2007-08-13 16:11:45

by Niels

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: Problems with USB disk [solved]

On Sunday 12 August 2007 11:54, Niels wrote:

> On Friday 10 August 2007 14:43, Niels wrote:
>
>> On Wednesday 08 August 2007 12:57, Ismail Dönmez wrote:
>>
>>> On Wednesday 08 August 2007 13:48:29 you wrote:
>>>> On Tuesday 07 August 2007 23:18, Greg KH wrote:
>>>> > On Tue, Aug 07, 2007 at 10:26:15PM +0200, Niels wrote:
>>>> >> Hi,
>>>> >>
>>>> >> I'm having problems with a new 500 GB USB disk. It works, but
>>>> >> sometimes I get these in dmesg:
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >> usb 1-3: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 2
>>>> >> usb 5-1: USB disconnect, address 2
>>>> >> drivers/usb/class/usblp.c: usblp0: removed
>>>> >> sd 0:0:0:0: Device not ready: <6>: Sense Key : 0x2 [current]
>>>> >>
>>>> >> : ASC=0x4 ASCQ=0x2
>>>> >>
>>>> >> end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 254148215
>>>> >> sd 0:0:0:0: Device not ready: <6>: Sense Key : 0x2 [current]
>>>> >>
>>>> >> : ASC=0x4 ASCQ=0x2
>>>> >>
>>>> >> end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 252434023
>>>> >> EXT3-fs error (device sda1): ext3_find_entry: reading directory
>>>> >> #15761836 offset 0
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >> There's also a printer connected. This is on a pci/usb2 card. When
>>>> >> the above happens, I get I/O errors. When I mount the drive next,
>>>> >> there are errors and often missing files. Quite annoying!
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Kernel is 2.6.21
>>>> >>
>>>> >> What's going on?
>>>> >
>>>> > You have a low voltage issue, or a bad cable. The device is
>>>> > electronically disconnecting itself. Try using a externally-powered
>>>> > hub, or a new cable.
>>>
>>> I am seeing a similar problem with 2.6.22 and 2.6.23-* kernels with my
>>> 60G iPod Video, works fine with 2.6.18 kernel though.
>>>
>>> Rehards,
>>> ismail
>>>
>>
>> (no need to CC me)
>>
>> So far I'm seeing this:
>>
>> - On 2.6.21 I mount the drive. After a while it spins down, and when I
>> then unmount it, an error pops up in dmesg.
>>
>> - On 2.6.18 I can't provoke the same error. The drive doesn't appear to
>> spin down. I don't know if the data corruption from 2.6.21 occurs with
>> regular use.
>>
>> There are a number of other factor I need to eliminate on my system, but
>> that's it so far. CONFIG_USB_SUSPEND is not set on either kernel.
>>
>>
>> //Niels
>
>
> OK, on a vanilla 2.6.18.8 I also have this problem, with both the pci/usb2
> card, and the usb1 on the board. I listen to music from the drive, and
> after some time (10-20 minutes or so), it freaks out:
>
> =========
> sd 1:0:0:0: Device not ready: <6>: Current: sense key=0x2
> ASC=0x4 ASCQ=0x2
> end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 126693711
> sd 1:0:0:0: Device not ready: <6>: Current: sense key=0x2
> ASC=0x4 ASCQ=0x2
> end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 126693711
> sd 1:0:0:0: Device not ready: <6>: Current: sense key=0x2
> ASC=0x4 ASCQ=0x2
> end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 126693711
> =========
>
> Will updating to 2.6.23 and turning off autosuspend explicitly help? Will
> putting the disk on a powered hub help?
>
>
> //Niels


Using a new PSU and a powered hub made no difference. But I found a solution
here:

http://alienghic.livejournal.com/382903.html

Basically, the problem is, as suspected, that the drive spins down / goes to
suspend. This can be disabled with "sdparm --clear STANDBY -6 /dev/sda".

It seems to me to be an error that the kernel reports this as something like
a hardware failure. Or at least very misleading.


