Cannot create directory /proc/bus/usb

[azenz]

I need to create this directory because Vmware player is looking there for USB devices. The aim is to run mount -t usbfs none /proc/bus/usb.

But I get the error: mkdir: cannot create directory /proc/bus/usb: No such file or directory, despite being in sudo mode. What are my options?

[HalationEffect]

Re: Cannot create directory /proc/bus/usb

Possible solution here: http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-936094.html

In the file /etc/fstab

You add the following lines

usbfs /proc/bus/usb usbfs auto 0 0
none /proc/bus/usb usbfs devgid=46,devmode=664 0 0

[azenz]

Re: Cannot create directory /proc/bus/usb

Hi,

Thanks but unfortunately it turns out that new versions of (K)Ubuntu do not even support this mount function and directory any more: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1383457. That should create major problems! What now?

[HalationEffect]

Re: Cannot create directory /proc/bus/usb

Hmm, as far as I can tell, VMWare really shouldn't be using usbfs (as it is apparently deprecated), and should be using hal udev instead.

Looks like the only "solutions" are:
1) Use an old kernel
2) Compile a custom kernel with usbfs support
3) Use some incredibly hacky workaround (assuming you can find one), and hope that future updates don't break it
4) Wait for VMWare to fix their software
5) Use a different VM that does support hal udev for USB (some googling suggests that VirtualBox supports it, and can import VMs from VMWare)

It seems it's a case of 'pick the least unpalatable solution' here

[azenz]

Re: Cannot create directory /proc/bus/usb

Wow, thanks, I am shocked! Vmware....what a problem. Surely more people must run into this??

[SteveRiley]

Re: Cannot create directory /proc/bus/usb

Wow, what version of VMware Player is this?

I use VirtualBox to run a Windows VM on Kubuntu (need it for work). I've been considering switching to VMware player instead. However, I definitely need to be able to pass USB devices through to the VM to the guest, and I don't want to have to compile a custom kernel for something that ought to be so simple.

Hey dibl, I know you use VMware...can you add anything here?

[azenz]

Re: Cannot create directory /proc/bus/usb

This is the latest player (4.0.1). But the issues is not with the version, because apparently VMware has always used this USB mountpoint. The issue is that the Linux kernel changed the way of connecting to USB. So this problem should also occurs with older VMware products as long as you use a new Linux kernel (supposedly that should then affect all Linux distros...?).

[dibl]

Re: Cannot create directory /proc/bus/usb

Hey dibl, I know you use VMware...can you add anything here?

I saw this thread yesterday, but it leaves me scratching my head. Of course the /proc/xxxx filesystem is a dynamic system structure and you can't modify it directly, but that begs the question of why OP has this problem. With VMware Player 4.0, and a kernel 3.x, the only "tweak" I have needed is to patch /usr/lib/vmware/modules/source/vmnet.tar, to support NAT and bridged networking. I have never, ever, had any issue with USB support. I'm running VMware on a Debian system, but I don't think there's a substantial difference from Kubuntu in this area.

A quick scan of the first few pages of vmware forums doesn't show any posts about USB issues either, so I'm still wondering about this situation.

[azenz]

Re: Cannot create directory /proc/bus/usb

That is so strange. My Kubuntu 11.10 64 bit installation is only 3 days old!

But the problem is definitely /proc/bus. vmware.log output shows that:

...
2012-01-05T14:09:03.596+01:00| vmx| I120: USB: Initializing 'Virtual Hub' backend
2012-01-05T14:09:03.596+01:00| vmx| I120: USB: Initializing 'Generic' backend
2012-01-05T14:09:03.596+01:00| vmx| I120: USB: Unable to open "/proc/bus/usb/devices" (No such file or directory).
2012-01-05T14:09:03.596+01:00| vmx| I120: USBGL: Error connecting to arbitrator socket: No such file or directory (2)
2012-01-05T14:09:03.596+01:00| vmx| W110: USBGA: UsbgHostSetAutoConnect: arbitrator not open
2012-01-05T14:09:03.596+01:00| vmx| I120: USB: Initializing 'Virtual HID' backend
2012-01-05T14:09:03.597+01:00| vmx| I120: USB: Initializing 'Remote Device' backend
...

You are using vmware workstation, but that should supposedly not be drastically different... This is the very first time I've had problems with vmware USB, and I have used the vm player for several years now in different versions.

[dibl]

Re: Cannot create directory /proc/bus/usb

2012-01-05T14:09:03.596+01:00| vmx| I120: USB: Unable to open "/proc/bus/usb/devices" (No such file or directory).

Hmmmm -- the plot thickens.

don@imerabox:~$ cat /proc/bus/usb/devices
cat: /proc/bus/usb/devices: No such file or directory
don@imerabox:~$ ls /proc/bus/usb
don@imerabox:~$

No, I'm running VMware Player 4.0.1, same as you. Mine is 64-bit, but that should be irrelevant to your issue.

Which vmware log file are you finding that error in? (There are logs in /tmp and also in /var/log).

[azenz]

Re: Cannot create directory /proc/bus/usb

BTW I also run 64 bit.

The log is in /home/user/vmware/WinXPPro/ - same where the .vmx file is in. And you are ALSO running Kubuntu 11.10?! Now that would be amazing, there got to be a solution...

