pages but I found a laymans workaround that's easier. In QTParted write a new partion table reboot the system then open QTParted and write/create your new partions.That is to say if you already know the disk is blank Otherwise backup the data on a windows platform off the disk and then apply the changes in Linux.
3. I have not tried this on a live CD yet, but have done it from a HD Install of a Linux Knoppix 5.1 with success
See the tutorial on HD installs of the Knoppix CD in the Wiki
FYI: the X server runlevels start at F7 - F8 - F9 and so on. Switching users uses the same virtual screen - a new logon uses the next available screen eg: F8 once logged on using the keys F7 automagically brings you back to another user account logged in. Does not apply in single user mode.
4. Assigning different names to the kernel in the boot directory and modifying the menu1st file will allow for multiple kernel loading at boot time. instructions are in the file /boot/grub/menu1st
* Must reside on a permenant hard drive or you can save the knoppix.sh file to a location on a partition and rename it then include the name and location when booting from the CD.
5.With this issue so far only on the live CD have I not been able to auto load or mount my USB without creating a directory and modifying the fstab file for the device although detected and suposedly configured at boot time.
Probably this is due in part that it is vfat formatted with windows and as stated before not regestering correctly because of the 512 byte offset.
So I'll put up with the inconvenience. It works under a HD install fine just not off the Live CD as of Knoppix 5.1 but a much smoother all round OS compared with Knoppix 3.7

New issues:
Since I have my AMD 64 back with a new motherboard an ASUS K8V-VM the sound driver module isn't regestering or loading in the kernel - ASUS has a driver available which I installed but the PCM or master volume is either off or at 100%
Recently I also installed a Debian version called 64 Studio a 64bit OS and it does the same thing with the ALSA module - is this just a fault in the board itself?
Can I install a sound card? I have a Creative Soundblaster from the old board that came out.

PS I tried to install the SC and all my HD's were unreadable. - I/m in the process of trying to get a board that's better matched with my CPU and other hardware is this the right coarse of action?

This post was written while running a knoppix 5.1 live CD with wine support to get my passwords unencrypted so I could login to this forum.

nobody@Knoppix:~# lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8M890CE Host Bridge
00:00.1 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8M890CE Host Bridge
00:00.2 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8M890CE Host Bridge
00:00.3 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8M890CE Host Bridge
00:00.4 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8M890CE Host Bridge
00:00.5 PIC: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8M890CE I/O APIC Interrupt Controller
00:00.6 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. Unknown device 6290
00:00.7 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8M890CE Host Bridge
00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8237 PCI bridge [K8T800/K8T890 South]
00:02.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8T890 PCI to PCI Bridge Controller
00:03.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8T890 PCI to PCI Bridge Controller
00:0f.0 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8237A SATA 2-Port Controller (rev 80)
00:0f.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C586A/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT823x/A/C PIPC Bus Master IDE (rev 07)
00:10.0 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev a0)
00:10.1 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev a0)
00:10.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev a0)
00:10.3 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev a0)
00:10.4 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB 2.0 (rev 86)
00:11.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8237A PCI to ISA Bridge
00:11.7 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8251 Ultra VLINK Controller
00:12.0 Ethernet controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT6102 [Rhine-II] (rev 7c)
00:13.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8237A Host Bridge
00:13.1 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8237A PCI to PCI Bridge
00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] HyperTransport Technology Configuration
00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Address Map
00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] DRAM Controller
00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Miscellaneous Control
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. Unknown device 3230 (rev 11)
04:01.0 Audio device: VIA Technologies, Inc. VIA High Definition Audio Controller (rev 10)
nobody@Knoppix:~#