Accessing an SD Card on a Network Printer

[RJH4]

My setup:

I installed Linux Lite 2.0 on a PC on which I previously had Windows XP installed (my son suggested I try migrating to Linux for this machine so I figured why not...I have never worked with Linux before and here is a good opportunity).  It is merely an extra computer in the house that I use since others in the house are so often on my better computer which has Windows 8.1 installed.  Anyway, there are some files that I use quite often that I need to be able to access using both computers.  To do this, I have an SD card installed on an Epson Work Force 610 that is installed as a network printer.  The SD card is formatted in FAT32.

Since installing Linux Lite 2.0, there are some problems I cannot resolve without causing other problems.

a)  I can get to the memorycard via the network on Linux Lite 2.0 and can copy from and paste to the card using the file explorer type software.  But, other programs, such as LibreOffice, the text editor (Leafpad?), and GIMP cannot open files on the card this way or save files to the card.  The programs just do not seem to recognize the card in this setup.

b) I have read that to overcome a) one needs to mount the memorycard.  To do this, I have been trying to modify my fstab file.  Using the following:

//192.168.61.8/memorycard /home/rob/memorycard cifs credentials=/home/rob/.smbcredentials,sec=ntlm,rw,user,noauto,uid=1000,gid=1000 0 0

I can get the memorycard mounted such that the programs can open files from the card and can save new files to the card.  The problem is that if I try to save a file having the same name as a file already there (overwriting or just hitting the save button), none of the programs will let me.  When I try in Leafpad, it says “Can't open file to write.”  When I try in LibreOffice, I get three errors: 1)  “Error saving the document Procedures3:General input/output error while accessing”, 2) “Error saving the document Procedures3:General input/output error while accessing”, and 3) “Error saving the document Procedures3:General Error. General input/output error.” (all very similar but all three come up).  Furthermore, the file that I am trying to overwrite gets corrupted and useless but if I try again to save the still open file as another name, it will do it.  GIMP gives similar results.

c)  Thinking that the problem might be the fact that I am mounting it using cifs as opposed to vfat, I have made attempts at trying to mount the memorycard using:

//192.168.61.8/memorycard /home/rob/memorycard vfat credentials=/home/rob/.smbcredentials,sec=ntlm,rw,user,noauto,uid=1000,gid=1000 0 0

I have also tried other iterations using various options.  The problem I have with the above is that it won't mount.  I keep getting the following:

mount: special device //192.168.61.8/memorycard does not exist

Now clearly it exists because I can get it to mount using cifs.

So my ultimate question is how can I get this SD card mounted so that the programs can properly overwrite existing files, so I can modify files and merely hit the save button when using the Linux programs?

My current workaround is to have XP loaded in VirtualBox and use that to access things.  But that kind of defeats the purpose of using Linux Lite 2.0 so I would really like a better solution.

[Dookus]

Can't help with the actual problem.

A work around would be to copy the files to a local drive (HHD or External drive) then either over write the files on the memory card after they have been edited or copy the newer files back to the card with an updated name or into a new folder.

[gold_finger]

I don't have any experience with that type of setup, but this page might of help:  https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MountWindowsSharesPermanently.

[RJH4]

Thanks for the suggestions.  I did not like the thought of any workarounds.  I did solve the issue though.  I installed Linux Mint 17 XFCE version and there are no such issues with it.

[Scott(0)]

Hi RJH4,

Any idea what extra settings/software in Mint 17 enable to the printer to work?

[RJH4]

No.  I wish I did.  Even in LL 2.0, the printer worked, it was just an issue accessing the files on the SD card inserted in the printer.  Everything else, printing and scanning, worked fine.

[paul59]

This may or may not help but it's one hell of a coincidence so here goes...

I have found SD card readers to be extremely temperamental - you can find posts all over the web about shuffling the lock/unlock slider on the card to make the reader recognize the read/write status but in my recent experience the usb reader itself is usually the problem.

I bought a few card readers off eBay for around $1 each a couple of months ago (I need them for cash registers to transfer data to pc). They are really nasty plastic things like children's toys but they work just fine. I bought a card reader for around 10UKP a few weeks ago and it now refuses to allow writing to any card (properties of the card are described as 'unknown' when viewed in this reader and cards appear to be read-only).

This very morning I bough three 1UKP readers from a 'pound store' (uk residents... 'Poundland', get in there!) - they are also horribly made plastic with a usb connector on a bit of wire but they all work seamlessly!!

My advice is, splash out on a cheap reader and see if that fixes your problem.

Paul