I *know* this should work almost identically to my sony camera -- i.e., plug in the USB cable and the "hotplug" service should find an appropriate driver and link it into the /etc/fstab file -- BUT -- this device is being decidely uncooperative. It is a basic mp3/compact-flash device that can be expanded with "SD" memory sticks [so, by extension, it is an SMC card reader/writer as well] Here is the output of messages dumped to /var/log when the device was plugged in: Dec 27 23:45:46 bigbro kernel: hub.c: USB new device connect on bus1/2, assigned device number 3 Dec 27 23:45:46 bigbro kernel: usb.c: USB device 3 (vend/prod 0x90a/0x1100) is not claimed by any active driver. Dec 27 23:45:48 bigbro kernel: Initializing USB Mass Storage driver... Dec 27 23:45:48 bigbro kernel: usb.c: registered new driver usb-storage Dec 27 23:45:48 bigbro kernel: scsi1 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices Dec 27 23:46:21 bigbro kernel: WARNING: USB Mass Storage data integrity not assured Dec 27 23:46:21 bigbro kernel: USB Mass Storage device found at 3 Dec 27 23:46:21 bigbro kernel: USB Mass Storage support registered. Dec 27 23:46:21 bigbro kernel: scsi2 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices Dec 27 23:46:24 bigbro /etc/hotplug/usb.agent[25579]: Can't ignore signal CHLD, forcing to default. Dec 27 23:46:26 bigbro kernel: usb_control/bulk_msg: timeout Dec 27 23:46:26 bigbro kernel: usb-uhci.c: interrupt, status 2, frame# 970 Dec 27 23:46:26 bigbro kernel: WARNING: USB Mass Storage data integrity not assured Dec 27 23:46:26 bigbro kernel: USB Mass Storage device found at 4 Dec 27 23:46:30 bigbro /etc/hotplug/usb.agent[25677]: Can't ignore signal CHLD, forcing to default. bigbro:/var/log # usbview reports: usb-storage Speed: 12Mb/s (full) USB Version: 1.10 Device Class: 00(>ifc ) Device Subclass: 00 Device Protocol: 00 Maximum Default Endpoint Size: 8 Number of Configurations: 1 Vendor Id: 090a Product Id: 1100 Revision Number: 1.00 Config Number: 1 Number of Interfaces: 1 Attributes: 80 MaxPower Needed: 60mA Interface Number: 0 Name: usb-storage Alternate Number: 0 Class: 08(stor.) Sub Class: 1 Protocol: 1 Number of Endpoints: 3 Endpoint Address: 81 Direction: in Attribute: 2 Type: Bulk Max Packet Size: 64 Interval: 0ms Endpoint Address: 02 Direction: out Attribute: 2 Type: Bulk Max Packet Size: 64 Interval: 0ms Endpoint Address: 83 Direction: in Attribute: 3 Type: Int. Max Packet Size: 8 Interval: 255ms [yast's "hardware detect" module idents the manufacturer/device as "Trumpion Microelectronics Disk"] The fact that usbview and yast ident's the device is promising, but perhaps the fact I *did* have to load a driver "under windows" [i.e., it was "not known" under a base "windows" install] would imply it has some semi-proprietary interface -- maybe I need something "special" to make this device work under linux? The "brand name" appears to be "comotron" [which I think is chinese for "battery carnivore" :) the thing can suck dry a pair of AAA batteries in a single listening session (about 3 hours...)] has anyone dealt with this (or a similar) device? where would I go to get "special" usb-mass-storage drivers? [even though I'll be checking the website on the package next, I'm fairly certain it *won't* have "linux" drivers right there for me to pick up and use... :( I'd love to be proven wrong...]