//Niels


2007-08-14 15:08:43

by Chuck Ebbert

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: Problems with USB disk [solved]

On 08/13/2007 10:50 AM, Niels wrote:
> On Sunday 12 August 2007 11:54, Niels wrote:
>
>> On Friday 10 August 2007 14:43, Niels wrote:
>>
>>> On Wednesday 08 August 2007 12:57, Ismail Dönmez wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Wednesday 08 August 2007 13:48:29 you wrote:
>>>>> On Tuesday 07 August 2007 23:18, Greg KH wrote:
>>>>>> On Tue, Aug 07, 2007 at 10:26:15PM +0200, Niels wrote:
>>>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I'm having problems with a new 500 GB USB disk. It works, but
>>>>>>> sometimes I get these in dmesg:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> usb 1-3: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 2
>>>>>>> usb 5-1: USB disconnect, address 2
>>>>>>> drivers/usb/class/usblp.c: usblp0: removed
>>>>>>> sd 0:0:0:0: Device not ready: <6>: Sense Key : 0x2 [current]
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> : ASC=0x4 ASCQ=0x2
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 254148215
>>>>>>> sd 0:0:0:0: Device not ready: <6>: Sense Key : 0x2 [current]
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> : ASC=0x4 ASCQ=0x2
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 252434023
>>>>>>> EXT3-fs error (device sda1): ext3_find_entry: reading directory
>>>>>>> #15761836 offset 0
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> There's also a printer connected. This is on a pci/usb2 card. When
>>>>>>> the above happens, I get I/O errors. When I mount the drive next,
>>>>>>> there are errors and often missing files. Quite annoying!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Kernel is 2.6.21
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> What's going on?
>>>>>> You have a low voltage issue, or a bad cable. The device is
>>>>>> electronically disconnecting itself. Try using a externally-powered
>>>>>> hub, or a new cable.
>>>> I am seeing a similar problem with 2.6.22 and 2.6.23-* kernels with my
>>>> 60G iPod Video, works fine with 2.6.18 kernel though.
>>>>
>>>
>>> So far I'm seeing this:
>>>
>>> - On 2.6.21 I mount the drive. After a while it spins down, and when I
>>> then unmount it, an error pops up in dmesg.
>>>
>>> - On 2.6.18 I can't provoke the same error. The drive doesn't appear to
>>> spin down. I don't know if the data corruption from 2.6.21 occurs with
>>> regular use.
>>>
>>> There are a number of other factor I need to eliminate on my system, but
>>> that's it so far. CONFIG_USB_SUSPEND is not set on either kernel.
>>
>> OK, on a vanilla 2.6.18.8 I also have this problem, with both the pci/usb2
>> card, and the usb1 on the board. I listen to music from the drive, and
>> after some time (10-20 minutes or so), it freaks out:
>>
>> =========
>> sd 1:0:0:0: Device not ready: <6>: Current: sense key=0x2
>> ASC=0x4 ASCQ=0x2
>> end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 126693711
>> sd 1:0:0:0: Device not ready: <6>: Current: sense key=0x2
>> ASC=0x4 ASCQ=0x2
>> end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 126693711
>> sd 1:0:0:0: Device not ready: <6>: Current: sense key=0x2
>> ASC=0x4 ASCQ=0x2
>> end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 126693711
>> =========
>>
>
> Using a new PSU and a powered hub made no difference. But I found a solution
> here:
>
> http://alienghic.livejournal.com/382903.html
>
> Basically, the problem is, as suspected, that the drive spins down / goes to
> suspend. This can be disabled with "sdparm --clear STANDBY -6 /dev/sda".
>
> It seems to me to be an error that the kernel reports this as something like
> a hardware failure. Or at least very misleading.
>

Oh, nice. The usb-storage (SCSI) disk spins itself down and we can't handle that.
Should we be disabling auto-spindown when we connect the device, or be able to
handle this by sending the start command when needed?

