sansa e260 v2 usb support questions

[stevek123]

I got this player right before I switched OS from M$ to ubuntu/linux. The OF is designed to run on M$ Mediaplayer. Soon after I got it all setup, my kids virused the M$ system all up and its a lost cause. I am building a new comp and wanted to avoid having to install M$/XP and just go with Karmic/ubuntu. One of my big holdups has been this mp3 player. It mounts in ubuntu and reads the menu list but will not manage the files/music. It just does not see these files. I was THRILLED when Rockbox finally cracked my player this year with ver. 3.5.1 and I installed it this week. (heck! the Manual just came out this week too!) It runs great but without USB support I still cannot manage my music in ubuntu (it only boots into the OF).

Questions:
Is USB support a "work in progress" for my player? Any time schedule for this project?
 Would you recommend I setup a dual boot winXP/Ubuntu until the awesome Rockbox developers find the answers I need? (I'm trying to avoid this if I dont have to...)

[saratoga]

Is USB support a "work in progress" for my player?

http://www.rockbox.org/wiki/SansaAMS#Port_Status

Any time schedule for this project?

This is a volunteer project.  We don't do schedules.  USB will probably work sometime after someone takes an interest on seriously working on it.

[stevek123]

Saratoga
Thanks for quick reply. I'm not trying to be a jerk - really - and I am aware that you are all volunteers - I do volunteer work in my fields of expertise too! I've been following the progress of this Rockbox sansa hack for over a year and was thrilled you guys did it. I was just trying to see if someone was already playing with this usb area - to try and avoid doing a bunch of unnecessary programming. I guess I'll just do the extra work and keep my fingers crossed.

[saratoga]

I was just trying to see if someone was already playing with this usb area - to try and avoid doing a bunch of unnecessary programming. I guess I'll just do the extra work and keep my fingers crossed.

Theres a lot of information about whats known about the USB controller on that link, and you can see whats been done in already in SVN.  So I wouldn't worry about duplicating someone else's work.

[funman]

It runs great but without USB support I still cannot manage my music in ubuntu (it only boots into the OF).

I have no problems using the OF for USB and mounting it on linux

Just make sure the USB mode is set to MSC, not MTP or Auto.

[stevek123]

Funman
Mine mounts - I can see all the folders... music, video, etc. Just cannot see the contents. Never could in Linux/Ubuntu (Gutsy or Hardy). Not with MSC or Auto.... Google searches show I'm not the only one. Its the firmware... Thats why I hope for the day when Rockbox cracks USB support for it.

[saratoga]

Funman
Mine mounts - I can see all the folders... music, video, etc. Just cannot see the contents. Never could in Linux/Ubuntu (Gutsy or Hardy). Not with MSC or Auto.... Google searches show I'm not the only one. Its the firmware... Thats why I hope for the day when Rockbox cracks USB support for it.

The Fuze works fine Ubuntu.  If it didn't, we'd have noticed given how many rockbox developers work on the Fuze under Ubuntu.  Your problem sounds like a problem with your Ubuntu install.  IMO you should try and troubleshoot it now rather then hoping it goes away on its own.  I would go ask on the Ubuntu forums.

[stevek123]

Saratoga - Its not a Fuze. Its the e200 series ver 2. There are several LONG threads of folks who cant get Ubuntu to read in ubuntu forums as well as at Sansa forums. In fact I contacted the Sansa tech dept when I first discovered the issue. Their response was that they were aware of the issue, that their unit was designed for windoze, and I should get windoze and use it until Rockbox made the usb crack....REALLY, it was . They also suggested that I send a complaint to their own developers so they might include such potential issues when writing their programming (which I did ).

[saratoga]

Saratoga - Its not a Fuze. Its the e200 series ver 2.

My mistake, but the players use the same hardware so I tend to interchange them in my mind.

There are several LONG threads of folks who cant get Ubuntu to read in ubuntu forums as well as at Sansa forums. In fact I contacted the Sansa tech dept when I first discovered the issue. Their response was that they were aware of the issue, that their unit was designed for windoze, and I should get windoze and use it until Rockbox made the usb crack....REALLY, it was . They also suggested that I send a complaint to their own developers so they might include such potential issues when writing their programming (which I did ).

Are you referring to the gphoto bug?  Because thats an Ubuntu bug and it impacts Rockbox as well:

http://www.rockbox.org/wiki/LibGphoto2Bug