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Writing/Erasing/Formatting old Mini and regular sized SD memory cards in Linux?

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Ant

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Nov 4, 2012, 8:10:40 PM11/4/12
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Hi.

I got a bunch of old Mini and regular sized SD memory cards (16 MB to 1
GB), that were used for old Palm smartphones and PDAs. I thought maybe I
could use them in Linux. I also have an internal memory card reader to
handle them on my Debian stable (Kernel v2.6.32-5-amd64 #1 SMP Sun Sep
23 10:07:46 UTC 2012 x86_64 GNU/Linux) desktop computer.

They can be read and accessed, but I cannot seem to write to them like
deleting, formatting (even when unmounted), adding files, etc. in my old
Gnome v2.3.20 desktop. Am I missing something? :( FYI, dmesg/messages of
my attempts to use them fully can be found in
http://filebin.ca/LVns4B1M79U/log.txt (over a MB).

Thank you in advance. :)
--
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/ /\ /\ \ Ant's Quality Foraged Links: http://aqfl.net
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Bill Marcum

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Nov 5, 2012, 3:29:17 AM11/5/12
to
On 11/04/2012 08:10 PM, Ant wrote:
> Hi.
>
> I got a bunch of old Mini and regular sized SD memory cards (16 MB to 1
> GB), that were used for old Palm smartphones and PDAs. I thought maybe I
> could use them in Linux. I also have an internal memory card reader to
> handle them on my Debian stable (Kernel v2.6.32-5-amd64 #1 SMP Sun Sep
> 23 10:07:46 UTC 2012 x86_64 GNU/Linux) desktop computer.
>
> They can be read and accessed, but I cannot seem to write to them like
> deleting, formatting (even when unmounted), adding files, etc. in my old
> Gnome v2.3.20 desktop. Am I missing something? :( FYI, dmesg/messages of
> my attempts to use them fully can be found in
> http://filebin.ca/LVns4B1M79U/log.txt (over a MB).
>

Did you check the write protect switch on the side of the sd card?

Ant

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Nov 5, 2012, 3:19:24 PM11/5/12
to
Uh, where? Here's the thing. I have no problems with them in Mac OS X
10.8.2 and Windows XP Pro. SP3 through their USB memory card readers!
--
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philo

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Nov 5, 2012, 4:12:48 PM11/5/12
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On 11/05/2012 02:19 PM, Ant wrote:
>>> I got a bunch of old Mini and regular sized SD memory cards (16 MB to 1
>>> GB), that were used for old Palm smartphones and PDAs. I thought maybe I
>>> could use them in Linux. I also have an internal memory card reader to
>>> handle them on my Debian stable (Kernel v2.6.32-5-amd64 #1 SMP Sun Sep
>>> 23 10:07:46 UTC 2012 x86_64 GNU/Linux) desktop computer.
>>>
>>> They can be read and accessed, but I cannot seem to write to them like
>>> deleting, formatting (even when unmounted), adding files, etc. in my old
>>> Gnome v2.3.20 desktop. Am I missing something? :( FYI, dmesg/messages of
>>> my attempts to use them fully can be found in
>>> http://filebin.ca/LVns4B1M79U/log.txt (over a MB).
>
>> Did you check the write protect switch on the side of the sd card?
>
> Uh, where? Here's the thing. I have no problems with them in Mac OS X
> 10.8.2 and Windows XP Pro. SP3 through their USB memory card readers!
>


Then you must be mounting them as read-only ?

--
https://www.createspace.com/3707686

Michael Black

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Nov 5, 2012, 7:21:16 PM11/5/12
to
On Sun, 4 Nov 2012, Ant wrote:

> Hi.
>
> I got a bunch of old Mini and regular sized SD memory cards (16 MB to 1 GB),
> that were used for old Palm smartphones and PDAs. I thought maybe I could use
> them in Linux. I also have an internal memory card reader to handle them on
> my Debian stable (Kernel v2.6.32-5-amd64 #1 SMP Sun Sep 23 10:07:46 UTC 2012
> x86_64 GNU/Linux) desktop computer.
>
> They can be read and accessed, but I cannot seem to write to them like
> deleting, formatting (even when unmounted), adding files, etc. in my old
> Gnome v2.3.20 desktop. Am I missing something? :( FYI, dmesg/messages of my
> attempts to use them fully can be found in
> http://filebin.ca/LVns4B1M79U/log.txt (over a MB).
>
Did this change with hardware?

I bought a cardreader about 2004 when I got a digital camera, to read
cmpactflash cards. It was fine, read different types of cards though I
never used it with others.

Then I started with SD cards. The reader worked initially, then with
other cards didn't. Then I realized the cardreader was so old that it
didn't know how to handle SD cards larger than 2gigs. I had to buy a
newcardreader.

And even then, I had problems. Linux saw the cardreader but not the card.
I fiddled and then discovered I needed to configure things so it would see
more than one of the card options. SOmething about setting the number of
luns, I found it in a text about using multi-card readers with Linux.

I did what the article said, and bam, the cardreader worked.

It also solved the problem I had of not being able to see the microSD card
in my Sansa Fuze when the latter was mounted. It was the same issue.

So if this problem came up because of new hardware, or a new install of
Linux, I'd look into this LUNs business.

