# /dev/sda and /dev/sda4 oddity

## eclipsed

When trying to mount my Zip drive (built for modular support through sd_mod) I get the error that sda4 is not a valid block device, but if I try to mount /dev/sda first this seems to create the /dev/sda4 entry thus allowing me to use my drive.  I'm just curious what would be causing this, and if there is a way to 'fix' it.  TIA.

-Adam

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## elboricua

what do you have in /etc/fstab?

/dev/sda4    /mnt/zip100.0   auto    noauto,rw,user    0 0

I have a scsi zip but the entry for all zips is the same.  A friend of mine has a usb zip and his fstab entry is the same as mine listed above.

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## zen_guerrilla

I have the same prob with usb-zip100. If I insert a zip in the drive and modprobe usb-storage /dev/sda4 appears and I can mount it. After ejecting the zip, /dev/sda4 disappears again. I guess it has something to do with devfs but is there any way to have a permanent sda4 ?

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## id10t

I have a parallel port zip, and I just modprobe ppa and then mount /dev/sda4, and it works.

Something funky in your devfs.conf perhaps?

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## Zu`

 *id10t wrote:*   

> I have a parallel port zip, and I just modprobe ppa and then mount /dev/sda4, and it works.
> 
> Something funky in your devfs.conf perhaps?

 

I also have a parallel port zip, what settings should I specify in my kernel config? I have parport.o as a module, is that enough?

TIA

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## lx

 *Zu` wrote:*   

> I also have a parallel port zip, what settings should I specify in my kernel config? I have parport.o as a module, is that enough?
> 
> TIA

 

I don't have one, but look in kernel tree (/usr/src/linux) in make menuconfig  *Quote:*   

> SCSI SUPPORT -> SCSI-DISK support

 . the help states that you need it for parallel zip-drive. The module is called sd_mod.o. (mentioned in the first post)

But maybe you need more....

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## elboricua

 *Quote:*   

> I also have a parallel port zip, what settings should I specify in my kernel config? I have parport.o as a module, is that enough? 
> 
> TIA

 

Make sure that you compile VFat support into your kernel.  That one drove me nuts to get working right.  But once it did voila, a working zip drive.

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## Zu`

 *lx wrote:*   

> I don't have one, but look in kernel tree (/usr/src/linux) in make menuconfig  *Quote:*   SCSI SUPPORT -> SCSI-DISK support . the help states that you need it for parallel zip-drive. The module is called sd_mod.o. (mentioned in the first post)
> 
> But maybe you need more....

 

Alright I'll build that module. What about ppa, someone mentioned this here.. Do I need that module as well?

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## lx

 *Zu` wrote:*   

> Alright I'll build that module. What about ppa, someone mentioned this here.. Do I need that module as well?

 

Yes probably depending on your zip drive (old/new) you have to choose between ppa / imm module (check the help)

 *Quote:*   

> SCSI SUPPORT->SCSI low-lever drivers -> (you will see, starts with IOMEGA)

 

Think that's it, Cya lX

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## zen_guerrilla

does anyone how i could make a /dev/sda4?

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## eclipsed

Like stated above, my system would generate a sda4 after I tried to mount sda, but I didn't like doing that (kinda beat the point of using supermount) so I added this to my /etc/devfsd.conf: 

```

# Create /dev/sda4 for the Zip250 drive

LOOKUP     ^sda4     CFUNCTION GLOBAL mksymlink scsi/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part4 sda4

REGISTER    ^scsi/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part4 CFUNCTION GLOBAL mksymlink $devname sda4

UNREGISTER  ^scsi/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part4 CFUNCTION GLOBAL unlink sda4

```

You may need to chane the device (scsi/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part4) depending on your setup.  This works for me so I stick with it.  However, my kernel bitches with an I/O error because of sda.  This happened even before I added the aforementioned lines to my devfsd.conf though.  Like I said though, it works so I just let it bitch.

-Adam

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