Loss of external media input [Done]

[rodgoslin]

This problem is worrying me. It may have been there for some tine, but I've only noticed it now, after a kernel update. The machine is running mga3. I had a need to write a file to a thumb drive, plugged into a USB drive. I was a bit surprised when the machine did not detect the inserted drive. I tried several thumb drives, and several USB sockets, with the same result. I noticed that the icon for additional drives was not present. I then put a DVD into one of the two DVD drives, and this too, is not seen. Thinking that the icon had been moved, as sometimes seems to happen, into the hidden icons, I checked this. Nothing there, except a spinning emblem labelled 'notifications'. Which simply keeps spinning without seemingly achieving anything. So, I now have a machine which is incapable of accepting any media from an external source. I've not tried plugging in my camera, but I'm pretty sure the result will be the same. I've re-booted the machine twice, with no result. I've checked all USB sockets and both DVD drives . There is nothing in any of them but the spinning emblem 'notifications' is still there. As a final check, I've just plugged my Kindle into a USB socket, and while it's quite happily charging up, the machine cannot 'see' it

[benmc]

Hi

have you tried selecting a lower kernel # at boot and seeing if the earlier kernel will " see " the usb ports?

[rodgoslin]

It did occur to me, later, to try that. I've just re-booted to an earlier kernel, but the problem persists.

[jiml8]

as root, open a shell window, then enter this command: "journalctl -xf"

Now, plug your USB drive in, watch the response from the system, as reflected in the log, and copy/paste that response here.

Now insert your DVD. Again watch the system response, and copy/paste that response here.

When you have done those things, we can sort this out.

[rodgoslin]

journalctl -xf would appear to be an illegal option. I got the following message when issuing the command

journalctl: invalid option -- 'x'

However using it without the 'x' option does produce a result, which I'll post when I've a couple of minutes spare. The DVD option may not be possible without more action on my part, which I'll have to look up. I raised a thread here, some while ago on unmounting DVD drives when manually ejecting a DVD. The device is not automatically unmounted, as it used to be, many moons ago. Consequently, when inserting a new DVD into the drive, it is not mounted. I was advised that this was not a bug, and I would have to use the 'eject' function on the new drive notification. Since this is not there now, I cannot 'properly' eject the DVD. I'll be back later.

[rodgoslin]

I've re-booted the machine, which should clear all previous mounts of the DVD drives. However, on invoking 'journalctl -f, there is no response on inserting a DVD into either of the two DVD drives.
When plugging in a thumb drive, and removing it, and plugging in my Kindle and removing it jounalctl -f does elicit a response as you can see from the code below.

