Re: NSA 325 V2 Debian Is Possible!

Hi Bodhi - Before I'd seen your reply, I'd already gone down that path! So, I have been and purchased a 32GB USB3 flash drive, and here (below) is what I found - annotated output from the console terminal:

**** CONSOLE OUTPUT ****

*** plugged (new) USB3-32GB flash drive into (front) USB3 port

root@debian:~# [98175.769971] usb 3-1: new SuperSpeed USB device number 2 using xhci_hcd
[98175.804802] usb 3-1: New USB device found, idVendor=0781, idProduct=5581
[98175.811563] usb 3-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[98175.818731] usb 3-1: Product: Ultra
[98175.822566] usb 3-1: Manufacturer: SanDisk
[98175.826685] usb 3-1: SerialNumber: 4C530001290901104143
[98175.833857] usb-storage 3-1:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
[98175.840498] scsi host2: usb-storage 3-1:1.0
[98175.999002] usbcore: registered new interface driver uas
[98176.901078] scsi 2:0:0:0: Direct-Access     SanDisk  Ultra 1.00 PQ: 0 ANSI: 6
[98176.914467] sd 2:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 0
[98176.922005] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdc] 60063744 512-byte logical blocks: (30.8 GB/28.6 GiB)
[98176.938325] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdc] Write Protect is off
[98176.948142] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdc] Write cache: disabled, read cache: enabled, doesn't support DPO or FUA
[98176.973730]  sdc: sdc1
[98176.978625] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdc] Attached SCSI removable disk

**** Check transfer speed of USB3 flash drive

root@debian:~# hdparm -t /dev/sdc1

/dev/sdc1:
 Timing buffered disk reads: 190 MB in  3.02 seconds =  63.01 MB/sec

**** Check transfer speeds of both (2TB) SATA HDD for reference

/dev/sdb1:
 Timing buffered disk reads: 450 MB in  3.01 seconds = 149.34 MB/sec

/dev/sda1:
 Timing buffered disk reads: 504 MB in  3.01 seconds = 167.45 MB/sec

*** Plugged Toshiba USB3-HDD into front USB3 port.

root@debian:~# [99878.888209] xhci_hcd 0000:01:00.0: Cannot set link state.
[99878.893653] usb usb3-port1: cannot disable (err = -32)
[99878.899483] usb 3-1: USB disconnect, device number 2

*** Verbatim flash drive (USB2) plugged into USB3 port

root@debian:~# [100016.948772] usb 2-1: new high-speed USB device number 5 using xhci_hcd
[100017.126706] usb 2-1: New USB device found, idVendor=18a5, idProduct=0302
[100017.133548] usb 2-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[100017.141076] usb 2-1: Product: STORE N GO
[100017.145102] usb 2-1: Manufacturer: Verbatim
[100017.149629] usb 2-1: SerialNumber: 070B86C16E159425
[100017.159953] usb-storage 2-1:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
[100017.167643] scsi host2: usb-storage 2-1:1.0
[100019.534066] scsi 2:0:0:0: Direct-Access     Verbatim STORE N GO       PMAP PQ: 0 ANSI: 4
[100019.547410] sd 2:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 0
[100019.553337] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdc] 60506112 512-byte logical blocks: (31.0 GB/28.9 GiB)
[100019.568221] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdc] Write Protect is off
[100019.577351] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdc] No Caching mode page found
[100019.588887] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdc] Assuming drive cache: write through
[100019.608548]  sdc: sdc1
[100019.616559] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdc] Attached SCSI removable disk


**** Check transfer speed of USB2 flash drive plugged into USB3 port - cf. with USB3 flash (above)

/dev/sdc1:
 Timing buffered disk reads:  64 MB in  3.02 seconds =  21.16 MB/sec

*** Toshiba USB3-HDD plugged in to back USB2 port

[100141.509378] usb 1-1.3: new high-speed USB device number 3 using orion-ehci
[100141.660695] usb 1-1.3: New USB device found, idVendor=0480, idProduct=a006
[100141.667700] usb 1-1.3: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[100141.675412] usb 1-1.3: Product: External USB 3.0
[100141.680301] usb 1-1.3: Manufacturer: Toshiba
[100141.684673] usb 1-1.3: SerialNumber: 2011122050148
[100141.696298] usb-storage 1-1.3:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
[100141.703863] scsi host2: usb-storage 1-1.3:1.0
[100146.542658] scsi 2:0:0:0: Direct-Access     TOSHIBA  External USB 3.0 0001 PQ: 0 ANSI: 6
[100146.556279] sd 2:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 0
[100146.562162] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdc] 1953525168 512-byte logical blocks: (1.00 TB/932 GiB)
[100146.576124] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdc] Write Protect is off
[100146.589486] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdc] Write cache: disabled, read cache: enabled, doesn't support DPO or FUA
[100146.637210]  sdc: sdc1
[100146.644491] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdc] Attached SCSI disk

**** Check transfer speed of Toshiba USB3-HDD plugged into rear USB2 port - cf. with USB2 flas drive (above)

/dev/sdc1:
 Timing buffered disk reads:  86 MB in  3.03 seconds =  28.43 MB/sec

So, as you can see, it appears more likely that it is a specific problem with that Toshiba drive. I suppose there is a possibility that it is a 'disk-type' problem i.e. rotating HDD vs Flash, but I'd like to think not! The fact that the new USB3 flash drive worked exactly as we would expect indicates there's nothing fundamentally wrong with the USB3 port. The three lines of output that start at [99878.888209] seem to show that the port really doesn't 'like' that Toshiba drive for some reason. Can you make anything from those three lines?

I feel that we might be chasing dreams here. As I've said before, the fact that the Toshiba drive works perfectly - if a little more slowly - in a rear USB2 port means that there's really not much to complain about. Interesting? Yes, of course - and, if nothing else, maybe a salutary lesson for others who hit the same or a similar problem. Thanks again for all your invaluable help and advice!

Regards - Mike