How to mount USB storage devices in 18.04?

[jglen490]

So on my f-ed up system, "-i" is not a valid option for "su". So I just typed "su" and my password, then plugged in the USB stick, tried to mount it, and "Computer says no."

I just thought of another USB detection/display utility. Open konsole and enter

usb-devices

, and see what the output says.

[jpc2769]

sudo su -i doesn't work on mine. However sudo -i does work

Yes, sudo -i works for me too.

You can open a Konsole and "su -i" to root. Then, plug it in and use "fdisk -l" to list the devices and examine the list to see which /dev/sdX it is.

OK, here is the output of "fdisk -l", I think the USB stick is the last entry:

root@jason-ThinkPad-X230-Tablet:~# fdisk -l
Disk /dev/loop0: 86.9 MiB, 91115520 bytes, 177960 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Disk /dev/loop1: 180.5 MiB, 189272064 bytes, 369672 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Disk /dev/loop2: 86.9 MiB, 91099136 bytes, 177928 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Disk /dev/loop3: 198 MiB, 207585280 bytes, 405440 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Disk /dev/loop4: 87 MiB, 91160576 bytes, 178048 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Disk /dev/sda: 298.1 GiB, 320072933376 bytes, 625142448 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x4cbbe1d5

Device     Boot     Start       End   Sectors   Size Id Type
/dev/sda1  *         2048   3074047   3072000   1.5G  7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2         3074048 151154126 148080079  70.6G  7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda3       596467712 625139711  28672000  13.7G  7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda4       151154686 596465663 445310978 212.3G  5 Extended
/dev/sda5       156039168 200079359  44040192    21G 83 Linux
/dev/sda6       200081408 596465663 396384256   189G 83 Linux
/dev/sda7       151154688 156039167   4884480   2.3G 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Partition 4 does not start on physical sector boundary.
Partition table entries are not in disk order.

Disk /dev/sdb: 2 GiB, 2134900736 bytes, 4169728 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x000caa90

Device     Boot Start     End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sdb1        2048 4159487 4157440   2G  b W95 FAT32

Then you can change the ownership of the USB stick to yourname:yourname , exit root and close the Konsole. Then run Etcher (or what ever your burn software you are using)

How do I do that?

Here is the output of usb-devices:

root@jason-ThinkPad-X230-Tablet:~# usb-devices

T:  Bus=01 Lev=00 Prnt=00 Port=00 Cnt=00 Dev#=  1 Spd=480 MxCh= 3
D:  Ver= 2.00 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS=64 #Cfgs=  1
P:  Vendor=1d6b ProdID=0002 Rev=04.15
S:  Manufacturer=Linux 4.15.0-33-generic ehci_hcd
S:  Product=EHCI Host Controller
S:  SerialNumber=0000:00:1a.0
C:  #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr=0mA
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub

T:  Bus=01 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=00 Cnt=01 Dev#=  2 Spd=480 MxCh= 6
D:  Ver= 2.00 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=01 MxPS=64 #Cfgs=  1
P:  Vendor=8087 ProdID=0024 Rev=00.00
C:  #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr=0mA
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub

T:  Bus=01 Lev=02 Prnt=02 Port=05 Cnt=01 Dev#=  3 Spd=480 MxCh= 0
D:  Ver= 2.00 Cls=ef(misc ) Sub=02 Prot=01 MxPS=64 #Cfgs=  1
P:  Vendor=04f2 ProdID=b2ea Rev=05.18
S:  Manufacturer=Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd.
S:  Product=Integrated Camera
C:  #Ifs= 2 Cfg#= 1 Atr=80 MxPwr=200mA
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=0e(video) Sub=01 Prot=00 Driver=uvcvideo
I:  If#= 1 Alt= 0 #EPs= 0 Cls=0e(video) Sub=02 Prot=00 Driver=uvcvideo

T:  Bus=02 Lev=00 Prnt=00 Port=00 Cnt=00 Dev#=  1 Spd=480 MxCh= 3
D:  Ver= 2.00 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS=64 #Cfgs=  1
P:  Vendor=1d6b ProdID=0002 Rev=04.15
S:  Manufacturer=Linux 4.15.0-33-generic ehci_hcd
S:  Product=EHCI Host Controller
S:  SerialNumber=0000:00:1d.0
C:  #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr=0mA
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub

T:  Bus=02 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=00 Cnt=01 Dev#=  2 Spd=480 MxCh= 8
D:  Ver= 2.00 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=01 MxPS=64 #Cfgs=  1
P:  Vendor=8087 ProdID=0024 Rev=00.00
C:  #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr=0mA
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub

T:  Bus=02 Lev=02 Prnt=02 Port=04 Cnt=01 Dev#=  3 Spd=12  MxCh= 0
D:  Ver= 1.10 Cls=00(>ifc ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS= 8 #Cfgs=  1
P:  Vendor=056a ProdID=0090 Rev=06.10
S:  Manufacturer=Tablet
S:  Product=ISD-V4
C:  #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr=0mA
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=03(HID  ) Sub=01 Prot=02 Driver=usbhid

T:  Bus=03 Lev=00 Prnt=00 Port=00 Cnt=00 Dev#=  1 Spd=480 MxCh= 4
D:  Ver= 2.00 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=01 MxPS=64 #Cfgs=  1
P:  Vendor=1d6b ProdID=0002 Rev=04.15
S:  Manufacturer=Linux 4.15.0-33-generic xhci-hcd
S:  Product=xHCI Host Controller
S:  SerialNumber=0000:00:14.0
C:  #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr=0mA
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub

T:  Bus=03 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=01 Cnt=01 Dev#=  2 Spd=480 MxCh= 0
D:  Ver= 2.00 Cls=00(>ifc ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS=64 #Cfgs=  1
P:  Vendor=0718 ProdID=0157 Rev=01.00
S:  Manufacturer=Imation 
S:  Product=Flash Drive     
S:  SerialNumber=0612160932000
C:  #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=80 MxPwr=200mA
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 2 Cls=08(stor.) Sub=06 Prot=50 Driver=usb-storage

T:  Bus=04 Lev=00 Prnt=00 Port=00 Cnt=00 Dev#=  1 Spd=5000 MxCh= 4
D:  Ver= 3.00 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=03 MxPS= 9 #Cfgs=  1
P:  Vendor=1d6b ProdID=0003 Rev=04.15
S:  Manufacturer=Linux 4.15.0-33-generic xhci-hcd
S:  Product=xHCI Host Controller
S:  SerialNumber=0000:00:14.0
C:  #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr=0mA
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub

[jpc2769]

I ended up creating a USB image of 18.04 on another computer, then using that to do a "clean" install, and everything seems to be working now.

I really think they should not be including the ability to upgrade distributions anymore, just prompt people to do fresh installs...

[GreyGeek]

Glad to hear it. That upgrade was a complete fiasco.

[Snowhog]

There simply had to be more to his system than was reported. I just can't see such a mess resulting from simply performing a distribution upgrade.

[jpc2769]

Glad to hear it. That upgrade was a complete fiasco.

Yep! Thanks for your help everybody, I really appreciate it!

[wartnose]

Weird. I upgraded from 16.04 to 18.04 and everything worked but wine. Wine is crucial because I use ClearView RC to practice flying RC airplanes so I fixed it.