Code: Select all

[root@down rod]# journalctl -f
-- Logs begin at Tue, 2014-03-04 03:45:38 GMT. --
Jun 23 20:44:46 down net_applet[3007]: ### Program is starting ###
Jun 23 20:44:47 down mgaapplet[3009]: ### Program is starting ###
Jun 23 20:44:48 down kernel: Shorewall:net2fw:DROP:IN=eth0 OUT= MAC=90:e6:ba:83:1e:ca:00:21:29:74:b2:da:08...N=323
Jun 23 20:44:59 down mgaapplet[3009]: running: ionice -p 3009 -n7
Jun 23 20:45:26 down nfsdcltrack[3402]: cltrack_legacy_gracedone: unable to rmdir /var/lib/nfs/v4recovery/..: -1
Jun 23 20:45:26 down nfsdcltrack[3402]: cltrack_legacy_gracedone: unable to rmdir /var/lib/nfs/v4recovery/.: -1
Jun 23 20:45:33 down su[3403]: pam_tcb(su:auth): Authentication passed for root from rod(uid=500)
Jun 23 20:45:33 down su[3403]: (to root) rod on /dev/pts/1
Jun 23 20:45:33 down su[3403]: pam_tcb(su:session): Session opened for root by rod(uid=500)
Jun 23 20:46:08 down kernel: usb 7-4: new high-speed USB device number 3 using ehci-pci
Jun 23 20:46:08 down kernel: usb 7-4: New USB device found, idVendor=1949, idProduct=0004
Jun 23 20:46:08 down kernel: usb 7-4: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
Jun 23 20:46:08 down kernel: usb 7-4: Product: Amazon Kindle
Jun 23 20:46:08 down kernel: usb 7-4: Manufacturer: Amazon
Jun 23 20:46:08 down kernel: usb 7-4: SerialNumber: B024160330160K8U
Jun 23 20:46:08 down kernel: usb-storage 7-4:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
Jun 23 20:46:08 down kernel: scsi8 : usb-storage 7-4:1.0
Jun 23 20:46:08 down mtp-probe[3446]: checking bus 7, device 3: "/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:13.2/usb7/7-4"
Jun 23 20:46:08 down mtp-probe[3446]: bus: 7, device: 3 was not an MTP device
Jun 23 20:46:09 down kernel: scsi 8:0:0:0: Direct-Access     Kindle   Internal Storage 0100 PQ: 0 ANSI: 2
Jun 23 20:46:09 down kernel: sd 8:0:0:0: [sdc] Attached SCSI removable disk
Jun 23 20:46:11 down kernel: sd 8:0:0:0: [sdc] 2797568 512-byte logical blocks: (1.43 GB/1.33 GiB)
Jun 23 20:46:12 down kernel: sd 8:0:0:0: [sdc] Write cache: enabled, read cache: enabled, doesn't support ...or FUA
Jun 23 20:46:12 down kernel:  sdc: sdc1
Jun 23 20:46:22 down kernel: usb 7-4: USB disconnect, device number 3
Jun 23 20:46:22 down kernel: sd 8:0:0:0: [sdc] Synchronizing SCSI cache
Jun 23 20:46:22 down kernel: sd 8:0:0:0: [sdc] 
Jun 23 20:46:22 down kernel: Result: hostbyte=DID_NO_CONNECT driverbyte=DRIVER_OK
Jun 23 20:46:55 down kernel: usb 7-4: new high-speed USB device number 4 using ehci-pci
Jun 23 20:46:55 down mtp-probe[3464]: checking bus 7, device 4: "/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:13.2/usb7/7-4"
Jun 23 20:46:55 down mtp-probe[3464]: bus: 7, device: 4 was not an MTP device
Jun 23 20:46:55 down kernel: usb 7-4: New USB device found, idVendor=0930, idProduct=6545
Jun 23 20:46:55 down kernel: usb 7-4: New USB device strings: Mfr=0, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
Jun 23 20:46:55 down kernel: usb 7-4: Product: USB Flash Memory
Jun 23 20:46:55 down kernel: usb 7-4: SerialNumber: 0DD1E770F14028C9
Jun 23 20:46:55 down kernel: usb-storage 7-4:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
Jun 23 20:46:55 down kernel: scsi9 : usb-storage 7-4:1.0
Jun 23 20:46:56 down kernel: scsi 9:0:0:0: Direct-Access              USB Flash Memory 5.00 PQ: 0 ANSI: 0 CCS
Jun 23 20:46:56 down kernel: sd 9:0:0:0: [sdc] 4028416 512-byte logical blocks: (2.06 GB/1.92 GiB)
Jun 23 20:46:56 down kernel: sd 9:0:0:0: [sdc] Write Protect is off
Jun 23 20:46:56 down kernel: sd 9:0:0:0: [sdc] Mode Sense: 23 00 00 00
Jun 23 20:46:56 down kernel: sd 9:0:0:0: [sdc] No Caching mode page found
Jun 23 20:46:56 down kernel: sd 9:0:0:0: [sdc] Assuming drive cache: write through
Jun 23 20:46:56 down kernel: sd 9:0:0:0: [sdc] No Caching mode page found
Jun 23 20:46:56 down kernel: sd 9:0:0:0: [sdc] Assuming drive cache: write through
Jun 23 20:46:56 down kernel:  sdc: sdc1
Jun 23 20:46:56 down kernel: sd 9:0:0:0: [sdc] No Caching mode page found
Jun 23 20:46:56 down kernel: sd 9:0:0:0: [sdc] Assuming drive cache: write through
Jun 23 20:46:56 down kernel: sd 9:0:0:0: [sdc] Attached SCSI removable disk
Jun 23 20:47:06 down kernel: usb 7-4: USB disconnect, device number 4
^C


