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Robocoastie · Xandrosian Joined: 31 Dec 2003 Posts: 160

thanks for those links, the second one you gave might work, i printed it out and will try it later.

If it doesn't work I'm going to have to switch to Mepis once I figure out how to nvidia driver working (got lots of kernel errors when I tried and I have to use safemode to install because the acpi kernels makes the mouse cursor disappear), Linspire equally had problems with my nvidia but worse it locks up during bootup 2/3 of the time.

Basically I've come to conclude that Dell inspiron laptop models deserve a D- for linux compatibility although this usb drive issue isn't unique to this laptop, I have the same problem with this drive on my desktop rigs.

oh well.
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thanks,
Rob

Robocoastie · Xandrosian Joined: 31 Dec 2003 Posts: 160

solved it!!

I made a shortcut on the desktop to the directory that I keep everything in on the usb drive (/var/autofs/zip.1/zip.1/partition5/usb-share) YMWV of course, basically access the drive in file manager for the brief amount of time that it lets you before disconnecting and you'll see the pathname. Enter that in the field for create shortcut-file or folder.

Then when you open the shortcut it opens xfm to that folder and keeps it open like it should -- woots.

Rob
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thanks,
Rob

jpp-zoso · Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2004 11:32 pm Post subject: Re: solved it!!

Robocoastie · Xandrosian Joined: 31 Dec 2003 Posts: 160

I spoke too soon. It's still problematic. As long as a directory or file is selected it stays open but the second you try to open a subdirectory it dismounts again.

I filed a bug with xandros support and they are working with me on it but in the meantime I gave up and ended up reinstalling windows on one of my other computers and putting it on it and accessing it through network. At least it works in windows AND i can even netshare it, something no linux distro has been able to do.

to top things off i discovered v.3 has smp disabled and of course i find this out AFTER i've "upgraded" my dual proc folding@home computer so it turns out it was a downgrade. Worse still is wireless doesn't work now with my laptop which worked perfectly in 2.5 using DriverLoader, now it won't work with DriverLoader or with ndiswrapper. I solved the smp problem by deleting xan and installing damn small linux instead (much faster than the hours a recompile in xan would have taken on that rig).

Huge waste of money and time this fiasco has been. This is the absolute last time I ever pay for a linux distro again.

My advise to anyone still using 2.5 - stay the heck away from v.3. If you need the latest kernel and kde just compile the kernel yourself and just set your apt-get instead for debian sarge, dist-upgrade it and be done with it. Yea it'll probably break XFM but so what you're better off without it at this buggy rate.

Easier still is just MEPIS convert it and make it a pure debian rig.
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thanks,
Rob

jpp-zoso · Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2004 7:03 pm Post subject: Re: spoke too soon

Stacker · Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2004 6:04 pm Post subject:

OK you guys are getting very advanced for me now. I have changed a few things and now ready to chime in again on this thread.

Desktop has Pentium 4 and 1024 of DDR, HP DVD-RW
40GB Seagate (boot drive)
80GB Maxtor
160GB Maxtor
and 250GB Western Digital on USB2

Laptop is Athlon Mobile 2.2Ghz and 512 Ram
80GB Internal drive (Hitachi I think)
and 250GB Western Digital on USB 2

All Drives are now FAT32, I only lost 100GB of data when formatting, the rest I was able to keep.

I have several minor glitches with Xandros, but what can I say I get bored without them I guess. The problem I am frustrated with is the USB drive thing. Though they are both Formatted as Fat 32 with several partitions, only the first partion is seen. On both drives on both computers. Both drives were plugged in during installation. Ican get the first 30GB partions just fine on both computers, but the other 400GB is not even seen.

The drives are mounted as USB removable media. Is manual mounting the only thing I need to figure out? If so can anyone give me a link? If not what else needs to be done? I mean I already sacrificed 100GB to make this work and it still doesn't. Any suggestions?

jpp-zoso · Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2004 11:08 pm Post subject:

Well, I wish I could explain this one...my USB HDDs are now working under OCE, w/ no intervention on my part at all. Recently got a Lexar USB JumpDrive, plugged it in under OCE just for kicks and giggles, and it worked perfectly. Surprised, I pulled out one of my USB hard drives, plugged it in, it worked perfectly too. Even more surprised, I pulled another one of my USB hard drives, plugged it in, it worked perfectly too. Did this w/ both my USB 2.0 PCMCIA card and USB 1.0 motherboard ports. Each drive I plugged in worked just like its supposed too...I didn't have to anything excpet plug it in.

The JumpDrive (1GB) indicates it's formatted as FAT16, which I find hard to believe, but that's what it says. One of the USB hard drives is formatted as FAT32 and the other as ext3.
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Stacker · Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2004 10:49 am Post subject:

Just out of the blue?? You did nothing!!?

Soooo not fair!
Is it partitioned? Does it read the other partitions if so?
I can't mount it if it is reading as a Zip drive correct?
If I can and do mount it, will will then simply read the next partition on the drive as a zip?

Hasn't anyone had this issue fixed yet? Again the whole drive is FAT32.

jpp-zoso · Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2004 11:45 pm Post subject:

Didn't do anything, no kidding, other than than have XOS 3 recognize them 1st. I mean, that's literally the only thing different between now and then...XOS 3 recognized the drives perfect right after installing it, and since then, I've retried drive recognition under OCE...and now they all work. I'm as surprised as anyone.

All drives are single partitions. XFM mounts the drives as "Removable Drive #" now vs. Zip Drive, and the contents are all under a directory called [partition1], so I would assume if there were multiple partitions, I would see a directory per partition. I noticed the Lexar JumpDrive had a [volume.inf] file added to the root partition directory...

[device]
device = /dev/sdb
serial = 0A4EDA12040632221004
model = LEXAR JUMPDRIVE
firmware = 1000
removable = yes
disk_removable = no

[partition]
device = /dev/sdb1
start_cyl = 0
stop_cyl = 247
num_cyl = 248
num_blocks = 1013279
type = 0x4
size = 989.530273438

[volume]
ddetective_md5sum = 175d6aee9a523d67441fd3d17b5db02d
os = MS Other
version =
date =

[settings]
bootable = yes
mount_point = dos
fstype = vfat
mount_type = hard
boot_label = MS DOS
boot_priority = 50

[defaults]
bootable = yes
mount_point = dos
fstype = vfat
mount_type = hard
boot_label = MS DOS
boot_priority = 50

The XOS mount point path is [/var/autofs/zip.3/zip.3/partition1].

Couldn't find a [volume.inf] for any of the USB hard drives (FAT32 and ext3), at least not under Xandros. Not sure which of my distros added this file, but I'm pretty sure it was XOS 3 or Fedora Core 3.
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jpp-zoso · Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2004 3:27 am Post subject:

jpp-zoso · Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2004 3:34 am Post subject: