USB flash drive locks/freezes knoppix dead!

[stukennedyuk]

Sorry for the 'shock horror!" subject to this post, but I've never had knoppix lock completely on me before, the mouse pointer freezes and ctrl-alt-F1 doesn't work, only pressing the reset button.

The device that does this trick is a PQI smartmedia flashcard reader/writer which I'd read was supported and working. It's based on the Alcor AU9350xxx chip (I popped the lid) which claims to be USB bulk storage compatable. I have no idea where to start, I cannot even look at dmesg or use any of the USB commands.....

I checked it on the same PC/port in W98SE (I was that desperate!) and it seems fine, so it's not a hardware issue.

I've used other USB flash reader/writers without problems.

Any ideas? - even how to get some sort of log message?

Thanks.

[OErjan]

hmmm, make a link from /var/log/messages (and other usefull places) to a floppy and make it write to the floppy with frequent syncing, you might get something out. maby not great but...

[stukennedyuk]

This is frustrating! - If I boot my machine from the knoppix CD instead of the HD install and plug it in it doesn't lock the machine!

The CD is a later version, but still 3.3 like my HD install, so same kernal.....

I did get the dmesg stuff from both to compare, but it means little to me, just in case anyone else has the knowledge:-

Booted from knoppix live CD, plug it in:

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.

Booted from my HD install, plug it in:

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.....

All I note is "scsi1 or 2: SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices" and maybe it doesn't like interrupt status 3 ?

Doh!

[mightydavefish]

I have a similar USB storage problem. If I boot with my USB harddrive plugged it the box will either lock up or continually reboot partway through the boot process.

[stukennedyuk]

More frustration!

To recap, this flash card reader/writer locks up my HD install of knoppix but not if I boot exactly the same machine from the CD! The question is..... what's the difference?

I checked what you see in dmesg log related to usb-ohci.o when booting both versions:-

root@ttyp0[knoppix]# dmesg | grep uhci
usb-uhci.c: $Revision: 1.275 $ time 20:50:29 Oct 3 2003
usb-uhci.c: High bandwidth mode enabled
usb-uhci.c: USB UHCI at I/O 0xd400, IRQ 11
usb-uhci.c: Detected 2 ports
usb-uhci.c: USB UHCI at I/O 0xd800, IRQ 10
usb-uhci.c: Detected 2 ports
usb-uhci.c: USB UHCI at I/O 0xdc00, IRQ 11
usb-uhci.c: Detected 2 ports
usb-uhci.c: v1.275:USB Universal Host Controller Interface driver
usb-uhci.c: ENXIO 80000280, flags 0, urb cdd7a8b0, burb cdd7a730
usb-uhci.c: ENXIO 80000280, flags 0, urb cdd7a8b0, burb cdd7a730
usb-uhci.c: ENXIO 80000280, flags 0, urb cdd7a6b0, burb cdd7a8b0

Booting from HD, dmesg on uhci:

root@Home:/home/stuart# dmesg | grep uhci
usb-uhci.c: $Revision: 1.275 $ time 18:09:24 Sep 19 2003
usb-uhci.c: High bandwidth mode enabled
usb-uhci.c: USB UHCI at I/O 0xd400, IRQ 11
usb-uhci.c: Detected 2 ports
usb-uhci.c: USB UHCI at I/O 0xd800, IRQ 10
usb-uhci.c: Detected 2 ports
usb-uhci.c: USB UHCI at I/O 0xdc00, IRQ 11
usb-uhci.c: Detected 2 ports
usb-uhci.c: v1.275:USB Universal Host Controller Interface driver
usb-uhci.c: ENXIO 80000280, flags 0, urb cd624260, burb cd624360
usb-uhci.c: ENXIO 80000280, flags 0, urb cd624360, burb cd624260
usb-uhci.c: ENXIO 80000280, flags 0, urb cd624260, burb cd624360
root@Home:/home/stuart#

Looks like same settings (the urb & burb seem to change each time) - but just in case I replaced the version of usb-ohci with the version from the CD - no change.

Help!

[OErjan]

have you tried /var/log/* the logs there are all good to scroll trough for things like tese. and if it was a cd that failed, my solutin should actually work to some extent.

[stukennedyuk]

(OErjan - tried /var/logs/messages - same sort of picture as dmesg)

The plot thinkens 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 flah 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!

Stu.....

[stukennedyuk]

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?

[stukennedyuk]

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.

Aw well, back to the job application letters!

www.stuartkennedy.org.uk