2007-09-12 22:11:03

by Mark Lord

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: Problems with USB disk [solved]

Chuck Ebbert wrote:
> On 08/13/2007 10:50 AM, Niels wrote:
>> On Sunday 12 August 2007 11:54, Niels wrote:
>>
>>> On Friday 10 August 2007 14:43, Niels wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Wednesday 08 August 2007 12:57, Ismail Dönmez wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On Wednesday 08 August 2007 13:48:29 you wrote:
>>>>>> On Tuesday 07 August 2007 23:18, Greg KH wrote:
>>>>>>> On Tue, Aug 07, 2007 at 10:26:15PM +0200, Niels wrote:
>>>>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I'm having problems with a new 500 GB USB disk. It works, but
>>>>>>>> sometimes I get these in dmesg:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> usb 1-3: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 2
>>>>>>>> usb 5-1: USB disconnect, address 2
>>>>>>>> drivers/usb/class/usblp.c: usblp0: removed
>>>>>>>> sd 0:0:0:0: Device not ready: <6>: Sense Key : 0x2 [current]
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> : ASC=0x4 ASCQ=0x2
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 254148215
>>>>>>>> sd 0:0:0:0: Device not ready: <6>: Sense Key : 0x2 [current]
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> : ASC=0x4 ASCQ=0x2
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 252434023
>>>>>>>> EXT3-fs error (device sda1): ext3_find_entry: reading directory
>>>>>>>> #15761836 offset 0
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> There's also a printer connected. This is on a pci/usb2 card. When
>>>>>>>> the above happens, I get I/O errors. When I mount the drive next,
>>>>>>>> there are errors and often missing files. Quite annoying!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Kernel is 2.6.21
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> What's going on?
>>>>>>> You have a low voltage issue, or a bad cable. The device is
>>>>>>> electronically disconnecting itself. Try using a externally-powered
>>>>>>> hub, or a new cable.
>>>>> I am seeing a similar problem with 2.6.22 and 2.6.23-* kernels with my
>>>>> 60G iPod Video, works fine with 2.6.18 kernel though.
>>>>>
>>>> So far I'm seeing this:
>>>>
>>>> - On 2.6.21 I mount the drive. After a while it spins down, and when I
>>>> then unmount it, an error pops up in dmesg.
>>>>
>>>> - On 2.6.18 I can't provoke the same error. The drive doesn't appear to
>>>> spin down. I don't know if the data corruption from 2.6.21 occurs with
>>>> regular use.
>>>>
>>>> There are a number of other factor I need to eliminate on my system, but
>>>> that's it so far. CONFIG_USB_SUSPEND is not set on either kernel.
>>> OK, on a vanilla 2.6.18.8 I also have this problem, with both the pci/usb2
>>> card, and the usb1 on the board. I listen to music from the drive, and
>>> after some time (10-20 minutes or so), it freaks out:
>>>
>>> =========
>>> sd 1:0:0:0: Device not ready: <6>: Current: sense key=0x2
>>> ASC=0x4 ASCQ=0x2
>>> end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 126693711
>>> sd 1:0:0:0: Device not ready: <6>: Current: sense key=0x2
>>> ASC=0x4 ASCQ=0x2
>>> end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 126693711
>>> sd 1:0:0:0: Device not ready: <6>: Current: sense key=0x2
>>> ASC=0x4 ASCQ=0x2
>>> end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 126693711
>>> =========
>>>
>> Using a new PSU and a powered hub made no difference. But I found a solution
>> here:
>>
>> http://alienghic.livejournal.com/382903.html
>>
>> Basically, the problem is, as suspected, that the drive spins down / goes to
>> suspend. This can be disabled with "sdparm --clear STANDBY -6 /dev/sda".
>>
>> It seems to me to be an error that the kernel reports this as something like
>> a hardware failure. Or at least very misleading.
>>
>
> Oh, nice. The usb-storage (SCSI) disk spins itself down and we can't handle that.
> Should we be disabling auto-spindown when we connect the device, or be able to
> handle this by sending the start command when needed?

