[gentoo-user] USB SDHC Card Reader works, but only if mounted first in WinXP virtual machine

[gentoo-user] USB SDHC Card Reader works, but only if mounted first in WinXP virtual machine

[Paul Hartman]

Hi,

I have a USB SDHC card reader whose partition table is not read, and
device node not created, when plugged into my Gentoo Linux computer. I
posted about this a year or two ago but was never able to get it
working, until I recently made an accidental discovery:

If I let a VMWare WinXP take control of the USB device, on the same
physical linux machine as above, the card reader mounts normally in
the virtual WinXP. Then, if I release the USB device from VMware,
Linux takes control of the device back and can read the partition
table and creates the device node normally. After that everything
works fine, I can copy files to/from etc. and everything seems normal.

I hope some usb/udev/something guru here can give me a pointer on
where to begin tracking down the cause of this. Thanks. :)

When I plug in the card reader, dmesg tells me this:

[1637793.709415] usb 2-4: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and
address 22
[1637793.826139] usb 2-4: New USB device found, idVendor=090c, idProduct=6000
[1637793.826142] usb 2-4: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2,
SerialNumber=3
[1637793.826145] usb 2-4: Product: SM331AB CARD-READER
[1637793.826146] usb 2-4: Manufacturer: Silicon Motion,Inc.
[1637793.826148] usb 2-4: SerialNumber: 12345678901234567890
[1637793.826356] scsi38 : usb-storage 2-4:1.0
[1637799.870068] scsi 38:0:0:0: Direct-Access
     6000 PQ: 0 ANSI: 0 CCS
[1637799.870187] sd 38:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg8 type 0
[1637799.871735] sd 38:0:0:0: [sdg] 62748672 512-byte logical blocks:
(32.1 GB/29.9 GiB)
[1637799.872307] sd 38:0:0:0: [sdg] Write Protect is off
[1637799.872309] sd 38:0:0:0: [sdg] Mode Sense: 4b 00 00 08
[1637799.872310] sd 38:0:0:0: [sdg] Assuming drive cache: write through
[1637799.874301] sd 38:0:0:0: [sdg] Assuming drive cache: write through
[1637799.874303]  sdg:
[1637800.005993] sd 38:0:0:0: [sdg] Result: hostbyte=0x00 driverbyte=0x08
[1637800.005996] sd 38:0:0:0: [sdg] Sense Key : 0x5 [current]
[1637800.005998] sd 38:0:0:0: [sdg] ASC=0x21 ASCQ=0x0
[1637800.006000] sd 38:0:0:0: [sdg] CDB: cdb[0]=0x28: 28 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 08 00
[1637800.006004] end_request: I/O error, dev sdg, sector 0
[1637800.006006] Buffer I/O error on device sdg, logical block 0
[1637800.006881] ldm_validate_partition_table(): Disk read failed.
[1637800.006883]  unable to read partition table
[1637800.008115] sd 38:0:0:0: [sdg] Assuming drive cache: write through
[1637800.008117] sd 38:0:0:0: [sdg] Attached SCSI removable disk


Despite dmesg saying unable to read partition table, fdisk -l /dev/sdg
shows me the partition anyway:

Disk /dev/sdg: 32.1 GB, 32127320064 bytes
236 heads, 42 sectors/track, 6330 cylinders, total 62748672 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdg1            8192    62748671    31370240    c  W95 FAT32 (LBA)


When I let VMware Workstation virtual WinXP session claim the USB
device, it shows me this in dmesg when I plug it in:
[1639461.856033] usb 2-4: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and
address 23
[1639461.972673] usb 2-4: New USB device found, idVendor=090c, idProduct=6000
[1639461.972676] usb 2-4: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2,
SerialNumber=3
[1639461.972679] usb 2-4: Product: SM331AB CARD-READER
[1639461.972680] usb 2-4: Manufacturer: Silicon Motion,Inc.
[1639461.972682] usb 2-4: SerialNumber: 12345678901234567890
[1639461.972956] scsi39 : usb-storage 2-4:1.0
[1639462.343346] usb 2-4: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd
and address 23
[1639462.459687] scsi40 : usb-storage 2-4:1.0
[1639462.607973] usb 2-4: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd
and address 23
[1639462.826673] usb 2-4: usbfs: interface 0 claimed by usb-storage
while 'vmware-vmx' sets config #1
[1639462.826721] usb 2-4: usbfs: interface 0 claimed by usb-storage
while 'vmware-vmx' sets config #1


And when I release the USB device from VMWare back to Linux, dmesg shows this:
[1639859.353550] scsi41 : usb-storage 2-4:1.0
[1639864.347499] scsi 41:0:0:0: Direct-Access
     6000 PQ: 0 ANSI: 0 CCS
[1639864.347616] sd 41:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg8 type 0
[1639864.348239] sd 41:0:0:0: [sdg] 62748672 512-byte logical blocks:
(32.1 GB/29.9 GiB)
[1639864.348757] sd 41:0:0:0: [sdg] Write Protect is off
[1639864.348759] sd 41:0:0:0: [sdg] Mode Sense: 4b 00 00 08
[1639864.348761] sd 41:0:0:0: [sdg] Assuming drive cache: write through
[1639864.350737] sd 41:0:0:0: [sdg] Assuming drive cache: write through
[1639864.350740]  sdg: sdg1
[1639864.354864] sd 41:0:0:0: [sdg] Assuming drive cache: write through
[1639864.354866] sd 41:0:0:0: [sdg] Attached SCSI removable disk


From this point the card reader works normally in Linux until I unplug
it. Every time I plug it in I must use the above stated virtual WinXP
workaround in order to use it.


