Can't Mount USB 2.0 Flash Drive

It's an easy fix download and install SM 6.0 or use SM 3.4.3-RC3. A lot of peep's had Pen Drive problems with SM 3.4.3 final. By the way 6.0 is great!

regards,
Bad Dog
SimplyMEPIS 6.0 - KDE 3.5.3 - kernel 2.6.15-26-686-SMP

There must be a way to get SM 3.4.3 final to mount a pen drive. I have spent the past several months (ever since 3.4.3 was released) to get my system working the way I want and hate to start over with a new release. This is a time consuming process and I just don't have the time to spend hours and hours getting everything set up. Besides I want to see how the Mepis community overall reacts to Mepis 6.0 before making any drastic changes. Any further suggestions will be appreciated.

Hermie

as root edit /etc/fstab
you can do this from a konsole with
kdesu kedit /etc/fstab

ABOVE the Dynamic line put a new line
/dev/sdb1 /mnt/sdb1 vfat noauto,users,exec 0 0

this won't work yet, you need a mount point
so as root in a konsole
mkdir /mnt/sdb1

let us know if this doesn't work

under device tab
/dev/sda1

works for me under 3.4-3 stable

interesting thing...also have an external usb hard drive
and it and any ext thumbdrive want to fight over that
device designator /dev/sda1

I just unplug one rather than mess with it..but im sure
one could fix that if messed with it...

try the above rather than cut off one's head if headache
(others suggesting move up to 6.0 wow, that's good but
daaaaammmmmnnnn try a simple fix first !!!!)

You mean 3.4-3 final don't you?

You want another simple fix than the two I gave above, well here's a place to start: http://makeashorterlink.com/?Q1E72227D Good luck!

regards,
Bad Dog
SimplyMEPIS 6.0 - kernel 2.6.15-26-686-SMP - KDE 3.5.3

Thanks for your comments so far. Before doing anything I want to add some information that may be more specific to my problem that may be understood by a guru, which I am not. As I stated in my original query I have a USB SD flash memory card reader that mounts and works fine. When I have both the USB SD memory card reader and the USB Flash Drive plugged into separate USB ports at the same time, I get the following info in "properties" when I pass the mouse pointer over the icons on the desktop:

SD Memory Card (Unmounted)

Name : 507 Removeable Media
Type : Unmounted Removeable Medium
Modified : 12/31/69 6:00pm
Owner : -
Permissions : dr--------
__________________________________________________
Device Node : /dev/sdd1

SD Memory Card (Mounted)

Name : 507 Removeable Media
Type : Mounted
Modified : 12/31/69 6:00 pm
Owner : Wolff007 - users
Permissions : drwx------

____________________________________________________
Base URL : file:///media/sdd1
Device Node : /dev/sdd1
Free : 481.8 MB
Total : 483.6 MB
Used : 1.7 MB
Usage : 0%

USB 2.0 Flash Drive (Unmounted)

Name : 1.1T Removeable Media
Type : Unmounted Removeable Medium
Modified : 12/31/69 6:00 pm
Owner : -
Permissions : dr--------

___________________________________________________

Device Node : /dev/sdf1

USB 2.0 Flash Drive (Unable to mount)

When I try to mount I get the following error message:

Mount: Can't find /dev/sdf1 in /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab
Please ck that the disk if entered correctly.

I am confused by the different Removeable Media names, 1.1T and 507M. Also the different Device Nodes, /dev/sdf1 and /dev/sdd1

What specific advise should I follow to get the USB 2.0 Flash Drive to mount. I am amazed at the prompt replys I have gotten. Thank you.

Hermie

After purchasing a PNY 2GB USB pen flash drive, I found that it worked just fine on my old Mandrake 9.1 Linux with a generic 4.27 kernel.
However, Simply Mepis(2.6.15-1-586tsc) was not able to mount the drive which otherwise showed up in /proc/scsi/scsi and /dev/sda1.
The error when mounting was:

mount -tvfat /dev/sda1 /media/sda1
mount: wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/sda1,
missing codepage or other error

The problem is that older drives are formatted as type 6, FAT16,
which works quite well with MEPIS. My new PNY 2GB drive is formatted
as type e, W95 FAT16 (LBA). This does not work with MEPIS, though, it
does with my Mankrake. All my older flash drives are type 6

The fix is to reformat the drive as type 6 with fdisk, then make a new
DOS file system with mkdosfs. The pen drive then works with MEPIS, and
still works with Mandrake.
Determine your format with fdisk -l /dev/sda
or other actual device name.

Some more detailed diognistics follow:

lsusb
Bus 001 Device 007: ID 0930:653e Toshiba Corp.
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000

Above is what the PNY 2GB Attache showed. Below is the device number that it
showed up under. (/dev/sda1) (This changes after reformatting).

ls /dev/sd*
/dev/sda
/dev/sda1

Below we determine the format type. If yours is already type 6, this document will not help you. If, type e (Id), like mine, contine on. Sorry for the formatting, the "e" in front of W95 is the type "e" we are refering to. Id shoud be under "Id". We need to change it to a "6"

fdisk -l /dev/sda

Disk /dev/sda: 2062 MB, 2062548992 bytes
16 heads, 32 sectors/track, 7868 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 512 * 512 = 262144 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 7868 2014192 e W95 FAT16 (LBA)

Mounting the drive on /media/sda1 fails. Note that /media/sda1 must already
exist. Else, create it with "mkdir /media/sda1".

root@3[xml]# mount -tvfat /dev/sda1 /media/sda1
mount: wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/sda1, missing codepage or other error

ot@3[xml]# dmesg | tail
Buffer I/O error on device sda1, logical block 508378384
FAT: invalid media value (0xb9)
VFS: Can't find a valid FAT filesystem on dev sda1.
HFS+-fs: unable to find HFS+ superblock
FAT: invalid media value (0xb9)
VFS: Can't find a valid FAT filesystem on dev sda1.

If you have any data on the pen drive back it up before proceeding.

If you make a mistake in fdisk "q" will quit. Nothing is pernament until
you do the "w" command. Skip directly to the "t" command. (skip "n")
root@2[IBJts]# fdisk /dev/sda
Command (m for help): n
Command action
e extended
p primary partition (1-4)
p
Partition number (1-4): 1
First cylinder (1-1015, default 1):
Using default value 1
Last cylinder or +size or +sizeM or +sizeK (1-1015, default 1015):
Using default value 1015

Command (m for help): t
Selected partition 1
Hex code (type L to list codes): 6
Changed system type of partition 1 to 6 (FAT16)

Command (m for help): w

This takes a while, I found that it is necessary.
root@2[IBJts]# mkdosfs /dev/sda1

lsusb
Bus 001 Device 009: ID 0930:653e Toshiba Corp.
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000

Note that the drive is now located at /dev/sda instead of /dev/sda1.
root@2[IBJts]# ls /dev/sd* -l
brw-r----- 1 root hal 8, 0 2006-11-18 13:39 /dev/sda

Below we mount the drive, create a file on it, list the file, remove it,
and unmount the drive.

root@2[IBJts]# mkdir /media/sda
root@2[IBJts]# mount -tvfat /dev/sda /media/sda
root@2[IBJts]# touch /media/sda/trash
root@2[IBJts]# ls -l /media/sda/trash
-rwx------ 1 dennis users 0 2006-11-18 14:07 /media/sdb/trash
root@2[IBJts]# rm /media/sda/trash
root@2[IBJts]# umount /dev/sda

At this point you should check the "Removable drive" icon in the KDE desktop. You
should be able mount and unmount the drive from the icon.