Linux and firewire
 

Hello:

I have been trying to resolve my firewire and knoppix issue, and am running into a one way street. In fact, in the knoppix forum, there was someone with the exact same problem, and he was told that the reason why he was not receiving suggestions was the fact that very few folks use firewire. Somehow I refuse to believe this answer..........
Other forums refer to guides that are difficult to understand. In addition, the sites for linux are either awfully slow, or they can not be opened.

Just have to keep on trying.....

Totonho03

P.S>- Has anyone heard that some folks or institutions are selling a knoppix dvd? They are charging 20 bucks for it, but am not sure if they are good or not.....

Well, I was searching for a book on linux, checked three computer stores and found nothing that will help me resolve my issues. Best Buy did not have any books regarding linux. Compuserve had a couple of them, but they were Red Hat bibles, and I did not see anything on firewire, the other one is not worth mentioing, very few books.. Too bad.

..........I guess that the web is the best bet for this

Totonho03

Yes it is :D
However, there's a new book called "Moving To Linux: Kiss the Blue Screen of Death Goodbye by Marcel Gagné", that you might want to look into :cool:
http://www.linux.org/books/reviews/gagne_bsod.html

Edit:
About your firewire problem, try this on a command prompt, logged in as "root": modprobe ohci1394

-kwag

Hi Kwag:

Thank you for the suggestions regarding thebook and modprobe ohci1394.

Actually earlier last night, I had performed this command, followed by lsmode, and it gave me a list of the modules that were installed. amongst them, I had the following:

As you can see, the 1394, appears to be there, but not being used, and that is precisely what I am trying to learn, how to mount the Western Digital and the dvd writter......

In addition to this, I have also tried cdrecord -scanbus, and the only CD rom available was my Hitachi, on scibus0, 0) Hitachi.......
I have also tried mounting sd1 or sd2, which I read within the forum, were the names given to CD roms, but to no avail. That is why I went to search for a book on linux. I will more than likely need to get it thought the linux site that you sent me.

Thanks and best regards

Totonho03

P.S.- Do not remember if I mentioned it or not, but I am now able to print, except that I have to launch the print manager everytime I boot linux. There must be a way to retain this in the files for it to be loaded automatically.........

Hi Otto,

About Firewire, I'll let you know later tonight, because I just deleted my OS X system in my iBook, and installed Yellowdog Linux :!:
So I'll try to connect my external Maxtor Firewire drive, and I'll let you know the commands, and how to automate it. If it's a graphical (X11) program, you can edit (or create) the file: .xinitrc in your home directory.
This way you can add, in this case, the name of your printer client program. Then when you start X windows, it will automatically be loaded every time.
It the printer manager is a daemon ( background process ) that does not run in graphics mode, you can edit the file: /etc/rc.local, and add the complete path/name of your program. The program will then start. every time you bring up your system.
I'm not sure where rc.local goes in a Knoppix distro ( the one you installed ), but I think it goes in /etc/rc.d/rc.local

Edit:
No such thing in Debian (Knoppix). I'm thinking BSD :lol:
Here's the way you do it: http://www.desktop-linux.net/debian-rclocal.htm

-kwag

Hi Otto,

Here I am, writing via my iBook running YellowDog Linux 3.0, and using my external 128GB Maxtor Firewire/USB-2 hard drive :mrgreen:

Open a shell as root, and do this:

insmod ieee1394
insmod ohci1394
insmod raw1394
insmod sbp2

Now do the command dmesg
Look at the end, and see if you see something like this:

Now just make a mount point in your /mnt like this: mkdir /mnt/fw
And mount your drive like this: mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/fw

Your drive should now be mounted on /mnt/fw :)

-kwag

Hello Kwag:
Thank you for your response and suggestions. I followed them, and this is the result of it:
When installing these modules, Knoppix gave an "already installed" message. Then I proceeded with the dmesg command, and while a bunch on information was retrieve, (I was working on the root shell) I am here posting what appears to be related to the western digital drive:

Please note that after connecting the external drive to the USB port, Knoppix recognized it and it was mounted with no problems. Then I went back again to firewire connection, and the western digital unit was not present. I tried to mount it manually, with
and while it allowed me to make the directory, I was not able to do the /mount/fw.
I am beginning to thinlk that perhaps the best way to do this is to operate with 2 OS, that is Linux and Windows............

