USB connected with drive mount?

[BrianM]

Is ALARM capable of turning it's USB port into a drive mounting device? (Like an Android Smartphone comes up with options as to which mode you can use.)
I looked at the UDEV program and thought it might be possible.
I'd like to be able to connect my HD media player device into the GFH USB port and have it present the file shares...
Thanks
Brian

[sambul13]

What's the model of your media player? Does it have a hard drive inside? If YES, can you play files without any other device connected to it except a TV or Monitor?

Usually a hard drive in a USB or SATA enclosure is automounted when hooked to GoFlex Home or Net dock, and the dock can stream media files over LAN to a DLNA capable media player. Some ppl connect a USB Display to the dock to watch playback.

[BrianM]

Hi sambul13

The media player (an "IoN Vortex" HDMI HD Media player) plays via its USB port or SD Card slot. That's it, no network port, nothing else. So, you plug in your drive (or your card) and select the file you want to play (e.g. my MKV collection) and off you go. (IT's very good and cheap - ~£20.)

What I'd like to do is turn the GoFlex home USB port into the equivalent of a portable USB drive connection. (I have a male to male connector cable.)
It's a bit off-the-wall, but there you go...

Thanks
Brian

[sambul13]

One option for you would be using USB 2.0-to-Gigabit Ethernet LAN adapter (if your player's OS has or can install from the adapter its driver) and MiniDLNA ArchLinux package (if your player supports DLNA standard). If it doesn't, you may try PS3 Mediaserver app in ArchLinux instead.

Another is to try one of USB Easy Transfer Cables with a converter chip, but I'm not sure if a Linux app exists that would show the content of an attached to GFN SATA drive as a USB drive hooked to your player. MS offered similar app for Windows data migration via USB-to-USB, but GFH doesn't run Windows. Even on a PC internal HDs are generally not accessible via PC USB ports.

Short answer to your quest is probably NO.

[BrianM]

Thanks sambul13
That gave me an idea and I went to http://www.linux-usb.org/usbnet/ which is in the right sort of area. Maybe there's something there...
Will let you know (although I'm still thinking NO is the probable answer!)
Brian

[pepedog]

Google for a stae106
Then drive becomes a desk, as opposed to home

[BrianM]

Good idea pepedog, but I want to keep Networking as well. Various NAS devices allow you to plug in a PC and read the disk contents.

But that gives me an idea about some other device that might let me keep ALL functionality. (Or mayeb just wait for my Raspberry Pi and do it with that?)

Brian

[pepedog]

USB slave is not common. Certainly GFH doesn't have it

[BrianM]

Yes, maybe I'm using the Buffalo device I'm familiar with as an not-representative-sample-size!!

[BrianM]

OK, so I'm not the only one - others (for example with TVs with USB ports) want to do the same thing.

In this article http://forums.cnet.com/7723-7589_102-552772/accessing-nas-drive-via-usb-port-on-tv/?refresh=1349297957791 and I found a link to this Wireless USB drive "emulator":
http://hsti.com/products/wirelessmediastick