Can't get USB memory stick to work

['Forum Post]

The reason it defaults to root permissions is because the OS doesn't
know who is the owner of the device.  This is a major difference
between WinXP and Linux (or Unix in general).  In XP, you can have many
users logged in to the system, but as far as I know, only one user
actually using it at a time.  In Unix, you can have many users logged
in -and- simultaneously using the system.  So in Windows, the OS knows
it's your device because you're the one with control of the machine,
but Linux can't assume that.  I seems to me like the harder thing to do
is allow multiple simultaneous users, and it should be possible to have
the best of both worlds if Linux had a good mechanism for detecting
hardware like USB drives.  I can't tell you how many times I've wanted
to log into a Windows machine along side someone else.



I'm not sure how to set this up the Ubuntu way, but I know enough to do
it the disto-agnostic way.  First figure out what the device name is.  
Code:
--------------------
    tail -s 3 -f /var/log/messages
--------------------
 Plug the drive in and you should see a bunch of stuff with /dev/sdb or
similar.  Mine says > Dec 20 00:56:14 localhost kernel: [5630424.253000] usb 4-2: new full
> speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 2

> Dec 20 00:56:15 localhost kernel: [5630425.507000] Initializing USB
> Mass Storage driver...

> Dec 20 00:56:16 localhost kernel: [5630425.514000] scsi2 : SCSI
> emulation for USB Mass Storage devices

> Dec 20 00:56:16 localhost kernel: [5630425.527000] usbcore: registered
> new driver usb-storage

> Dec 20 00:56:16 localhost kernel: [5630425.527000] USB Mass Storage
> support registered.

> Dec 20 00:56:16 localhost usb.agent[14386]:      usb-storage: loaded
> successfully

> Dec 20 00:56:21 localhost kernel: [5630430.530000]   Vendor: 256MB    
> Model: HardDrive         Rev: 1.88

> Dec 20 00:56:21 localhost kernel: [5630430.530000]   Type:  
> Direct-Access                      ANSI SCSI revision: 02

> Dec 20 00:56:21 localhost kernel: [5630430.969000] SCSI device sdb:
> 512000 512-byte hdwr sectors (262 MB)

> Dec 20 00:56:21 localhost kernel: [5630430.972000] sdb: Write Protect
> is off

> Dec 20 00:56:21 localhost kernel: [5630430.985000] SCSI device sdb:
> 512000 512-byte hdwr sectors (262 MB)

> Dec 20 00:56:21 localhost kernel: [5630430.988000] sdb: Write Protect
> is off

> Dec 20 00:56:21 localhost kernel: [5630430.988000] 
> /dev/scsi/host2/bus0/target0/lun0: p1

> Dec 20 00:56:21 localhost kernel: [5630430.995000] Attached scsi
> removable disk sdb at scsi2, channel 0, id 0, lun 0

> Dec 20 00:56:21 localhost scsi.agent[14454]:      sd_mod: loaded
> sucessfully (for disk)



Now edit /etc/fstab so that it mounts as you.  Add the line > /dev/sdb1       /media/removable  vfat   
> rw,user,noauto,dmask=077,fmask=177  0       0

>   More info is in the mount man page 
Code:
--------------------
    man mount
--------------------
 To mount the drive, 
Code:
--------------------
    mount /media/removable
--------------------
  To unmount 
Code:
--------------------
    umount /media/removable
--------------------
  You could put a script on your desktop or a menu entry to do the
mount/unmount with the mouse.



There's probably an easier, Ubuntu way to do this, but I don't know it.


-- 
jpkotta