HOWTO: FC2 USB Multicard Reader (updated)

[Robert Dale]

This is to help anyone trying to get their USB multicard reader working
in Fedora Core 2.

First, you must recompile the scsi module with "Probe all LUNs".
su root; cd /usr/src/linux-<version>;
I use "make menuconfig" -> Device Drivers -> SCSI device ->
check "Probe all LUNs on each SCSI device".  Exit and save.

FC2 adds "custom" to the version in the kernel source.  So you can do
one of two things:

1) Simple but long: Recompile kernel and modules, install.  Update grub.
   Reboot.

2) More complex but faster:  Edit Makefile and remove "custom" from
   XTRAVERSION. make modules.  Kill (ctrl-c) it after you see scsi_mod.ko
   built. copy the new drives/scsi/scsi_mod.ko over the old
   lib/modules/<version>/kernel/drivers/scsi/scsi_mod.ko.
   reload the new scsi_mod module: rmmod scsi_mod; modprobe scsi_mod;

Now you're ready to read cards!

I had to reload the usb_storage module every time i added or removed a card
- rmmod usb_storage; modprobe usb_storage;  The card reader itself is not
removable.

Insert card. reload usb_storage module.  Then use dmesg to see what scsi
device it is.  I get this:
usbcore: deregistering driver usb-storage
Initializing USB Mass Storage driver...
scsi1 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
  Vendor: Generic   Model: USB SD Reader     Rev: 1.00
  Type:   Direct-Access                      ANSI SCSI revision: 02
Attached scsi removable disk sda at scsi1, channel 0, id 0, lun 0
  Vendor: Generic   Model: USB CF Reader     Rev: 1.01
  Type:   Direct-Access                      ANSI SCSI revision: 02
SCSI device sdb: 31488 512-byte hdwr sectors (16 MB)
sdb: assuming Write Enabled
sdb: assuming drive cache: write through
 sdb: sdb1
Attached scsi removable disk sdb at scsi1, channel 0, id 0, lun 1
  Vendor: Generic   Model: USB SM Reader     Rev: 1.02
  Type:   Direct-Access                      ANSI SCSI revision: 02
Attached scsi removable disk sdc at scsi1, channel 0, id 0, lun 2
  Vendor: Generic   Model: USB MS Reader     Rev: 1.03
  Type:   Direct-Access                      ANSI SCSI revision: 02
Attached scsi removable disk sdd at scsi1, channel 0, id 0, lun 3
USB Mass Storage device found at 2

You can see that a 16MB CF card was found and set at the scsi device
sdb with one partition sdb1.  So, mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/cf;
(assuming /mnt/cf exists).

YMMV.

Let me know if there's an easier way to tell the usb-storage module
that a card has been added or removed.

keywords: linux fedora core 2 fc2 usb multi card multicard reader

-- 
Robert Dale


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