internal ZIP 250 problem in FC4

kemefk · #1 22nd June 2005, 02:35 AM

Hi. I installed Fedora Core 4 a few days ago and now it doesnt automatically create the /dev/hdb4 file to mount the drive. I had the same problem in FC3 and the problem was udev and hal. After a few updates in FC3, the problem was fixed. Now, the problem as reappeared in FC4. I have all posts on this website and at bugzilla.redhat.com and I haven't found anything that could resolve this. Can someone please help? Thank you.

kemefk · #2 22nd June 2005, 05:53 AM

Has anybody have their ZIP drive working on Fedora Core 4?

JayTee · #3 22nd June 2005, 08:35 PM

I was able to get my zip drive working by not using auto mount configuration. I replaced info with regular mounting info. I set mine up to read windows vfat files, but it could as well be ext3 format.

/dev/hdd4 /media/zip vfat rw,user,noauto 0 0

yeauch · #4 22nd June 2005, 08:38 PM

Nope... I haven't got my ZIP 250 external parallel port working yet. Would be glad if there are some pointers.

BTSOOM · #5 28th June 2005, 01:50 AM

I've just installed FC4 and my internal Zip 100 also doesn't mount (but FC4 recognizes it). However, my USB Zip 250 mounts with no problem! I'd also appreciate some pointers.

BTSOOM · #6 28th June 2005, 04:29 AM

I think I may have solved my internal Zip 100 problem with FC4. I was able to mount the internal Zip by modifying the fstab fiile to call out vfat files (rather than auto). However, fstab-sync always overwrote the fstab file during boot, so after each boot the file had to be modified again. I was able to stop fstab-sync writing to the file by eliminating "managed" from the appropriate line:

Old line: /dev/hdd4 /media/zip auto pamconsole,exec,noauto,managed 0 0

New Line: /dev/hdd4 /media/zip vfat pamconsole,exec,noauto,users 0 0

Adding "users" lets me mount the drives without being in root. The reason I use vfat is because I'm trading disks with a windoze machine.

BTSOOM · #7 1st July 2005, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BTSOOM

I think I may have solved my internal Zip 100 problem with FC4. I was able to mount the internal Zip by modifying the fstab fiile to call out vfat files (rather than auto). However, fstab-sync always overwrote the fstab file during boot, so after each boot the file had to be modified again. I was able to stop fstab-sync writing to the file by eliminating "managed" from the appropriate line:

Old line: /dev/hdd4 /media/zip auto pamconsole,exec,noauto,managed 0 0

New Line: /dev/hdd4 /media/zip vfat pamconsole,exec,noauto,users 0 0

Adding "users" lets me mount the drives without being in root. The reason I use vfat is because I'm trading disks with a windoze machine.

Bad news. My fix for mounting an ATAPI Zip 100 drive worked for a day or so. Now FC4 is reporting the drive does not exist with I try to mount it. I've also tried to reinstall FC4 and apply the same mod to fstab, but I get the same message. Now I'm baffled!

hickey · #8 1st July 2005, 06:49 PM

I'm running FC4 with all updates. My external parallel port zip 250, which I couldn't get to work at all in FC3, worked as soon as I loaded the imm module.
modprobe imm

mkdir /mnt/zip

mount /dev/sda4 -t vfat /mnt/zip

If you put rhe "modprobe imm" into /etc/rc.d/rc.local then you can do the mount at any time or put it into fstab.

BTSOOM · #9 1st July 2005, 10:05 PM

Thanks for the response. I tried adding modprobe to rc.local and I also tried running it from the terminal. I've tried mounting the drive from Gnome and from the terminal and both times I get the same error: mount: special device /dev/hdd4 does not exist. However, the zip drive shows up on my Computer as an Iomega Zip 100! Something seems very "un-natural!"

kemefk · #10 2nd July 2005, 06:20 AM

Well, I have tried what all of you suggested but nothing has worked. I remember when I first installed FC3, I had this same problem and after searching for a solution, I became aware that the culprit was mainly udev and hal. It was quickly fixed and my internal ZIP 250 drive would mount. Now that I have upgraded to FC4, I have the same exact problem but the solution is no where to be found.

BTSOOM · #11 2nd July 2005, 07:18 PM

I've finally been able to mount my atapi zip 100 again. If I boot with a zip disk in the drive, then I can mount the disk. I can also unmount the disk, swap disks and remount with no problem. However, if I boot without the zip disk in the drive then I get "/dev/hdd4 doesn't exist" when I try to mount a disk. Please note this is with fstab modified as in post #9 (I haven't tried it without the mods). BTW, all usb drives seem to work fine (including a usb Zip 250) and the internal floppy and ide CDRW also seem to work correctly. My install of FC4 seems to have a problem only the atapi zip 100.

I hope this solution lasts more than a few days!

LarryJ · #12 7th January 2006, 03:59 AM

Amazing!! Thanks BTSOOM. It never occured to me to leave the zip disk in the zip drive during boot. But that works! I can mount the zip disk and read its vfat contents.

the /etc/fstab entry that accomplishes this magic is (apparently)

Quote:

/dev/hdd4 /media/zip vfat pamconsole,exec,noauto,user 0 0

I changed that line from

Quote:

/dev/hdd4 /media/zip vfat pamconsole,exec,noauto,managed 0 0

I determined by trial and lots of errors that the change from managed to user is mandatory to avoid the dreaded "mount: special device /dev/hdd4 does not exist" error. I read in "man mount" that

Quote:

Normally, only the superuser can mount file systems. However,
when fstab contains the user option on a line, anybody can mount the
corresponding system.

I specified vfat file system because this zip disk holds info shared between GNU-linux and that other os. I've been trying to debug this for two months.

Larry