Why does hal think my USB devices are fixed?

Warren Block wblock at wonkity.com
Thu Oct 15 19:57:49 UTC 2009


On Wed, 14 Oct 2009, Kevin Oberman wrote:
>> Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:38:47 -0600 (MDT)
>> From: Warren Block <wblock at wonkity.com>
>> Then set some options for the card reader:
>>
>> 20-check-media.fdi :
>>
>> <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
>> <deviceinfo version="0.2">
>>    <device>
>>      <!-- check for media changes in card reader -->
>>      <match key="freebsd.driver" string="da">
>>        <merge key="storage.media_check_enabled" type="bool">true</merge>
>>        <merge key="storage.hotpluggable"        type="bool">true</merge>
>>      </match>
>>    </device>
>> </deviceinfo>

My extraneous line removed from the XML above...

>> hal still sometimes doesn't notice new cards being connected, and the
>> card reader's USB cable has to be reconnected.  But at this point, it's
>> at least as good as it was under 7-STABLE.
>
> Doing something to access the device seems to cause it to be "noticed".
> I use 'fsck -p' on the device, but I suspect dd(1) or most anything else
> that touches the device will do it.

This Sandisk reader appears as two devices.  The CompactFlash slot is 
one device (da0) and the SD/MMC/MS/clock radio slot is another (da1). 
Using the alternate slot seems to be when it loses track.  For example, 
use an MMC card (da1s1), works fine.  Load a CF, and /dev still only has 
da0, da1, and da1s1.  No da1s1 appears.  fsck -p /dev/da0 gives 'fsck: 
Could not determine filesystem type', and various other attempts like 
'true > /dev/da0' don't wake it up.

But 'usbconfig -u 3 -a 3 reset' works every time, and is less messy than 
pulling the cable.

-Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota USA


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