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USB Floppy drive access woes - Solution found!

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    USB Floppy drive access woes - Solution found!

    /proc/scsi/scsi output:

    Attached devices:
    Host: scsi0 Channel: 00 Id: 00 Lun: 00
    Vendor: ATA Model: TOSHIBA MK1234GS Rev: AH00
    Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 05
    Host: scsi1 Channel: 00 Id: 00 Lun: 00
    Vendor: #&%$A Model: DVD-RAM UJ-850S Rev: 1.10
    Type: CD-ROM ANSI SCSI revision: 05
    Host: scsi2 Channel: 00 Id: 00 Lun: 00
    Vendor: IC25N060 Model: ATMR04-0 Rev: 0811
    Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 02
    Host: scsi3 Channel: 00 Id: 00 Lun: 00
    Vendor: IBM-DBCA Model: -206480 Rev: 0811
    Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 02
    Host: scsi4 Channel: 00 Id: 00 Lun: 00
    Vendor: TEAC Model: FD-05PUW Rev: 3000 <<< My USB Floppy Drive
    Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 02

    /etc/fstab output:

    # /etc/fstab: static file system information.
    #
    # <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
    proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
    # /dev/sda3
    UUID=a2357a43-de81-4157-91ff-4fe745f01a79 / ext3 defaults,errors=remount-ro 0 1
    # /dev/sda5
    UUID=86bf2016-0d6c-4e46-a72c-52c8a5d4901b /home ext3 defaults 0 2
    # /dev/sda1
    UUID=00B8EA2FB8EA2340 /media/sda1 ntfs defaults,nls=utf8,umask=007,gid=46 0 1
    # /dev/sda2
    UUID=0842EF0542EEF67A /media/sda2 ntfs defaults,nls=utf8,umask=007,gid=46 0 1
    # /dev/sda6
    UUID=ea09e5ae-165e-48c7-ab67-884312a84951 none swap sw 0 0
    /dev/scd0 /media/cdrom0 udf,iso9660 user,noauto 0 0
    /dev/sdd /media/floppy0 auto user,noauto 0 0

    /etc/mtab output following boot:

    /dev/sda3 / ext3 rw,errors=remount-ro 0 0
    proc /proc proc rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev 0 0
    /sys /sys sysfs rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev 0 0
    varrun /var/run tmpfs rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,mode=0755 0 0
    varlock /var/lock tmpfs rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,mode=1777 0 0
    procbususb /proc/bus/usb usbfs rw 0 0
    udev /dev tmpfs rw,mode=0755 0 0
    devshm /dev/shm tmpfs rw 0 0
    devpts /dev/pts devpts rw,gid=5,mode=620 0 0
    lrm /lib/modules/2.6.20-16-generic/volatile tmpfs rw 0 0
    /dev/sda5 /home ext3 rw 0 0
    /dev/sda1 /media/sda1 ntfs rw,nls=utf8,umask=007,gid=46 0 0
    /dev/sda2 /media/sda2 ntfs rw,nls=utf8,umask=007,gid=46 0 0
    /dev/sdc5 /media/USB_6G vfat rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,noatime,uid=1000,utf8,short name=lower 0 0
    /dev/sdb1 /media/USB_60G vfat rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,noatime,uid=1000,utf8,short name=lower 0 0

    I understand that the mtab file is 'created/updated' on-the-fly by the system. The listed entries in mtab above match the active, accessable devices. No cd-rom is shown, nor is the floppy, as neither have any inserted media.

    From man fstab:

    (iii) Normally, only the superuser can mount file systems. However,
    when fstab contains the user option on a line, anybody can mount the
    corresponding system.

    Thus, given a line
    /dev/cdrom /cd iso9660 ro,user,noauto,unhide
    any user can mount the iso9660 file system found on his CDROM using the
    command
    mount /dev/cdrom
    or
    mount /cd

    Inserting a floppy disk does not result in the media being mounted - I get no floppy disk icon in the Media tab of Konqueor.

    Issuing the command mount /media/floppy0 results in:
    mount: I could not determine the filesystem type, and none was specified

    Issuing the command mount -t auto /dev/sdd /media/floppy0 results in:
    mount: only root can do that

    I can mount the drive, if I do so as root.

    This behavior is contrary to what the manual about fstab says should be happening. The fstab entry for the floppy device is correct. It has the user option, so it should be mountable by any recognized user on the system.

    Can anyone explain why is this happening, and what I need to do so a regular user is able to use the floppy drive? I just want to insert a diskette and have it mounted, in the same manner that the cd-rom does. This is how it is supposed to work, and that is all I'm asking for.
    Windows no longer obstructs my view.
    Using Kubuntu Linux since March 23, 2007.
    "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data." - Sherlock Holmes

    #2
    Re: USB Floppy drive access woes - Solution found!!

    Okay, so no one wanted to tackle this one. That left me to see if I could find the answer myself, and I did. There is a bug report on this problem:
    https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...ase/+bug/30207

    What I was looking for was in this permlink in that bug report:
    https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...07/comments/44

    The follow-on permlink describes how to make this a permanent fix, but it opens up all your mounted HDs and their partitions, which I didn't like:
    https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...07/comments/45

    So I've opted to use the first permlink 'fix' which is to open System Menu | Media Storage, and then type into the location bar, media:/sdd/ (the trailing / is necessary), this being my /dev/* definition for this device in my /etc/fstab file. NOTE: If you have a diskette in the floppy when you boot, this doesn't work (at least it didn't work for me), and you have to remove the diskette and restart (I restart Kubuntu, but restarting X may be sufficient).

    This works! It isn't the way accessing the floppy should work, but it is a useable work-around solution.
    Windows no longer obstructs my view.
    Using Kubuntu Linux since March 23, 2007.
    "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data." - Sherlock Holmes

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