There's more to this.

My Sandisk Cruzer Micro 1GB USB sticks suffer from this regression.
Plug one in, it works for about 5 seconds, then the light goes off (bad).
Next access requires a 30s timeout + reset. Etc..

This is with 2.6.23-rc6.
Works without any problems in 2.6.22. REGRESSION.

-ml

2007-09-12 23:39:37

by Greg KH

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: Problems with USB disk [solved]

On Wed, Sep 12, 2007 at 06:10:50PM -0400, Mark Lord wrote:
> Chuck Ebbert wrote:
>> On 08/13/2007 10:50 AM, Niels wrote:
>>> On Sunday 12 August 2007 11:54, Niels wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Friday 10 August 2007 14:43, Niels wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On Wednesday 08 August 2007 12:57, Ismail D??nmez wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> On Wednesday 08 August 2007 13:48:29 you wrote:
>>>>>>> On Tuesday 07 August 2007 23:18, Greg KH wrote:
>>>>>>>> On Tue, Aug 07, 2007 at 10:26:15PM +0200, Niels wrote:
>>>>>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I'm having problems with a new 500 GB USB disk. It works, but
>>>>>>>>> sometimes I get these in dmesg:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> usb 1-3: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 2
>>>>>>>>> usb 5-1: USB disconnect, address 2
>>>>>>>>> drivers/usb/class/usblp.c: usblp0: removed
>>>>>>>>> sd 0:0:0:0: Device not ready: <6>: Sense Key : 0x2 [current]
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> : ASC=0x4 ASCQ=0x2
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 254148215
>>>>>>>>> sd 0:0:0:0: Device not ready: <6>: Sense Key : 0x2 [current]
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> : ASC=0x4 ASCQ=0x2
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 252434023
>>>>>>>>> EXT3-fs error (device sda1): ext3_find_entry: reading directory
>>>>>>>>> #15761836 offset 0
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> There's also a printer connected. This is on a pci/usb2 card. When
>>>>>>>>> the above happens, I get I/O errors. When I mount the drive next,
>>>>>>>>> there are errors and often missing files. Quite annoying!
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Kernel is 2.6.21
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> What's going on?
>>>>>>>> You have a low voltage issue, or a bad cable. The device is
>>>>>>>> electronically disconnecting itself. Try using a externally-powered
>>>>>>>> hub, or a new cable.
>>>>>> I am seeing a similar problem with 2.6.22 and 2.6.23-* kernels with my
>>>>>> 60G iPod Video, works fine with 2.6.18 kernel though.
>>>>>>
>>>>> So far I'm seeing this:
>>>>>
>>>>> - On 2.6.21 I mount the drive. After a while it spins down, and when I
>>>>> then unmount it, an error pops up in dmesg.
>>>>>
>>>>> - On 2.6.18 I can't provoke the same error. The drive doesn't appear to
>>>>> spin down. I don't know if the data corruption from 2.6.21 occurs with
>>>>> regular use.
>>>>>
>>>>> There are a number of other factor I need to eliminate on my system,
>>>>> but
>>>>> that's it so far. CONFIG_USB_SUSPEND is not set on either kernel.
>>>> OK, on a vanilla 2.6.18.8 I also have this problem, with both the
>>>> pci/usb2
>>>> card, and the usb1 on the board. I listen to music from the drive, and
>>>> after some time (10-20 minutes or so), it freaks out:
>>>>
>>>> =========
>>>> sd 1:0:0:0: Device not ready: <6>: Current: sense key=0x2
>>>> ASC=0x4 ASCQ=0x2
>>>> end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 126693711
>>>> sd 1:0:0:0: Device not ready: <6>: Current: sense key=0x2
>>>> ASC=0x4 ASCQ=0x2
>>>> end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 126693711
>>>> sd 1:0:0:0: Device not ready: <6>: Current: sense key=0x2
>>>> ASC=0x4 ASCQ=0x2
>>>> end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 126693711
>>>> =========
>>>>
>>> Using a new PSU and a powered hub made no difference. But I found a
>>> solution
>>> here:
>>>
>>> http://alienghic.livejournal.com/382903.html
>>>
>>> Basically, the problem is, as suspected, that the drive spins down / goes
>>> to
>>> suspend. This can be disabled with "sdparm --clear STANDBY -6 /dev/sda".
>>>
>>> It seems to me to be an error that the kernel reports this as something
>>> like
>>> a hardware failure. Or at least very misleading.
>>>
>> Oh, nice. The usb-storage (SCSI) disk spins itself down and we can't
>> handle that.
>> Should we be disabling auto-spindown when we connect the device, or be
>> able to
>> handle this by sending the start command when needed?
>
> There's more to this.
>
> My Sandisk Cruzer Micro 1GB USB sticks suffer from this regression.
> Plug one in, it works for about 5 seconds, then the light goes off (bad).
> Next access requires a 30s timeout + reset. Etc..
>
> This is with 2.6.23-rc6.
> Works without any problems in 2.6.22. REGRESSION.