While I have not tried it yet, I would venture to guess that using the USB 1.1 will really slow things down a lot.

Thanks again

Otto

Hi Otto,

Try this on a shell:
dmesg | grep sda

See if you get sda1 or sda2 or some other sdaX device.
Maybe sda1 is not your device attached/related to the ieee1394 :!:

-kwag

Hi kwag
Thjis were my learning steps to enter the grep sda:
and then lines of informatkion were retrieved. I looked for "sda", and the search did not find any "sda" entries.

Please note that I typed the dmseg command incorrectly and had to re enter it, then on the second dmesg command I received just the prompt "root@ttyp0[knoppix]#" , nothing else, and not knowing any better, I typed the sequence of commands that you see above.

Are the highlighted commands correct? Or should I have received information immediately after typing the "root@ttyp0[knoppix]# dmesg | grep sda" command?

Thank you very much for your help.

Otto

By the way, I have saved the information retrieved by the various commands on kword, and I could PM them to you, or posted here, if you find it necessary................

Hi Otto,

Yes, the command is correct. dmesg | grep sda
where the :arrow: | (pipe) is the vertical bar.

Try this: cdrecord -scanbus
What devices show up :?:

-kwag

Hi kwag:
This is what I get when running the -scanbus command:
Thanks again, I am now going to try to upgrade to the new version. I am not sure if the image has been posted or not, but will try it anyway.

Regards

Otto

:(
For some reason, it's not detecting your drive.
One last try, just for the hell of it. Do this:
modprobe \*
Now do the cdrecord -scanbus again.
Any new device :?:

-kwag

Maestro:

I am now running with the new 3.3 version, but I still can not detec the external hard drive.
I did run the "cdrecord -scanbus", but did not see any new device, only the Hitachi CD Rom.
Before I forget, and this may be a silly question, but "cdrecord", does it imply a recording device per se? meaning a CD or DVD device? or does the "-scanbus" also looks for external hard drive devices as well?.

Just as a talking point, when I run the dmesg, amongst other information, I receive the following:

Quote:

scsi: <fdomain> Detection failed (no card) Failed initialization of WD-7000 SCSI card!

Will this somehow have something to do with the problem?.

Now, the new dmesg version is given me changes in a couple of lines dealing with ieee1394:
I also tried to mkdir, with the folowing results:
I have also posted on both the linux.iso net and the knoppix.net. Have tried their suggestions, but no dice.
I am stricking out (am playing like the Baltimore Orioles), is it time to create a larger partition and try linux as a 2nd OS? Would that help?
The other option is to run the WD with USB 1.1 port. Noooo, I do not think that this an option for video transfer, too slow...........

Humildemente

Otto

cdrecord is the "Nero" of cd burning in the U*IX world :D
The -scanbus parameter, reports all "attached" devices, IDE or SCSI, as Linux uses the sg* (Generic) devices to make non-SCSI devices look like SCSI devices. So your Firewire will be driven by a device, that the system will treat as a SCSI device. More references here: http://www.torque.net/sg/ Well, I see you have a "Future Domain" SCSI card. I haven't used that card in years :!:
I use an Adaptec WIDE SCSI card. But Future Domain should be suported in the kernel :!:
Try: modprobe fdomain
It should load.
To see what SCSI drivers you have, take a look under: /lib/modules/2.4.22-xfs/kernel/drivers/scsi/

That's the correct path for Knopix 3.2. Not sure what the new ISO you downloaded has, but it's probably the same. That's because sda1 is not attached to any driver. In my case, on YellowDog Linux, sda1 is the mount point for my external Firewire hard disk. USB 1.1, no way 8O :lol:
Not for video. But USB 2.0 is really fine for video, even for high speed captures :)
I have two USB-2.0 drives, and I can capture at 720x480 with a very small number of dropped frames, on a full one hour capture. ( with preview disabled, of course) .

