# No partitions visible in my MP3 player (Sandisk Sansa m240)

## gattu_marrudu

I have just purchased a  Sandisk Sansa m240 MP3 player, and when I plug it into my gentoo box I cannot see any partitions on it. Windows can access to it and read/write the partition, but Linux does not. 

This is my dmesg when I plug the player in: 

```
usb 1-1: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 7

scsi4 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices

usb-storage: device found at 7

usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning

  Vendor: SanDisk   Model: Sansa m240        Rev: 1.30

  Type:   Direct-Access                      ANSI SCSI revision: 00

SCSI device sdb: 1995840 512-byte hdwr sectors (1022 MB)

sdb: Write Protect is off

sdb: Mode Sense: 37 00 00 08

sdb: assuming drive cache: write through

SCSI device sdb: 1995840 512-byte hdwr sectors (1022 MB)

sdb: Write Protect is off

sdb: Mode Sense: 37 00 00 08

sdb: assuming drive cache: write through

 sdb:

sd 4:0:0:0: Attached scsi removable disk sdb

usb-storage: device scan complete

```

And this is the partition list: 

```
6:38 laptop1 ~ # fdisk -l /dev/sdb

Disk /dev/sdb: 1021 MB, 1021870080 bytes

32 heads, 61 sectors/track, 1022 cylinders

Units = cilindri of 1952 * 512 = 999424 bytes

Dispositivo Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System

```

As you can see the device is recognized, but no partitions are available. 

I'm afraid of creating one manually, as I don't know what I'm going to destroy.

According to another forum I set the USB transfer mode to MSC but it didn't change anything. 

Other USB pendrives work on this box, though some are VERY slow. Am I missing some drivers?

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## Aysen

I'm not sure, but this may help: set CONFIG_SCSI_MULTI_LUN=y in your kernel config and recompile the kernel (it's called something like "Probe all LUNs" in menuconfig). This solved my similar problem with a flash card reader, which was also recognized as "scsi removable disk".

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## gattu_marrudu

I tried, but it didn't work. 

Still, I believe it's someting related to drivers.

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## bollucks

Make sure you have the following modules for your kernel:

sd_mod

usb_storage

scsi_mod

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## gattu_marrudu

 *bollucks wrote:*   

> Make sure you have the following modules for your kernel:
> 
> sd_mod
> 
> usb_storage
> ...

 

I already have scsi_mod built in the kernel and the other two modules loaded. 

Again, other USB mass storage devices work.

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## mspiegle

Same problem here.... will post back if I can find anything.

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## boaglio

Me too!   :Sad: 

```

cascao ~ # fdisk -l /dev/sda

Disk /dev/sda: 1021 MB, 1021870080 bytes

32 heads, 61 sectors/track, 1022 cylinders

Units = cylinders of 1952 * 512 = 999424 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System

cascao ~ #     

```

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## dsd

you dont have to partition devices. many flash devices are not partitioned at all, the "raw disk" is used as the storage space.

so, just mount /dev/sda or /dev/sdb or whatever you may have, and it should work

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## boaglio

 *dsd wrote:*   

> you dont have to partition devices. many flash devices are not partitioned at all, the "raw disk" is used as the storage space.
> 
> so, just mount /dev/sda or /dev/sdb or whatever you may have, and it should work

 

Nice tip DSD!   :Very Happy: 

I could finally mount my Sansa! 

Thanks a lot!   :Mr. Green: 

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## boaglio

Another tip for Sansa m240 users:

To update your MP3 list from linux:

 :Arrow:  plug in your Sansa 

 :Arrow:  mount it

 :Arrow:  copy your MP3 files to "AUDIBLE" directory

To update your MP3 list from WinXP in the same way (not using MTP):

 :Arrow:  turn Sansa off 

 :Arrow:  lock it (with HOLD)

 :Arrow:  plug in your Sansa (windows will mount it like a Generic USB Mass Storage Device)

 :Arrow:  copy your MP3 files to "AUDIBLE" directory

If you copy your files using MTP it won't  be able to access them from Linux.

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