tpowellcio/automateUSBscript-on-insert.md

## automateUSBscript-on-insert.md

      
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              automateUSBscript-on-insert.md
            
          
    #Automate USB Duplication Script on plug in
ref:http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-502864.html
This explains how you could run a script made by you (say /usr/local/my_script) when you plug a specific USB device.

First run lsusb to identify your device. Example:

$lsusb
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 040a:0576 Kodak Co.
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000


After doing this you know that


the vendor ID of your device is 040a
the product ID of your device is 0576


Now is time to create your UDEV rule:

sudo nano /etc/udev/rules.d/85-my_rule.rules


And add the text

ACTION=="add", SUBSYSTEM=="usb_device", SYSFS{idVendor}=="040a", SYSFS{idProduct}=="0576", RUN+="/usr/local/my_script"

Explanation:
When the usb_device product identified as 0576 of vendor 040a is added, run /usr/local/my_script
Note that == and != are comparators, while = and += are assingments
#Other udev rules
Due to the interest of this subject, I would like to emphasize that udev rules has other very useful features, for example:

if you had GROUP="dialout", the device will belong to that group. This means that all users in the dialout group have special permissions to work with the device.

ACTION=="add", SUBSYSTEM=="usb_device", SYSFS{idVendor}=="040a", SYSFS{idProduct}=="0576", GROUP="dialout"


if you had SYMLINK+="ladys_camera, a ladys_camera device will be added to your /dev.
This could be very usefull if you use several usb devices (as most of us do), because their device (/dev/ttyUSB[0-9]) is set depending on plug order.
This way /dev/ladys_camera will always be your lady's camera.

ACTION=="add", SUBSYSTEM=="usb_device", SYSFS{idVendor}=="040a", SYSFS{idProduct}=="0576", SYMLINK+="ladys_camera"


Also notice that udev rules work with all king of devices: usb, serial, pcmcia, ...
udev rules is a simple and easy way to configure all devices (it can configure, load modules, run scripts, set permissions for all your hardware).

Final notes:
A. Each line is a device. If you want to break a line add \ at the end
ACTION=="add", SUBSYSTEM=="usb_device", \
SYSFS{idVendor}=="040a", SYSFS{idProduct}=="0576", \
SYMLINK+="ladys_camera"

B. You can add simultaneous actions in the same line (like group assignment and symbolic link)
ACTION=="add", SUBSYSTEM=="usb_device", SYSFS{idVendor}=="040a", SYSFS{idProduct}=="0576", GROUP="dialout", SYMLINK+="my_modem"

C. The rules file must be in /etc/udev/rules.d/. Restart udev service (sudo /etc/init.d/udev restart) after changes.
D. The rules filename must start with two digits, plus a dash (-), and must end with .rules
The two digits have a reason. See /etc/udev/rules.d/README