usb storage problems
I continue to be stumped by USB storage devices in KDE. Only once with some
older version of Knoppix did a USB stick appear automatically on the desktop
when plugged in. I don't need this, but I do need at least to know under
which name the device can be mounted. Even without other SCSI devices, the
devices seem to vary from sda1 through sda5 to sdd1. I did once in a fit of
frenzy create 20 different lines in /etc/fstab in order to find the right
device, but it didn't really work. Years ago I could find the right device
in /proc somewhere, but this no longer seems possible.
People have recommended pmount, but all I get is:
"find_sysfs_device: looking for sysfs directory for device 8:1
Fehler: konnte sysfs-Verzeichnis nicht erfragen"
People have recommended hal, but I am loathe to install this, because it would
involve the deinstallation of about 20 packages on my system.
People have recommended a 2.6 kernel, but my system with a 2.6 kernel has the
same problems as with the 2.4 kernel.
Looking through the internet I see a great many questions of this nature, but
no simple answers. Also even worse, often when having found the right device
name, it is impossible to mount because the system claims that it has the
wrong file type or a damaged superblock even when this is definately not the
case.
Very occasionally when trying these things, KDE and even the whole system
freeze up completely so that the machine must be rebooted by removing the
power.
Surely it must be possible in this day and age to get where Macintosh was 10
years ago with SCSI, even if it wasn't hot-pluggable then. Devices appeared
automatically on the desktop or could be easily mounted with some utility. I
don't even need hot-plugable, but I do need a simple method to mount my
camera, SD-cards, and external USB drive. Anybody got any ideas how to
proceed?
Theo Schmidt
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