Yes, the DataTraveler Elite is supported by Linux as long as you have Linux Kernel 2.4x and above. However, the security features that ship with this unit are not compatible with Linux. For installation instructions, please view the steps provided below.
How to find out the kernel version: type more /proc/version at a terminal prompt and press enter. The first version number you see is the Linux kernel version. You can also see the kernel version above a new terminal login screen. You can get there by hitting Ctrl+Alt+F1 if you’re using Gnome or KDE. Hit Ctrl+Alt+F7 to get back to graphic interface.
1. Log in as "root"
2. Plug in the Data Traveler
3. Open a terminal window
4. Type "mkdir /mnt/flash" and press enter. This creates the directory for the Data Traveler. Please note, you will need a separate directory for each USB device mounting simultaneously. You can not mount two USB drives to the same directory in /mnt.
5. Now edit the "fstab" file. To do this, type emacs /etc/fstab and press enter.
6. Add the line "/dev/sda1 /mnt/flash vfat user,noauto,umask=0 0 0" and save the file. Please note the spaces. It is very important that you add the line exactly as you see it.
7. Type "mount /mnt/flash". An icon will appear on the desktop for the drive. To remove the device, right click and select "unmount volume". You can also unmount the drive by typing "umount /mnt/flash". Please be certain to unmount the drive before unplugging it. If this does not work, type umount /mnt/flash –l and press enter. Always unmount the drive before unplugging it.
8. From this point on, you will only need to implement step #7 in order to mount the Data Traveler.
If this fails, you may not have the USB storage module loaded. Type "modprobe usb-storage" then press enter. This loads the module for usb storage devices.
Also check to see if the Data Traveler is seen as "sda1". If you have other USB devices loaded on your system the Data Traveler may have been given a different name, example- "sdb1". To check this, open a terminal and type "fdisk -l". This will list the labels for all of the partitions and it will also list a description of each drive and partition. If need be, please change "sda1" accordingly.
If you want to format the drive, unmount the drive. You cannot format while drive is mounted. Then at terminal prompt type mkfs.vfat /dev/sda1 or whatever the system sees the drive as (i.e. sdb1). This will format it as FAT16. You can also use this to format it for linux native format. Just change the command to mkfs.ext2 /dev/sda1.
FAQ: KDT-097004-1