Memory Card Reader Problem

English Hardware
#1

Hi, I have a laptop with an internal memory card slot, however nothing happens when I insert my SD memory card into it. It’s recognised when I check the Hardware Information in Yast, it comes up with the following information

63: udi = ‘/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/pci_104c_803b’
pci.product = ‘5-in-1 Multimedia Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO/xD)’
pci.subsys_vendor = ‘Acer Incorporated [ALI]’
linux.sysfs_path_device

Do I need to install some drivers for it to work, or anything else? I have OpenSUSE 10.2 with KDE.

Thanks for any help.

#2
  • TimDavies,

laptop card readers are a PITA with Linux. My Samsung Q45 is the first laptop ever where the reader works.

Which machine (brand, model) are we talking about?

Uwe

#3

I have an acer ferrari 4006 which contains a builtin TI memory card reader.

lspci gives me this:

06:09.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCIxx21/x515 Cardbus Controller

The reader has been working fine for a while now thanks to the tifm driver. The driver was merged into the kernel some time ago (can’t remember what kernel version, but it was either 2.6.18 or 2.6.22). Check lspci to find the exact name of your card reader. Also, look at dmesg right after inserting a card.

#4

It’s an Acer, Aspire 3680.

Check lspci to find the exact name of your card reader. Also, look at dmesg right after inserting a card.

I’m sorry, I’m a bit inexperinced with Linux. How do I find out the lspci, and where do I find the dmesg.

Thank you both for your advice and help.

#5

On a good day, I can actually open an SD card on my laptop (HP dv6645), but usually it completely freezes the entire machine on insertion!

I actually saw an ASUS laptop (can’t remember which model) where SD cards worked perfectly!

But I think generally we are completely out of luck when it comes to SD cards :(.

#6

That’s a real pity. Fortunately DigiKam works with my camera so I can download and delete from the card, however I’d have liked to put movies onto it, and use other peoples.

Thanks for telling me anyway wehrmacht

#7

hi tim,

take a look at

GeekLand | Internen SD-Cardreader mit Linux nutzen (Lenovo Z61m, OpenSuSE 10.2)

it worked for me. it’s in german though, so i can translate it if you want :slight_smile:
bye

#8
  • TimDavies wrote, On 06/24/2008 11:26 AM:
    > That’s a real pity. Fortunately DigiKam works with my camera so I can
    > download and delete from the card, however I’d have liked to put movies
    > onto it, and use other peoples.

A cheap USB reader will work. I think I paid 7.95 Euro for mine and it is only slightly bigger than a USB stick.

As for your problem: If it is a Texas Instruments chip, it could work.

Open a console.
Become root by typing “su”
Enter “lspci”

If the chip turns out to be a TI, enter
modprobe tifm_sd
and insert a card.

> Thanks for telling me anyway wehrmacht

But he’s wrong, the cardreader in my Samsung Q45 works fine :stuck_out_tongue:
:wink:

Uwe

#9

Open a console.
Become root by typing “su”
Enter “lspci”

If the chip turns out to be a TI, enter
modprobe tifm_sd
and insert a card.

The chip is a TI, but when I put in “modprobe tifm_sd”, it says “FATAL: Module tifm_sd not found.”. Do I need to install something else from Yast?

#10

On 06/24/2008 TimDavies wrote:
> The chip is a TI, but when I put in “modprobe tifm_sd”, it says
> “FATAL: Module tifm_sd not found.”. Do I need to install something
> else from Yast?

Are you root when you do that?
It’s a kernel module, no need to install extras.

Uwe

#11

Yup, definitely. I’ve even logged in as root and tried it. I get the same error message. Maybe mine just won’t work with Linux.

#12

Even if it doesn’t, you should be able to load the module. Can you please post the output of “uname -r”

Uwe