Howto get a firewire device (hard drive) up and running in GNU/Linux

1. # tail -f /var/log/messages (watch for upcoming messages)
2. plug in device
3. # modprobe ohci1394 (that is one three nine four)
4. # modprobe sbp2 (load the firewire mass-storage driver)
5. # fdisk -l (look for any newly found hard disks)
6. mount -t vfat /dev/sdb2 /mnt/ipod (mount vfat iPod at /dev/sdb2 to /mnt/ipod)

• For users to unmount the device, an entry is needed in /etc/fstab
  • /dev/sda1 /mnt/sda1 ext3 noauto,users,exec 0 0

# from /var/log/messages upon
root@3[bw]# modprobe ohci1394 
root@3[bw]# modprobe sbp2

Aug 22 21:34:29 localhost kernel: ohci1394: $Rev: 1223 $ Ben Collins <bcollins@debian.org>
Aug 22 21:34:29 localhost kernel: ohci1394: fw-host0: OHCI-1394 1.1 (PCI): IRQ=[9]  MMIO=[df006000-df0067ff]Max Packet=[2048]
Aug 22 21:34:29 localhost kernel: sbp2: $Rev: 1219 $ Ben Collins <bcollins@debian.org>
Aug 22 21:34:31 localhost kernel: scsi2 : SCSI emulation for IEEE-1394 SBP-2 Devices
Aug 22 21:34:32 localhost kernel: ieee1394: sbp2: Logged into SBP-2 device
Aug 22 21:34:32 localhost kernel:   Vendor: ST330083  Model: 1A                Rev:
Aug 22 21:34:32 localhost kernel:   Type:   Direct-Access                      ANSI SCSI revision: 06
Aug 22 21:34:32 localhost kernel: SCSI device sda: 586072368 512-byte hdwr sectors (300069 MB)
Aug 22 21:34:32 localhost kernel: SCSI device sda: 586072368 512-byte hdwr sectors (300069 MB)
Aug 22 21:34:32 localhost ieee1394.agent[7410]: ... no drivers for IEEE1394 product 0x000000/0x00005e/0x000001
Aug 22 21:34:32 localhost kernel:  sda: sda1
Aug 22 21:34:32 localhost kernel: Attached scsi disk sda at scsi2, channel 0, id 0, lun 0
Aug 22 21:34:32 localhost kernel: Attached scsi generic sg0 at scsi2, channel 0, id 0, lun 0,  type 0
Aug 22 21:34:40 localhost scsi.agent[7360]: update fstab on add device

root@3[bw]# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 9115 MB, 9115361280 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1108 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1   *           1           2       16033+  83  Linux
/dev/hda2               3          63      489982+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/hda3              64        1108     8393962+  83  Linux

Disk /dev/sda: 300.0 GB, 300069052416 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 36481 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1               1       36479   293017536   83  Linux

# from /var/log/messages upon
root@3[bw]# mkdir /mnt/sda1
root@3[bw]# mount -t ext3 /dev/sda1 /mnt/sda1/

Aug 22 21:47:56 localhost kernel: EXT3-fs warning: checktime reached, running e2fsck is recommended
Aug 22 21:47:56 localhost kernel: kjournald starting.  Commit interval 5 seconds
Aug 22 21:47:56 localhost kernel: EXT3 FS on sda1, internal journal
Aug 22 21:47:56 localhost kernel: EXT3-fs: recovery complete.
Aug 22 21:47:56 localhost kernel: EXT3-fs: mounted filesystem with ordered data mode.

• Simply MEPIS post to connect iPod