Disable CONFIG_USB_SUSPEND, that will fix the problem for you, or we can
add your device to the quirk list.

thanks,

greg k-h

2007-09-13 14:12:22

by Alan Stern

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: [linux-usb-devel] Problems with USB disk [solved]

On Wed, 12 Sep 2007, Mark Lord wrote:

> Chuck Ebbert wrote:

> >>> =========
> >>> sd 1:0:0:0: Device not ready: <6>: Current: sense key=0x2
> >>> ASC=0x4 ASCQ=0x2
> >>> end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 126693711
> >>> sd 1:0:0:0: Device not ready: <6>: Current: sense key=0x2
> >>> ASC=0x4 ASCQ=0x2
> >>> end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 126693711
> >>> sd 1:0:0:0: Device not ready: <6>: Current: sense key=0x2
> >>> ASC=0x4 ASCQ=0x2
> >>> end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 126693711
> >>> =========
> >>>
> >> Using a new PSU and a powered hub made no difference. But I found a solution
> >> here:
> >>
> >> http://alienghic.livejournal.com/382903.html
> >>
> >> Basically, the problem is, as suspected, that the drive spins down / goes to
> >> suspend. This can be disabled with "sdparm --clear STANDBY -6 /dev/sda".
> >>
> >> It seems to me to be an error that the kernel reports this as something like
> >> a hardware failure. Or at least very misleading.
> >>
> >
> > Oh, nice. The usb-storage (SCSI) disk spins itself down and we can't handle that.
> > Should we be disabling auto-spindown when we connect the device, or be able to
> > handle this by sending the start command when needed?
>
> There's more to this.
>
> My Sandisk Cruzer Micro 1GB USB sticks suffer from this regression.

I seriously doubt that. Are you claiming that your USB stick spins
itself down during a suspend? And then requires to be spun back up
before it will resume proper operation?

(Hint: Flash memory devices don't contain rotating media...)

Alan Stern

2007-09-13 14:35:58

by Mark Lord

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: [linux-usb-devel] Problems with USB disk [solved]

Alan Stern wrote:
> On Wed, 12 Sep 2007, Mark Lord wrote:
>
>> Chuck Ebbert wrote:
..
>>> Oh, nice. The usb-storage (SCSI) disk spins itself down and we can't handle that.
>>> Should we be disabling auto-spindown when we connect the device, or be able to
>>> handle this by sending the start command when needed?
>> There's more to this.
>>
>> My Sandisk Cruzer Micro 1GB USB sticks suffer from this regression.
>
> I seriously doubt that. Are you claiming that your USB stick spins
> itself down during a suspend? And then requires to be spun back up
> before it will resume proper operation?

No, the machine is not being suspended at all.

What happens is, there's a nice little LED on the Cruzer stick,
that is "lit" when the stick itself is not in a "power suspend" state
(or whatever you USB folks call it).