-kwag

Hello kwag:

Well, another downer. My knoppix will not take the fdomain command. I have tried to install it, but it tells me that this is a no no:
could it be that I do not have the fdomain card?

I am going to call it quits, at least for tonight. I have been trying to make it work the entire day, and am running into dead alleys............

Thank you for your patience and suggestions

Otto

Hi Otto,
Sorry :!: I'm reading your log too fast 8O
I just read WD-7000, so try: modprobe wd7000 and see what happens :idea: :!:

-kwag

Hi kwag:

No dice on wd7000:

I also tried to install wd7000
It appears that for whatever reason, my system does not want to recognize the WD drive, and if this cannot be resolved, then I need to look for a couple of solutions to reach my main goal, that is, to use ffmpeg and linux to encode the backups.
Something that comes to mind at this time:
1.- Increase the partition on hda5 from 5 Giga to perhaps 8 giga, it is not that much, but it may allow me to back up one film at a time.
Then move the encoded file, via Windows, to the external hard drive. (I still need to learn how to create a common file for both systems
2.- Load linux into the hard drive, and work with both operating systems. I do not know if doing this will solve the external drive issue.
3.- This is in the future. Buy another portable and work with linux here.

Regards

Otto

Update:

According to linux 1394, I should install the ieee1394, ohci1394 and sbp_1394 modules, in that order. The first 2 had alredy been installed, but when I tried to install sbp2_1394, the message received was that such module did not exist (Not in those words). So tomorow I will try to locate the sbp2_1394 module.

Otto

Then try: modprobe sbp2*
That should load any module that starts with sbp2.

-kwag

Hi kwag:
I just did that command, and it told me that the sbp2 already existed, and in fact, it is
Using /lib/modules/2.24.22-xfs/kernel/drivers/ieee1394/sbp2.o
Should the sbp2.0 be sbp2_1394? Do not know..........
Something else that I just found:
I have downloaded the script and will try it tomorrow, and hopefully won't break anything..........

Thanks again


Hasta manana

Otto

Hi Otto,

Then I believe your drivers are all now loaded :!:
Do a: dmesg | grep sda and see if it now displays a sda1 or sda2 device.

-kwag

Good news :D

I think that I may be able to see the WD today. I did run the dmesg | grep sda command, and then run dmesg, and no new drives were present.
Then I run the rescan script, and re-run dmesg, receiving the following:
Then, I run modprob \* > cdrecord -scanbus, and this is what I received back:
Thanks to your help and a lot of reading I CAN NOW SEE BOTH DEVICES !!!! :yippie:
Next I tried to mount the sda1 as per your instruction:
, but I received the following :
and could not mount the sd1......
One more mounting step to go...........

Thanks and regards

your mkdir command the error that comes out do not match up. generally all *nix distros have a directory. Are you sure you didn't type

instead of

the mkdir command can only create one directory at a time unless you give it the -p option where it will create all the directories in a give path if they do not exist.

Cheers,

Rhino @ kwag: Another :D

The shell command accepted the mkdir command (You were correct, I was using /mount, instead of /mnt)
Then I run -scanbus, and now I can see scanbus0 with the Hitachi DVD ROM, and Scanbus2 showing both the DVD writter and the WD FIREWIRE/USB2 external hard drive.
I guess that I now need to reboor to see them all, correct?

