You are not logged in.

#1 2019-01-16 13:41:03

megamind6155
Member
Registered: 2019-01-16
Posts: 37

Converting an internet dongle into a flash-drive

Hello!

I just found my 5-year-old internet dongle in my attic (Internet dongle as in LTE I think)
I remembered that It had data on it for driver support and stuff (it had like 500 MB)

I thought of this plan to get that storage working again and to convert into a full USB flash drive (If that's possible)
So I plugged it in and... nothing
It didn't show up as a USB storage device.
I checked on Hardinfo and it detected it as a USB device (Specifically a 'Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. E398 LTE/UMTS/GSM Modem/Networkcard')
So It is detected.
I wanted to mount it as a USB device so I used mount (But It was not already given a name like sda or sdb or I mounted by-id to /mnt/)
I checked In the folder and found the files and made a backup of it and then I tried to erase all data from it
But, It didn't work. It said It was a read-only filesystem
I checked on dmesg and it said it was a USB mass storage device
I thought all storage devices were mounted as /dev/sd*?
I would like to mount it like that.
Also, I'd like to make it rw and I would want to format it as ext4
Is this possible? If yes then how?

Offline

#2 2019-01-16 14:05:32

schard
Member
From: Hannover
Registered: 2016-05-06
Posts: 1,933
Website

Re: Converting an internet dongle into a flash-drive

Disable usb_modeswitch for the respective device.
Okay, I skipped that you already managed to mount the dev.
If it's an RO flash, there's nothing you can do about it.
The manufacturer probably released it that way, so that users don't accidentally erase the shipped drivers and bloatware for which the flash space is usually used.

Last edited by schard (2019-01-16 14:10:36)

Offline

#3 2019-01-16 19:15:16

Slithery
Administrator
From: Norfolk, UK
Registered: 2013-12-01
Posts: 5,776

Re: Converting an internet dongle into a flash-drive

It may not actually be possible, a lot of these devices have an ro filesystem that's flashed at the factory.


No, it didn't "fix" anything. It just shifted the brokeness one space to the right. - jasonwryan
Closing -- for deletion; Banning -- for muppetry. - jasonwryan

aur - dotfiles

Offline

#4 2019-01-19 11:41:36

megamind6155
Member
Registered: 2019-01-16
Posts: 37

Re: Converting an internet dongle into a flash-drive

Can hdparm be used for making a flash drive rw?

Offline

#5 2019-01-19 12:51:28

V1del
Forum Moderator
Registered: 2012-10-16
Posts: 21,427

Re: Converting an internet dongle into a flash-drive

Try it, the answer will likely be no, if it is flashed that way you cannot simply override that with software.

Offline

#6 2019-02-07 11:08:43

megamind6155
Member
Registered: 2019-01-16
Posts: 37

Re: Converting an internet dongle into a flash-drive

Hmm, Interesting
dmesg says it is mounted as a CD-ROM! (/dev/sr0)

Offline

#7 2019-02-07 11:38:24

Lone_Wolf
Member
From: Netherlands, Europe
Registered: 2005-10-04
Posts: 11,868

Re: Converting an internet dongle into a flash-drive

yups, many of those windows devices use that method.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/US … _switching has some info about it.


Disliking systemd intensely, but not satisfied with alternatives so focusing on taming systemd.


(A works at time B)  && (time C > time B ) ≠  (A works at time C)

Offline

Board footer

Powered by FluxBB