On 2.6.22, that little LED stays "on" normally, and flickers off/on
when data is being transfered.

The new "USB autosuspend" logic in 2.6.23 now causes that little LED
to turn off after a few seconds of inactivity.

Once that happens, the USB stick is not accessible until after a longish
timeout (~30s I think), followed by a USB reset. Then it is usable again
until the next inactivity timeout and autosuspend (a few seconds).

Etc.

2007-09-13 15:09:30

by Alan Stern

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: [linux-usb-devel] Problems with USB disk [solved]

On Thu, 13 Sep 2007, Mark Lord wrote:

> Alan Stern wrote:
> > On Wed, 12 Sep 2007, Mark Lord wrote:
> >
> >> Chuck Ebbert wrote:
> ..
> >>> Oh, nice. The usb-storage (SCSI) disk spins itself down and we can't handle that.
> >>> Should we be disabling auto-spindown when we connect the device, or be able to
> >>> handle this by sending the start command when needed?
> >> There's more to this.
> >>
> >> My Sandisk Cruzer Micro 1GB USB sticks suffer from this regression.
> >
> > I seriously doubt that. Are you claiming that your USB stick spins
> > itself down during a suspend? And then requires to be spun back up
> > before it will resume proper operation?
>
> No, the machine is not being suspended at all.
>
> What happens is, there's a nice little LED on the Cruzer stick,
> that is "lit" when the stick itself is not in a "power suspend" state
> (or whatever you USB folks call it).

We call it "suspended". (Wasn't there an episode of Classic Trek where
Mr. Spock explained to somebody, "I call them `ears'."?)

> On 2.6.22, that little LED stays "on" normally, and flickers off/on
> when data is being transfered.
>
> The new "USB autosuspend" logic in 2.6.23 now causes that little LED
> to turn off after a few seconds of inactivity.
>
> Once that happens, the USB stick is not accessible until after a longish
> timeout (~30s I think), followed by a USB reset. Then it is usable again
> until the next inactivity timeout and autosuspend (a few seconds).

So this _isn't_ the regression described above -- to wit, that the
drive gets spun down and then won't work without first being spun back
up. You wrote:

> >> My Sandisk Cruzer Micro 1GB USB sticks suffer from this regression.

But it doesn't. It suffers from a different regression.

Alan Stern

2007-09-13 15:21:23

by Mark Lord

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: [linux-usb-devel] Problems with USB disk [solved]

Alan Stern wrote:
> On Thu, 13 Sep 2007, Mark Lord wrote:
..
>> What happens is, there's a nice little LED on the Cruzer stick,
>> that is "lit" when the stick itself is not in a "power suspend" state
>> (or whatever you USB folks call it).
>
> We call it "suspended". (Wasn't there an episode of Classic Trek where
> Mr. Spock explained to somebody, "I call them `ears'."?)
>
>> On 2.6.22, that little LED stays "on" normally, and flickers off/on
>> when data is being transfered.
>>
>> The new "USB autosuspend" logic in 2.6.23 now causes that little LED
>> to turn off after a few seconds of inactivity.
>>
>> Once that happens, the USB stick is not accessible until after a longish
>> timeout (~30s I think), followed by a USB reset. Then it is usable again
>> until the next inactivity timeout and autosuspend (a few seconds).
>
> So this _isn't_ the regression described above -- to wit, that the
> drive gets spun down and then won't work without first being spun back
> up. You wrote:
>
>>>> My Sandisk Cruzer Micro 1GB USB sticks suffer from this regression.
>
> But it doesn't. It suffers from a different regression.

Perhaps, but that doesn't necessarily follow from the above.
>From this observer's point of view (and being an expert on disk technologies),
the same "spin up" issue for rotating media could be the culprit here too.

A reset to a disk drive usually (not always) causes it to spin up.

Regardless, Greg has acknowledged the regression and is planning to revert things.

Cheers