Re: [tlug] USB devices behaving randomly

[Josh Glover <jmglov@example.com>]

On 17/01/06, Dave Gutteridge <dave@example.com> wrote:

> What can I do to diagnose the drivers in Linux?

Jim is probably right when he says that there is not much you can do
to fix this, other than trying a new kernel, but if you want to see
what is going wrong, this might help:

cd /usr/src/linux
# You may need to be root for the next step
make menuconfig
 # Find the USB section (it is in different places for the 2.4 and 2.6 kernels).
 # Hopefully, it is configured as a module.
 # Turn on "USB verbose debug messages" and maybe "USB Mass Storage
verbose debug".
 # Save and exit.
# You may have to be root for the next step
make modules
# You *will* have to be root for the next step
make modules_install

Now, you have USB debugging turned on. (Note that if your USB support
is compiled into the kernel statically, you will have to rebuild the
whole mess. See your distribution's documentation for that, if you
need help.)

In a terminal, run (as root, almost certainly):

tail -f /var/log/messages

Now play with your USB devices. Plug them in, unplug them, etc., and
watch what is reported in the logfile. Look for errors. Google said
errors.

Good luck. :)

-Josh