From observation, I can say with certainty that USB is operating at the slower 1.1, not 2.0 as officially specified for all USB ports on this computer, a Dell Dimension 3100/E310 uniprocessor desktop. You may recall that I had an issue with detection of USB keyboard and mouse during first boot after a full install of Wary 5.1.1.
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=74536
I'm assuming that slow 1.1 USB behavior is a continuance of the same issue, that is, that USB is improperly detected as 1.1 during boot. Is there a way to force 2.0 USB detection? I have checked BIOS for USB settings: it's either ON or OFF.
EDIT: As it turned out, Wary 5.1.1 was not at fault. The problem was a USB-to-IDE cable which was operating at 1.1, and therefore was the bottleneck slowing things down
Wary 5.1.1 full install detects USB 2.0 as 1.1 (Solved)
Wary 5.1.1 full install detects USB 2.0 as 1.1 (Solved)
Last edited by nubc on Fri 06 Jan 2012, 04:09, edited 2 times in total.
Observation: 12 to 15 seconds to transfer a 5 MB file. Usually takes 2 or 3 seconds with 2.0 USB. I have painfully watched transfers by 1.1 USB, and this is 1.1, ie. slow. It's not difficult to observe 1.1 USB behavior when it's slow by a factor of 5 or 6.
I tried to install a PCI 2.0 USB card, but the computer would not boot to the blue GRUB screen. It did an initial POST, then a cursor, and progressed no more. I pressed F2 for Setup during next boot, and the computer stalled at the solitary cursor. I pressed F12 for Boot Menu during another boot, with same negative result. I removed the card and the computer booted normally.
I tried to install a PCI 2.0 USB card, but the computer would not boot to the blue GRUB screen. It did an initial POST, then a cursor, and progressed no more. I pressed F2 for Setup during next boot, and the computer stalled at the solitary cursor. I pressed F12 for Boot Menu during another boot, with same negative result. I removed the card and the computer booted normally.
Aha! At fault was the USB-to-IDE cable, which prominently advertised 2.0 USB. I substituted another cable and now the transfers are as expected, rapid.
I also changed ADDLIST so that only ehci_hcd was detected, but that was not the problem, and it did not increase speed.
I still wonder why the PCI USB 2.0 card did not install. Instead, the computer stalled at a blinking cursor, before GRUB screen appears.
What a royal PITA: Folders took 50 minutes to transfer. Computer refused to run Wary 5.1.1 as live CD because of Xorg problems. Had to use front panel button to restart computer. Unclean mount of data drive, which was 99% full, forced file check that took more than an hour.
I also changed ADDLIST so that only ehci_hcd was detected, but that was not the problem, and it did not increase speed.
I still wonder why the PCI USB 2.0 card did not install. Instead, the computer stalled at a blinking cursor, before GRUB screen appears.
What a royal PITA: Folders took 50 minutes to transfer. Computer refused to run Wary 5.1.1 as live CD because of Xorg problems. Had to use front panel button to restart computer. Unclean mount of data drive, which was 99% full, forced file check that took more than an hour.