The lsusb -v of this device:

Bus 002 Device 023: ID 090c:6000 Feiya Technology Corp.
Device Descriptor:
  bLength                18
  bDescriptorType         1
  bcdUSB               2.00
  bDeviceClass            0 (Defined at Interface level)
  bDeviceSubClass         0
  bDeviceProtocol         0
  bMaxPacketSize0        64
  idVendor           0x090c Feiya Technology Corp.
  idProduct          0x6000
  bcdDevice            1.00
  iManufacturer           1
  iProduct                2
  iSerial                 3
  bNumConfigurations      1
  Configuration Descriptor:
    bLength                 9
    bDescriptorType         2
    wTotalLength           32
    bNumInterfaces          1
    bConfigurationValue     1
    iConfiguration          0
    bmAttributes         0x80
      (Bus Powered)
    MaxPower              500mA
    Interface Descriptor:
      bLength                 9
      bDescriptorType         4
      bInterfaceNumber        0
      bAlternateSetting       0
      bNumEndpoints           2
      bInterfaceClass         8 Mass Storage
      bInterfaceSubClass      6 SCSI
      bInterfaceProtocol     80 Bulk (Zip)
      iInterface              0
      Endpoint Descriptor:
        bLength                 7
        bDescriptorType         5
        bEndpointAddress     0x81  EP 1 IN
        bmAttributes            2
          Transfer Type            Bulk
          Synch Type               None
          Usage Type               Data
        wMaxPacketSize     0x0200  1x 512 bytes
        bInterval             255
      Endpoint Descriptor:
        bLength                 7
        bDescriptorType         5
        bEndpointAddress     0x02  EP 2 OUT
        bmAttributes            2
          Transfer Type            Bulk
          Synch Type               None
          Usage Type               Data
        wMaxPacketSize     0x0200  1x 512 bytes
        bInterval             255


From /proc/bus/usb/devices:
T:  Bus=02 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=03 Cnt=01 Dev#= 23 Spd=480 MxCh= 0
D:  Ver= 2.00 Cls=00(>ifc ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS=64 #Cfgs=  1
P:  Vendor=090c ProdID=6000 Rev= 1.00
S:  Manufacturer=Silicon Motion,Inc.
S:  Product=SM331AB CARD-READER
S:  SerialNumber=12345678901234567890
C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=80 MxPwr=500mA
I:* If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 2 Cls=08(stor.) Sub=06 Prot=50 Driver=usb-storage
E:  Ad=81(I) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=0ms
E:  Ad=02(O) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=31875us

[gentoo-user] Re: USB SDHC Card Reader works, but only if mounted first in WinXP virtual machine

[James]

Paul Hartman <paul.hartman+gentoo <at> gmail.com> writes:


> I have a USB SDHC card reader whose partition table is not read, and
> device node not created, when plugged into my Gentoo Linux computer.

Here's a good place to start:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_Digital

Also there is mini-SD and micro-SD:
http://www.diffen.com/difference/SD_Card_vs_SDHC


To make things really interesting, there are  several
"file systems" to choose from, relatively new to the
kernel, specifically for these sorts of devices. So grab
an embedded board and drop on over to the embedded gentoo
list, where the real fun begins......
 
The hacks that are really knowlegable on these puppies, 
(solar, vapier, etc etc) hang out on gentoo embedded.


hth,
James

Also

[gentoo-user] Re: USB SDHC Card Reader works, but only if mounted first in WinXP virtual machine

[James]

Paul Hartman <paul.hartman+gentoo <at> gmail.com> writes:

> 
> Hi,
> 
> I have a USB SDHC card reader

OOPs, I forgot a really important link:

 http://www.sdcard.org/developers/tech/sdcard/


Look in the simplified specification first.


hth,
James

[gentoo-user] Re: USB SDHC Card Reader works, but only if mounted first in WinXP virtual machine

[Paul Hartman]

On Wed, Jul 28, 2010 at 9:37 AM, Paul Hartman
<paul.hartman+gentoo@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have a USB SDHC card reader whose partition table is not read, and
> device node not created, when plugged into my Gentoo Linux computer. I
> posted about this a year or two ago but was never able to get it
> working, until I recently made an accidental discovery:
>
> If I let a VMWare WinXP take control of the USB device, on the same
> physical linux machine as above, the card reader mounts normally in
> the virtual WinXP. Then, if I release the USB device from VMware,
> Linux takes control of the device back and can read the partition
> table and creates the device node normally. After that everything
> works fine, I can copy files to/from etc. and everything seems normal.

BradN on the Forums suggested "hdparm -z" to force the kernel to
re-read the partition table, and this works. Much easier than using a
virtual machine!