[K12OSN] USB hub not working on VXL thinclients ( TC4331 )

[Rob Owens]

I'm definitely not an expert on this stuff, so consider that when
evaluating my response.

If your thin client has a "usb hub", as you say, then the problem may be
similar to what I reported in this thread:
https://listman.redhat.com/archives/k12osn/2007-June/msg00289.html

Basically, the thin client recognizes that the hub is there (or in my
case, the card reader) because that is what is "plugged in" to the thin
client.  But anything that gets plugged in to the hub is not "noticed"
by the kernel (it does not trigger an event, is the proper terminology I
think).

I never found a solution, but somebody gave me the idea that if you
treated the usb hub (or card reader) more like a cdrom drive, then it
would constantly check to see if something was plugged in to the hub.
My understanding is that this is technically possible, but the
developers have limited time and higher priorities than this one, which
is understandable.

-Rob

Meelis wrote:
> As I can see nobody could help me solve this problem. Just like nobody
> shared no ideas how to enable martcard
> support that was an issue about ... ummm ... 3 months ago and still not
> solved. (No mail was returned at that time aswell!)
> 
> It would be nice if someone at least writes an answer "I do not know" so
> I would know this list is still active and my mail goes through. To get
> no answer at all is silly and frustrating.
> 
> --------------------------------------
> 
> And update to the problem :
> 
> USB hub is still not working. I got so far that installed FC6 on the
> testserver with several updates to the packages. Kernel files including.
> I suspect that client is loading an old kernel (2.6.17.xx or something)
> but new kernel seems to be 2.6.2x.xx. I used ltspadmin utility to update
> but as I boot up the client ... it still shows that old kernel is
> loaded. So I switched pxelinux.0 and vmlinuz.ltsp files and their links
> to new ones (4.2) but still nothing. Client gets old kernel.
> 
> Next I managed to get kernel panic message with the text like
> "modules.dep not found in this location <location>" but there is a
> modules.dep in that location and it is set with read/write/what ever
> permissions. I tryed some copy/paste solutions so it's OK for me to get
> the panic message.
> 
> Now I got to a point where I started to suspect maybe it's thinclient
> firmware problem. Navigated to their webpage, downloaded the manual and
> firmware releace notes (april 2007)  and found out that there really is
> a problem like mine. The problem was old kernel that is updated to newer
> version with this update(logical as edubuntu server recognizes the usb
> hub). As I'm not using thinclient software to boot there is no use for
> this firmware update. This so called update is software based firmware
> update that updates preinstalled linux.
> 
> Could someone please help me and write if there is somekind of manual
> for updateing ltsp kernel files that are sent to clients in order to
> make the USB hub work?
> 
> Using FC6 downloaded from K12LTSP page with LTSP version 4.2 (at least I
> think it is using this version as it was updated with ltspadmin utility)
> 
> With respect,
> 
> Meelis Mihhailov
> -----------------------------------------
> Süsteemi administraator
> Eesti Rahvusraamatukogu
> Infosüsteemide osakond
> Telefon : 6307 181
> E-mail : meelis at nlib.ee
> -----------------------------------------
> 
> 
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