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Embedded Linux as Attached USB Storage Device?

Posted by Cliff on from the penguins-as-consumer-devices dept.

dont_drink_the_water asks: "I am currently working on a few projects which will (hopefully) use Embedded Linux to deliver content (mp3 players, web servers, other possibilities). The question is, can Linux act as a USB attached hard drive, so that other machines can simply read/write data on the hard drive by using the USB port? Is anyone currently working on projects like this, and has any software been developed for this purpose?"

7 of 20 comments (clear)

  1. Linux act as a USB Hard Drive by Bodero · · Score: 2, Funny
    The question is, can Linux act as a USB attached hard drive

    Oh yeah. In fact, you won't believe it, but I've actually got Linux acting as a power supply right now. I couldn't get Linux to act as a SoundBlaster Audigy, however, but I'm still working on it.

    -Bodero

  2. The mine terrapin pruports to do this.... by pwagland · · Score: 3, Informative
    plus a whole lot more... check it out here.

    Note: While they say they are based on linux, they do not appear to of have released the sources anywhere that I can find. They do claim to be making a developers kit, but that is alos hard to find at the moment....

  3. Hmm by itwerx · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Why? It would be much cheaper and simpler to simply design an I/O interface to do that (or use any of the generic designs published by most of the big chip houses. E.g. NEC, Motorola, Maxim, etc.)
    Unless you're talking a RAID chassis or something (which be insanely stupid to hang off USB), it isn't much more than serial/parallel conversion/buffering with some voltage matching and a little driver code.
    Using embedded Linux for this would be like converting a laptop into a trip-computer for your bicycle. Major overkill.

    1. Re:Hmm by mlc · · Score: 2
      Yes, if *all* you want to do is I/O, you're right.

      But if my understanding of the question is correct, the poster wants to create an MP3 player or something that might actually have a use for an OS anyway. Once we already have an OS, can we make it behave as a USB non-host device? That seems to be the question.

  4. Re:Hey man you're right on track by ameoba · · Score: 2

    Of course, with some of the QC problems that've been popping up in the kernel lately, you may find that doing a firmware/driver upgrade causes your speakers to catch on fire or the platters of your HDD to fly across the room, giving your goldfish a buzz cut.

    --
    my sig's at the bottom of the page.
  5. USB slave mode support. by gillham · · Score: 4, Interesting
    The real question is whether Linux supports USB slave mode, rather than just host / master mode. Check this site for an example.

    Basically my understanding of this question is:
    "Can Linux act as a USB slave, and provide a slave or 'target' implementation of the USB Mass Storage Class?"

    In other words, can I build a fancy MP3 box with lots of storage that appears to be a USB hard drive to the host PC, but is really a Linux machine pretending to be "just" a USB hard disk?

    USB slave drivers and an Open Source implementation of the slave side of the USB Mass Storage Class would be cool.

  6. device by dont_drink_the_water · · Score: 2, Informative

    The question is connectivity between different machines and devices...the terapin-mine was a great example. Thanks to those who even attempted to post something useful. The machine does more than just acting as a hard drive, of course, so yes, it will be necessary to have an operating system on it. The question still stands - how can a linux based machine act as a usb master and slave? Are there any existing projects?