Michael

Ant

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Nov 6, 2012, 7:12:51 AM11/6/12
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On 11/5/2012 1:12 PM PT, philo typed:
Probably. How do I change that in Gnome v2.3.20 since I use Debian stable?
--
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(unknown episode)
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://antfarm.ma.cx (Personal Web Site)
/ /\ /\ \ Ant's Quality Foraged Links: http://aqfl.net
| |o o| |

Ant

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Nov 6, 2012, 7:16:51 AM11/6/12
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On 11/5/2012 4:21 PM PT, Michael Black typed:

> Did this change with hardware?

I didn't change anything?, but I never used these SD memory cards with
it before so it was my first time. :(


> I bought a cardreader about 2004 when I got a digital camera, to read
> cmpactflash cards. It was fine, read different types of cards though I
> never used it with others.
>
> Then I started with SD cards. The reader worked initially, then with
> other cards didn't. Then I realized the cardreader was so old that it
> didn't know how to handle SD cards larger than 2gigs. I had to buy a
> newcardreader.
>
> And even then, I had problems. Linux saw the cardreader but not the
> card. I fiddled and then discovered I needed to configure things so it
> would see more than one of the card options. SOmething about setting
> the number of luns, I found it in a text about using multi-card readers
> with Linux.
>
> I did what the article said, and bam, the cardreader worked.
>
> It also solved the problem I had of not being able to see the microSD
> card in my Sansa Fuze when the latter was mounted. It was the same issue.
>
> So if this problem came up because of new hardware, or a new install of
> Linux, I'd look into this LUNs business.

My Debian stable installation was on 11/24/2011 and has been updates
since then. I got this internal USB+memory card reader front panel
(drive bay) on 12/20/2010.
http://zimage.com/~ant/antfarm/about/computers.txt for my detailed
machine specifications (secondary one).
--
"Bother," said Winnie the Pooh, as he stepped on an ant.

Robert Nichols

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Nov 7, 2012, 9:39:05 AM11/7/12
to
On 11/04/2012 07:10 PM, Ant wrote:
> Hi.
>
> I got a bunch of old Mini and regular sized SD memory cards (16 MB to 1 GB),
> that were used for old Palm smartphones and PDAs. I thought maybe I could use
> them in Linux. I also have an internal memory card reader to handle them on my
> Debian stable (Kernel v2.6.32-5-amd64 #1 SMP Sun Sep 23 10:07:46 UTC 2012 x86_64
> GNU/Linux) desktop computer.
>
> They can be read and accessed, but I cannot seem to write to them like deleting,
> formatting (even when unmounted), adding files, etc. in my old Gnome v2.3.20
> desktop. Am I missing something? :( FYI, dmesg/messages of my attempts to use
> them fully can be found in http://filebin.ca/LVns4B1M79U/log.txt (over a MB).

I note the following in that log.txt:

Nov 4 15:03:58 MyBox kernel: [ 704.328919] sd 10:0:0:0: [sdc] Write
Protect is on

That, with all of the "Device not ready" messages for device sdc, makes it
appear that your internal card reader is just not compatible with these
devices.

--
Bob Nichols AT comcast.net I am "RNichols42"

philo

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Nov 7, 2012, 12:37:21 PM11/7/12
to
On 11/06/2012 06:12 AM, Ant wrote:
> On 11/5/2012 1:12 PM PT, philo typed:
>
>>>>> I got a bunch of old Mini and regular sized SD memory cards (16 MB
>>>>> to 1
>>>>> GB), that were used for old Palm smartphones and PDAs. I thought
>>>>> maybe I
>>>>> could use them in Linux. I also have an internal memory card reader to
>>>>> handle them on my Debian stable (Kernel v2.6.32-5-amd64 #1 SMP Sun Sep
>>>>> 23 10:07:46 UTC 2012 x86_64 GNU/Linux) desktop computer.
>>>>>
>>>>> They can be read and accessed, but I cannot seem to write to them like
>>>>> deleting, formatting (even when unmounted), adding files, etc. in my
>>>>> old
>>>>> Gnome v2.3.20 desktop. Am I missing something? :( FYI,
>>>>> dmesg/messages of
>>>>> my attempts to use them fully can be found in
>>>>> http://filebin.ca/LVns4B1M79U/log.txt (over a MB).
>>>
>>>> Did you check the write protect switch on the side of the sd card?
>>>
>>> Uh, where? Here's the thing. I have no problems with them in Mac OS X
>>> 10.8.2 and Windows XP Pro. SP3 through their USB memory card readers!
>>>
>> Then you must be mounting them as read-only ?
>
> Probably. How do I change that in Gnome v2.3.20 since I use Debian stable?


Oh cripes don't ask me I just blunder around with this stuff

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https://www.createspace.com/3707686

Ant

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Nov 10, 2012, 11:44:13 AM11/10/12
to
On 11/7/2012 6:39 AM PT, Robert Nichols typed:

> I note the following in that log.txt:
>
> Nov 4 15:03:58 MyBox kernel: [ 704.328919] sd 10:0:0:0: [sdc]
> Write Protect is on
>
> That, with all of the "Device not ready" messages for device sdc, makes it
> appear that your internal card reader is just not compatible with these
> devices.

Hmm. Interesting. I wonder if my Kernel is too old or I need to install
something else.
--
"We are anthill men upon an anthill world." --Ray Bradbury
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