[dibl]

Re: Cannot create directory /proc/bus/usb

OK, found the log -- my setup is little unorthodox, my VMs are not in my home folder or even on the same partition. And this system is actually a Debian Sid distribution, with KDE desktop, so there are some minor differences with Kubuntu, but none that would explain why mine works and yours does not. I have good news and bad news for you.

2012-01-05T07:20:37.277-05:00| vmx| I120: timeTracker.globalProgressToAllowanceNS: 1000
2012-01-05T07:20:37.278-05:00| vmx| I120: USB: Search for USB devices to connect [path:4/4 autoclean:1 virtPath:usb.autoConnect.device0 version:2]
2012-01-05T07:20:37.278-05:00| vmx| I120: USB: Initializing 'Virtual Hub' backend
2012-01-05T07:20:37.278-05:00| vmx| I120: USB: Initializing 'Generic' backend
2012-01-05T07:20:37.278-05:00| vmx| I120: USB: Unable to open "/proc/bus/usb/devices" (No such file or directory).
2012-01-05T07:20:37.278-05:00| vmx| W110: USBGL: Connected to arbitrator socket: 70
2012-01-05T07:20:37.278-05:00| vmx| I120: USB: Initializing 'Virtual HID' backend
2012-01-05T07:20:37.279-05:00| vmx| I120: USB: Initializing 'Remote Device' backend
2012-01-05T07:20:37.279-05:00| vmx| I120: RemoteUSBVMX: Retrieved hostId [40 99 00 1f c6 00 00 03-54 ac 20 cf 30 5c 41 1d]

Looks very much like yours. Later:

2012-01-05T07:22:12.416-05:00| vmx| I120: USB: Device [name:Canon\ iP6220D vid:04a9 pid:10a8 path:4/4 speed:high family:hid,printer,storage virtPath:ehci:0 version:2 serialnum:A0287B] should already be connected
2012-01-05T07:22:12.416-05:00| vmx| I120: VMXVmdbLoadUsbDevices: New set of 4 USB devices
2012-01-05T07:22:12.416-05:00| vmx| I120: USB: Found device [name:Logitech\ Audio\ Device vid:046d pid:08d7 path:5/1 speed:full family:vendor,audio version:2]
2012-01-05T07:22:12.416-05:00| vmx| I120: USB: Found device [name:Canon\ iP6220D vid:04a9 pid:10a8 path:4/4 speed:high family:hid,printer,storage virtPath:ehci:0 version:2 serialnum:A0287B], connected to [EHCI Port 1]
2012-01-05T07:22:12.416-05:00| vmx| I120: USB: Found device [name:SanDisk\ Cruzer\ Micro vid:0781 pid:5151 path:4/5 speed:high family:storage version:2 serialnum:341160163802385D]
2012-01-05T07:22:12.416-05:00| vmx| I120: USB: Found device [name:Virtual\ Bluetooth\ Adapter vid:0e0f pid:0008 speed:full family:wireless,bluetooth deviceType:virtual-bluetooth version:2 info:0000000]
2012-01-05T07:22:13.415-05:00| vmx| I120: USBGA: device 2004000407815151 arrived
2012-01-05T07:22:13.415-05:00| vmx| I120: USBGA: Autoconnecting new device
2012-01-05T07:22:13.415-05:00| vmx| I120: USB: Connecting device 0x2004000407815151
2012-01-05T07:22:13.433-05:00| vmx| I120: MsgHint: msg.usb.disconnectHostDriver
2012-01-05T07:22:13.433-05:00| vmx| I120+ The specified device is claimed by another driver (usb-storage) on the host operating system. The device might be in use. To continue, the device will first be disconnected from its current driver.
2012-01-05T07:22:13.433-05:00| vmx| I120+ ---------------------------------------

and it all works perfectly. So I am gently suggesting that the /proc/bus/usb/devices error is irrelevant to whatever is wrong with your installation.

So, here's my next question -- you are running a 2.6.29 kernel, or are you up to a 3.x kernel? When you launched VMware for the first time, did the kernel modules appear to build correctly?

And the question after that -- is the "usb arbitrator" service running? This may or may not be relevant:

http://mooremn.wordpress.com/2010/06...ions-disabled/

[azenz]

Re: Cannot create directory /proc/bus/usb

Hi, I use kernel 3.x. Just re-installed vmware with kernel compilation etc. no problem.

The USB arbitration service is indeed not running in my windows, but the registry value that this website suggests to remove to resolve the problem doesn't exist in my system registry. But since the service isn't running, that probably must be the issue...

[dibl]

Re: Cannot create directory /proc/bus/usb

Did you have to apply the "patch3031vmware741.patch" patch from here? It would not build the vmnet module for me without the patch, on kernels after 3.0. Also, FYI, there's another incompatibility when you get to kernel 3.2, which I found the fix for yesterday, here.

But I agree it looks like your immediate issue is the USB arbitrator service.

EDIT: Maybe some help here: http://communities.vmware.com/thread/283691

[azenz]

Re: Cannot create directory /proc/bus/usb

Thanks. My guest doesn't have the usb arbitration service running, and when I try

net start hcmon

net start vmusbarbservice

in a WinXP cmd, then it just says these services don't exist. Something must be wrong! I posted on the vmware forum to see if I get a response.