Thanks again

Totonho03

Hi Otto,

No need to reboot :!:
Just type: mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/fw
And your drive should be mounted :)

-kwag

Hi again:

Well, it appears that it worked. Actually, I rebooted prior to reading your message, and I had to do evertything all over again, it did not save the path to the new sda1.
Presently I believe that everything is mounted, except that I cannot see the display of the sda1 at all. In Konqueror I can see the file named "fw", but when I click on it I do not see any files at all.
Questions:
1.- How can I "refresh" the program so I can see the sda1 devices?
2.- Is it possible to save these new seetings (mnt/sda1) in such a way as to automatically start next time I boot knoppix?
3. Need to place these new settings in the desktop, how is this done?

Thank you for all your help

Otto

P.S.- I just run a cat command and the following devices are indeed currently registered:

after you did

have you tried doing

this will tell you if you have mounted the disk. As for making sure this device is mounted each time you boot the machine you will have to edit a file under /etc though there maybe an option in the control panel to do this. Kwag i'm sure will point you in the right direction. Its beena while since i used linux (i use Solaris),

Cheers,

Hi rhino:

No, I had not entered the commands mentioned in your post, and after doing them, I was able to detect the directories that I have on the external drive, which if I understood correctly, it means that the external drive is indeed mounted.

Thanks again for your help.

Regards

Otto

Solaris eh? Well, need to be familiar with linux and work with it prior to even thinking about another OS..........unless...... :D

Solaris is a flavour of unix based upon BSD. Its a commercial version. Well up until this year it was free for x86 machines and now it costs a few dollars. Actually Solaris runs quite well on x86 machines.

So there a few differences in setup between it and linux. You would edit /etc/vfstab and add in your device entry so that it is always mounted, but under linux this, I think, /etc/fstab.

Cheers,

Hello again:

I have been reading some tips on how to access, in this case CD-Rom, and they are suggesting the running of: Their explaanation for this is as follow:Which in my case it would be: . But, I have already mounted this to /fw. I do not want to proceed with this recommendation because I am not sure if this the correct procedure for me to access the external hard drive, and do not want to do something that will wipe out my system........... So, for the time being the questions above mentioned are still unresolved.

Regards

Otto

P.S.- Rhino: thanks for the explanation. As mentioned before, will become familiar with linux first, and then I may try other OSs.

Hello again:

I have been reading some tips on how to access, in this case CD-Rom, and they are suggesting the running of: Their explaanation for this is as follow:Which in my case it would be: . But, I have already mounted this to /fw. I do not want to proceed with this recommendation because I am not sure if this the correct procedure for me to access the external hard drive, and do not want to do something that will wipe out my system........... So, for the
time being the questions above mentioned are still unresolved.

Regards

Otto

P.S.- Rhino: thanks for the explanation. As mentioned before, will become familiar with linux first, and then I may try other OSs.

Edit: Instead of mounting this to the cdrom, can I mounted to the desktop in a similar fashion as hda1 and hda5?

Hello:

While I have been able to mount sda1 in /fw, I have not been able to find a way to access the sda1, meaning access it as I can access hda1 (C: drive) and hda5 (D: partition of main hdd). I do not know howto access the files of the external drive, and sp far, I have not bee able to find a way to do it in the web or in tutorials.
Something else that is taking place, is that when I logout of knoppix, I loose the mounting of sda1, and have to go through the procedure of mounting it again.

Thanks for the help in solving my issues.

