How do I enable Hot plug / auto mounting of USB Flash drives

[tallboy]

Hi toomanyquestions.
I am not familiar with the Macpups, but if you have Menu-> Desktop-> Desktop drive icons manager, switch to 'Show full event manager' and see the options there. You will also find it as Menu-> System-> Puppy event manager. If it doesn't work, you could use http://www.wellminded.com/puppy/pupsearch.html for an advanced search in puppy forum files.

tallboy

[Arthur45]

At times I've had problems with some usb drives not being detected (especially at boot time) and it can be helpful to force the usb hub to reboot.
This thread might suggest some ideas that might be worth trying:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=81417

Having had a peek at the BIOS I do wonder if the BIOS is too basic / old to support USB Flash drives. The unit dates from late 2004.

There is an option for USB Floppy drives which is enabled.

I think it may be on its way to the recycler.

[rcrsn51]

Try this command

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lsmod

Look for "uhci_hcd". If it's not listed, run

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modprobe uhci_hcd

Then unplug and replug the flash drive.

[greengeek]

I do wonder if the BIOS is too basic / old to support USB Flash drives. The unit dates from late 2004.

A unit from 2004 vintage should definitely be capable of normal usb performance with puppy (unless the hardware is broken, which is unlikely, or maybe using one of the known faulty NEC usb chipsets). Booting from usb can be problematic or non-existent on Toshibas from 2004, but once the puppy is running it should be able to be see the usb correctly. I would suggest plugging in a usb stick and then in a console typing "dmesg" and looking for messages that indicate what the system is seeing when you plug / unplug the stick.

I think it may be on its way to the recycler.

Nnnnnnnoo! Please don't send it to the PC playground in the sky....95% of my machines are pre-2004. I cant bear to see hardware retired

[tallboy]

Arthur45, a unit plugged into a USB port may be dependent on a driver to be recognized, but your mainboard have no idea about what you plugged into an empty port. It is easy to forget we only deal with 1 and 0 for internal communication in the machine. If other USB units function normally when plugged into the port, the driver/kernel module is the missing part here.

BTW, you must not throw away an almost new PC! I have a dozen or more old Linux boxes rescued from the containers at the university, and I think every single one is more than 10 years old, some PII, a lot of P3s, and a couple of P4s and similar AMDs. That is the beauty of puppy, it keeps these relics going for many more years!

tallboy

[Arthur45]

Thanks for all the advice so far - very much appreciated. I will try the suggested Commands etc over the course of the weekend.

However, out of personal curiousity as much as anything, I will also investigate exactly what BIOS Fimrware is installed and see what info Google uncovers in regard of its limitations (or lack of).

Rest assured - I am not going to throw the device(s) into the trash but I was condsidering a possible trade-in at a local hardware recycler (there's this little eeePC that caught my eye.....).

I am commited to keeping useable hardware in productive employment for as long as practicable - to this end I once Wi-Fi enabled a Dell 450MC from circa 1993 .......but that's another story altogether !

Once again - many thanks for all of your help and time spent assisting me - Very much appreciated.

Arthur