Parallel ZIP250 on RH 6.2

[mza]

Hello,

I've been trying to install the external ZIP250 drive almost a month now, but still in vain. I have implemented various suggestions from various sources but all of them have failed on my system. I have tried the following:

1) modprobe ppa
My system responded with:
/lib/modules/2.2.14-5.0/scsi/ppa.0: init_module: device or resource busy
/lib/modules/2.2.14-5.0/scsi/ppa.0: : insmod/libmodules/2.2.14.5.0/scsi/ppa.0 failed
/lib/modules/2.2.14-5.0/scsi/ppa.0: insmod ppa failed

2) Since my system did not reconize ppa, I then tried modprobe imm
I assumed the module was succesfully mounted since I did not see any message as in (1). The just cursor moved to a new line.

3) To ensure (2) I then typed lsmod and the system responded with:

Module Size Used by
lp 5320 1 (autoclean)
msdos 5468 0 (autoclean) (unused)
vfat 9276 0 (autoclean) (unused)
fat 30336 0 (autoclean) [msdos vfat]
imm 9420 0
parport_pc 7304 2 (autoclean)
parport 7452 2 [lp imm parport_pc]
lockd 30344 1 (autoclean)
sunrpc 52132 1 (autoclean) [lockd]
3c59x 18980 1 (autoclean)

4) I confirmed (3) by checking the scci file in /proc/scsi. The file contains the following:

Attached devices:
Host: scsi0 Channel: 00 Id: 06 Lun: 00
Vendor: IOMEGA Model: ZIP 250 Rev: K.47
Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 02

5) I, however, did not see the mount point (sdX) as I should have in (3). Anyway I typed this command to mount the drive to /mnt/zip directory which I had earlier created. For msdos formatted:

mount -t vfat /dev/sda4 /mnt/zip

The replied was:

mount : /dev/sda4 is not a valid block device

I changed sda4 to sda1 for ext2 fromatted disk and got same error message.

I would appreciate for your suggestions and comments.

Thanks

:confused:

[mdwatts]

Sorry as I neither have a zip drive nor know very much about the configuration of them.

Have you tried these Google search results for Parallel ZIP250 (http://www.google.com/linux?hl=en&q=+Parallel+ZIP250&btnG=Google+Search) as there may be something there to help?

[jaygee432]

A simple question but still needs asking, did you try it with a disk in the drive?

[mza]

Yes I did. The drive was firmly attached, power-up and a disk mounted.

[bigrigdriver]

Next question: is the zip drive listed in /etc/fstab. If not, you will get an error message: not a valid block device. The entry in fstab should look like this: /dev/sda4 /mnt/zip auto defaults,user,noauto 0 0. Also, if you have the zip chained with the printer (zip connected to parport, printer connected to zip), imm.o is the module to use. It should take care of any conflicts between the zip and the printer.
PS: the zip-install mini-HOWTO and the zip drive mini-HOWTO should have all the information you need. One of them was written with redhat in mind.

[ 22 March 2002: Message edited by: bigrigdriver ]

[Bernd]

Hi,

I don't know about a zip250 (I only have a zip100) but you could try showing the partitions at all:
'fdisk -l /dev/sda'

The following is only right if you don't have another scsi drive (e.g. scsi harddisk, etc.; in this case your zip drive is attached to another /dev/sdX entry):

If it shows nothing, your zip is definitely not attached to /dev/sda.

If it shows something like (here for a zip100):
Disk /dev/sdb: 64 heads, 32 sectors, 96 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 2048 * 512 bytes

but no partitons, you have to partition your zip-disc (with e.g. fdisk or cfdisk).

If it shows partions, you should be able to mount or at least to format them.


For the first case, you could compile a new kernel including the zip driver. On booting when the zip driver is ('loaded')/used it searches for zip drives and should tell you on which device your zip-drive is attached.

Btw, you don't need a /etc/fstab entry, using e.g.
mount -t auto /dev/sdXn /mnt/zip
as you did it, is o.k.

Hope this helps,

Bernd

[ 22 March 2002: Message edited by: Bernd ]

[mza]

I checked /etc/fstab and found out there was no such entry on zip mount point. I manually added this entry as you have suggested. After booting-up, my system still refuses to detect the drive. I begin to suspect the imm driver (version 2.0.3) that I'm now using. Could this be the cause of the problem?

[mdwatts]

Could be.

Did you find ANYTHING in those Google search results?

[mza]

Yeahh....I've looked up the goggle and found no new thing. I has have gone through ZIP-HOWTO and the instructions there are fairly straightforward. Its usual stuff: modprobe ppa, modprobe imm, insmod imm, create a mount point, modify etc/fstab, check /proc/scsi, modify /dev/conf.modules, etc. The only thing which I have yet to do is to configure the kernel. But another Linux expert said this may not be necessary. You are right, i.e. read first before posting.

[mdwatts]

I would like to help more, but I've never had a zip drive and wouldn't really know where to begin to configure one.

All I can do then is suggest searching Google OR your distro support/usergroup site.

Does /var/log/messages show the zip drive and what device it is?

[Bernd]

Have you already run 'fdisk -l /dev/sda' and what does it say?

[bigrigdriver]

As I recall, when I installed my Zip 250 external drive, I went to the Iomega Support home page and downloaded the Linux Tools for Iomegaware. On the screen, you select your zip drive, your OS, and you language, then click on find. It should take you to a file called iwclcontainer-lnx-x86-10.tgz. Unzip it and follow the installation instructions. I don't remember having to recompile the kernel. All I had to do after installing the Tools was to create an icon on my desktop and link it to /dev/sda4 (on my distro). The prefered device may be different for your distro.

[bigrigdriver]

As I recall, when I installed my Zip 250 external drive, I went to the Iomega Support home page and downloaded the Linux Tools for Iomegaware. On the screen, you select your zip drive, your OS, and you language, then click on find. It should take you to a file called iwclcontainer-lnx-x86-10.tgz. Unzip it and follow the installation instructions. I don't remember having to recompile the kernel. All I had to do after installing the Tools was to create an icon on my desktop and link it to /dev/sda4 (on my distro). The prefered device may be different for your distro.

[mza]

I run fdisk -l /dev/sda and it shows nothing. But the /proc/scsi file shows that the zip is attached to the system. In the var/log/messages there is also one line containing IOMEGA and ZIP250 words. Its very intriguing that the drive is attached without it first being detected!

I have also downloaded and unzipped the wclcontainer-lnx-x86-10.tgz file. In my system I have the iw.exe installed in /IomegaZip/iwcl-lnx-x86-10-english. I honestly have no clue on how to make this work with my drive. You mentioned about creating an icon and linking to /dev/sda4 on one's distro. I would appreciate is you could explain how to go about doing this.

[Bernd]

I'm first seeing it now and I'm not sure at all (since I compile zip drivers directly into the kernel) but I don't see scsi-disk support within your modules list. Could you please also run "modprobe sd_mod" (this is for 2.4.x kernels, don't know if the module has the same name for 2.2.x kernels).
And when it still doesn't work, try to change the order (first "modprobe imm" and vice versa).

But I'm a little confused that this isn't loaded automatically by modprobe, so it may be that this module is within your kernel or that it isn't available.

[mza]

I run modprobe sd_mod and it says "can't locate the module"

[Bernd]

I already told that I wondered why it wasn't loaded by 'modprobe imm' itself. So that means that it is either compiled into the kernel or not available. And since your zip-drive is not recognized as scsi disk, I believe that it is not available.
If I where you, I would really considering to compile my own kernel -- at least it is much faster than posting and reading this lot of messages
;)