LinuxUsbTwoTwoOneEight

USB and Linux

I recommend the 2.2.18 kernel (as of 1/23/00, anyway). One of the nice features of this kernel is a backport of the 2.4.0 USB code. This makes it relatively simple to configure USB devices.

• Start at the linux-usb homepage
• Enable USB in your BIOS. This is usually under 'assign interrupt to USB'
• When rebuilding your kernel, make sure to enable USB. Go ahead and compile all the USB drivers as modules.
• Download the usbd scripts.
• Untar usb utilities as /etc/usb
• cp /etc/usb/hotplug to /sbin

• Add '/etc/usb/rc.usb' to an rc script. It needs to go in rc.sysinit if you are going to use USB systems early in the boot process, otherwise stick it in rc.local:
  

  /etc/usb/rc.usb start

• Reboot and check /var/log/dmesg. You should see some messages indicating that the USB system is initialized. Check 'lsmod' output for usb modules.

I tested USB support with a SanDisk CF Reader.

Since 2.2.18 doesn't support DevFS, you have to do some fiddling with device files.

I also got a USB mouse working the other day, I will post that info is anyone is interested.