[Nut-upsuser] Powerware 5110, SuSE10.1 & USB

[Gary and Jane Pearce]

Dear Nutters,

I am trying to get NUT as supplied with SuSE 10.1 working and I think I have a 
USB problem, possibly due to some missing startup scripts concerning 
permissions. The machine sees the USB device as per /var/log/messages:

Jun  5 16:28:27 silver-server kernel: usb 2-1: new low speed USB device using 
uhci_hcd and address 7
Jun  5 16:28:27 silver-server kernel: usb 2-1: new device found, 
idVendor=0592, idProduct=0002
Jun  5 16:28:27 silver-server kernel: usb 2-1: new device strings: Mfr=1, 
Product=2, SerialNumber=0
Jun  5 16:28:27 silver-server kernel: usb 2-1: Product: Powerware UPS
Jun  5 16:28:27 silver-server kernel: usb 2-1: Manufacturer: Powerware
Jun  5 16:28:27 silver-server kernel: usb 2-1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 
choice
--------------------------------------------------

Trying to start the driver as per SuSE docs fails:
# /etc/init.d/upsd start
Starting NUT UPS drivers                                              failed

starting the driver manually however with user root apparently succeeds:

# /usr/lib/ups/driver/bcmxcp_usb -a myups -DDDDD -u root
Network UPS Tools - BCMXCP UPS driver 0.10 (2.0.3)

debug level is '5'
Model = POWERWARE UPS    1000VA
Firmware = 00.50
Shutdown delay =  60 seconds
Index   Offset  Format  NUT

0027    0000    51      output.frequency
0028    0004    51      input.frequency
0033    0008    51      battery.voltage
0041    0012    f0      None
0043    0016    f0      None
0047    0020    f0      None
0056    0024    f0      input.voltage
0065    0028    51      output.current
0068    0032    51      None
0078    0036    f0      output.voltage


Length of alarm map: 24

Index   Alarm   Supported

-001    INVERTER_AC_OVER_VOLTAGE        No
-001    INVERTER_AC_UNDER_VOLTAGE       No
-001    INVERTER_OVER_OR_UNDER_FREQ     No
<snip>
-001    AUTO_OFF_COMMAND_EXECUTED       No
-001    AUTO_ON_COMMAND_EXECUTED        No
0010    BATTERY_TEST_FAILED     Yes


dstate_init: sock /var/lib/ups/bcmxcp_usb-auto open on fd 6

(is the driver meant to do more than just be open ?)
----------------------------------------------------------------------


The man entry for bcmxcp_usb(8) states i.a. :

You also need to install manually the hotplug files (libhidups and 
libhid.usermap), generally in etc/hotplug/usb/, to address the permission 
settings problem. Lastly note that the libhidups file must have  execution  
flag  set .

The files libhidups and libhid.usermap do not exist anywhere on the system, 
and neither does the /etc/hotplug directory and /proc/bus/usb is empty but a 
trawl through the nut sources reveals that libhidups is a small script which 
changes the permissions and ownership of a USB device. 

I suspect therefore that I have permissions problems and / or missing usb 
script(s)

A few hints towards further progress would be gratefully received.

Gary