[jiml8]

Code: Select all

man journalctl

and, exerpted from that:

Code: Select all

-x, --catalog
           Augment log lines with explanation texts from the message catalog. This will add explanatory
           help texts to log messages in the output where this is available. These short help texts will
           explain the context of an error or log event, possible solutions, as well as pointers to
           support forums, developer documentation, and any other relevant manuals. Note that help texts
           are not available for all messages, but only for selected ones. For more information on the
           message catalog, please refer to the Message Catalog Developer Documentation[4].

So -x is a valid option...here at least. I have no idea why it did not work for you. I have Mageia 4 64 bit.

But what it did show for you is that your devices are being seen and identified when they are plugged in.

Your problem is almost certainly in udev, or in how systemd works with udev. Systemd uses the udisks mechanism to access udev for disk control. You should start with "man 8 udisks" for more information.

You also can manually mount your devices if you wish to go that way, at least until you have the problems sorted out.

[rodgoslin]

This is getting odder. I've used the option, "If you don't know what's gone wrong. Start again". So, I've blown away the old OS and installed complete from scratch, Mga 3 32 bit version. At the moment, the machine is updating to current. But, and this is a big but. The problem is still there. Before the updates were installed. Well all but the first few. In the hidden icons "notifications" has a spinning symbol, and plugged in thumb drives, etc, are not seen on the desktop. I'm at a bit of a loss to explain this. Hardware, or user settings?
On a somewhat related matter. Is there any way of restoring the hidden icons back to visible? I've not found a way. Occasionaly an icon, usually the one related to ethernet connections spontaneously disappears int the hidden world. My last efforts to restore it to visibility resulted in it disappearing altogether.

[jiml8]

Your hardware is seeing the devices; if you manually mount them you can use them.

Your problem is in udev (most likely), in the kde device notifier (also a decent possibility) or in dbus (unlikely). It is a configuration issue and not a hardware issue.

[rodgoslin]

Surely a total rebuild should have sorted this out. I should have checked for the problem before beginning the update cycle. I'll try again. If that does not work, I'll instamm mga 4. Failing that I'll think about moving to another distro. I'm somewhat loath to do this. I like mandrake/mandriva/mageia, and have been running it since Mandrake 7.2, but to me Linux is a tool to be used, not something to be played with.

[rodgoslin]

I think it's now sorted. All I have to do now is get the machine back to where it was. The problem seems to have been in the 'System Tray Settings. Accessing this, more by chance than anything else, I noticed that the option for 'device notifier was unticked. I've ticked it and devices arre once more visible. I would stress that this problem is nothing that I have instigated. My policy with things is that if they're working OK, don't fiddle. I can see that I'm going to have to pay more attention to things

[claire]

User settings are all stored in your home directory. Updates or indeed upgrades don't touch user home directories, so this is likely something fiddled with and forgotten about.

[doktor5000]

Please mark the thread accordingly by editing the topic of the first post and prefix it by [DONE], thanks

[rodgoslin]

Claire, when things happen after an update, which did not apply before saisd update, I do tend to attribute it to the update. Paricularly since I do not, as a rule 'fiddle'. Since finding the solution was unique, I could hardly have gone in and altered things which woulsd obviously produce the effect. Why the option is there, I've no idea. I can't see any benefit from having the option to blind the machine to all external inputs from media sources.. At least from the point of view of a single user