Otto

Hi Otto,

Let's make it easier for you :)
In Unix, there are no drive letters. Only mount points.
So do this:

mkdir /F

Now do this:

mount /dev/sda1 /F


And your drive will be mounted in /F

Now in a shell, you can do: ls /F ( or dir /F ) or in X Windows you can open a browser, and your files are in /F

You could even do: mkdir /F:

And mount at that point: mount /dev/sda1 /F:

Now it will look more familiar ;)

So go ahead and do: mkdir /F: /G: /H: /I:

Now you have a bunch of "mount points' you can use :cool:

-kwag

Hi kwag:

Thanks for your response Maestro. Please note that my problem is not creating a mkdir, for I have created it and mounted the sda1 to /f. I can also go to the root and do a cd /f, followed by an ls and see all of my directories and subdirectories, down to the files within such subdirectories. But, (there is always a but ), this is not the problem. My problem is that I can not open any of the files or execute any of the commands when I am in the root directory.
I have created an f directory in the desktop, but it is empty, and I do not know how to bring the sda1 information here. I have also tried mounting the sda1 to the desktop directory, but it is not allowing me to do that. Will keep on trying to mount to the desktop directory

When I boot knoppix with the external drive connected to the USB 1.1, it creates a desktop directory for the WD hard drive, I can access such directory with no problem.
When I boot with the external drive connected to the firewire, it does not create, nor does it mount the sda1 to the destop, and I have to manually mount the sda1, which so far I have being able to do that as well, but, and I do not mean to be repetitive, perhaps there is a step or two that I am missing in the configuration of the file containing the sda1. Or perhaps the reason why I can not access them is because those files were created by W98SE, and I may have to "convert" or emulate them to work with knoppix, but all of the hda1 filews were also created by W98 and I am able to open them....................

Being a newbie is not helpin at all, I have also posted in the knoppix forums, and so far I have not received an answer to solve my problems.......

Regards

Otto


Thanks and regards

Otto

Update:

Now I have the sda1 in a Konqueror window, so far I can only access such files Konqueror, but open on root !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next step: I can open pictures with no problems, but now I need to learn how to open Window commands, as is CQQmatic, which is not being open when I hit the command. I also need to go to the ffmpeg site and download the linux version, and see if it works here......................

Regards

otto

Does Knoppix allow you to run Windows binaries? Does it run wine or something like that to allow this?

Cheers,

It has WINE installed, but I haven't tried it yet. I did try WINE under Lindows a long time ago, and I was able to run TMPEG. Never tried encoding anything, but it did run the program

-kwag

Kwag and rhino:

Thank you for the teply. Yes. it has wine, I have not used it, so it will be another learning experience :P

I have downloaded both ffmpeg and japie's programs. Have not tried to run japie's script, but did try to open ffmpeg from sourceforge, unfortunatelly the script is asking me to open "./configuration--help", but knoppix is not allowing me to go to ./configure, or ./config or ./conf. Things do not come easy within the linux world.......

Is there a site where I can get the ffmpeg.exe file and all I need to do is to past this file into my ffmpeg linux folder and run with it?

Thanks and regards

Otto

Ho Otto,

Just decompress ffmpeg's .tgz file like this:

tar xzvf ffmpeg-0.4.7.tar.gz

That will decompress the sources into a direcory called ffmpeg-0.4.7

Now move to that directory: cd ffmpeg-0.4.7 and type ./configure

After that's done, type: make && make install

That's it :!:
Your ffmpeg is now compiled and installed.

-kwag

Hi kwag:

Thank you for your advise.
I was able to install the ffmpeg following your instructions, but could not run the command, but that is another story.
I am just about ready to
A) Resign myself to load linux in my hd. Why you may ask, The answer is simple, I loose everything everytime the laptop is turned off. I just lost the mount of sda1 as well as the installation of ffmpeg, as well as the files that I downloaded from the web. It is a big pain to start all over again everytime the laptop is booted......Yep, another learning curve is needed: how to maintain such files in the computer............or mount the OS in the HD. The next alternative is:
B) To give it up linux completely. After days and days and days of bothering you folks with newbie questions and surfing for answers and reading languajes that are foreign to me, it would be a shame to do so, but right this minute, I am inclined to do just that. Maybe later on tonight or tomorrow I will have a different view, but right now.......................Que el CD se coja solo. :evil:

Thank you and the rest of the folks that helped me during this arduos time.............

Regards
Otto