How to create an persistent name for a device.

My Surfstick HUAWEI E160 should always have a persistent name between boots or in case i do a reconnect. The E160 creates two /dev/ttyUSB? entries, the first one for the modem, the second one for control and status information.

Examine all infos:

udevadm info --name=/dev/ttyUSB1 --attribute-walk

  looking at device '/class/tty/ttyUSB1':
    KERNEL=="ttyUSB1"
    SUBSYSTEM=="tty"
    DRIVER==""

  looking at parent device '/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.7/usb5/5-5/5-5:1.0/ttyUSB1':
    KERNELS=="ttyUSB1"
    SUBSYSTEMS=="usb-serial"
    DRIVERS=="option1"
    ATTRS{port_number}=="0"

  looking at parent device '/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.7/usb5/5-5/5-5:1.0':
    KERNELS=="5-5:1.0"
    SUBSYSTEMS=="usb"
    DRIVERS=="option"
    ATTRS{bInterfaceNumber}=="00"
    ATTRS{bAlternateSetting}==" 0"
    ATTRS{bNumEndpoints}=="03"
    ATTRS{bInterfaceClass}=="ff"
    ATTRS{bInterfaceSubClass}=="ff"
    ATTRS{bInterfaceProtocol}=="ff"
    ATTRS{modalias}=="usb:v12D1p1003d0000dc00dsc00dp00icFFiscFFipFF"

  looking at parent device '/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.7/usb5/5-5':
    KERNELS=="5-5"
    SUBSYSTEMS=="usb"
    DRIVERS=="usb"
    ATTRS{configuration}==""
    ATTRS{bNumInterfaces}==" 4"
    ATTRS{bConfigurationValue}=="1"
    ATTRS{bmAttributes}=="e0"
    ATTRS{bMaxPower}=="500mA"
    ATTRS{urbnum}=="641"
    ATTRS{idVendor}=="12d1"
    ATTRS{idProduct}=="1003"
    ATTRS{bcdDevice}=="0000"
    ATTRS{bDeviceClass}=="00"
    ATTRS{bDeviceSubClass}=="00"
    ATTRS{bDeviceProtocol}=="00"
    ATTRS{bNumConfigurations}=="1"
    ATTRS{bMaxPacketSize0}=="64"
    ATTRS{speed}=="480"
    ATTRS{busnum}=="5"
    ATTRS{devnum}=="10"
    ATTRS{version}==" 2.00"
    ATTRS{maxchild}=="0"
    ATTRS{quirks}=="0x0"
    ATTRS{authorized}=="1"
    ATTRS{manufacturer}=="HUAWEI Technology"
    ATTRS{product}=="HUAWEI Mobile"

  looking at parent device '/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.7/usb5':
    KERNELS=="usb5"
    SUBSYSTEMS=="usb"
    DRIVERS=="usb"
    ATTRS{configuration}==""
    ATTRS{bNumInterfaces}==" 1"
    ATTRS{bConfigurationValue}=="1"
    ATTRS{bmAttributes}=="e0"
    ATTRS{bMaxPower}=="  0mA"
    ATTRS{urbnum}=="217"
    ATTRS{idVendor}=="1d6b"
    ATTRS{idProduct}=="0002"
    ATTRS{bcdDevice}=="0206"
    ATTRS{bDeviceClass}=="09"
    ATTRS{bDeviceSubClass}=="00"
    ATTRS{bDeviceProtocol}=="00"
    ATTRS{bNumConfigurations}=="1"
    ATTRS{bMaxPacketSize0}=="64"
    ATTRS{speed}=="480"
    ATTRS{busnum}=="5"
    ATTRS{devnum}=="1"
    ATTRS{version}==" 2.00"
    ATTRS{maxchild}=="8"
    ATTRS{quirks}=="0x0"
    ATTRS{authorized}=="1"
    ATTRS{manufacturer}=="Linux 2.6.26-2-686 ehci_hcd"
    ATTRS{product}=="EHCI Host Controller"
    ATTRS{serial}=="0000:00:1d.7"
    ATTRS{authorized_default}=="1"

  looking at parent device '/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.7':
    KERNELS=="0000:00:1d.7"
    SUBSYSTEMS=="pci"
    DRIVERS=="ehci_hcd"
    ATTRS{vendor}=="0x8086"
    ATTRS{device}=="0x24dd"
    ATTRS{subsystem_vendor}=="0x1458"
    ATTRS{subsystem_device}=="0x5006"
    ATTRS{class}=="0x0c0320"
    ATTRS{irq}=="23"
    ATTRS{local_cpus}=="ff"
    ATTRS{local_cpulist}=="0-7"
    ATTRS{modalias}=="pci:v00008086d000024DDsv00001458sd00005006bc0Csc03i20"
    ATTRS{enable}=="1"
    ATTRS{broken_parity_status}=="0"
    ATTRS{msi_bus}==""

  looking at parent device '/devices/pci0000:00':
    KERNELS=="pci0000:00"
    SUBSYSTEMS==""
    DRIVERS==""

The only difference between ttyUSB1 and ttyUSB2 is ATTRS{bInterfaceNumber}==“00” and ATTRS{bInterfaceNumber}==“01”, so it is essential to use only the parent who matches this information (⇒ If multiple keys that match a parent device are specified in a single rule, all these keys must match at one and the same parent device).

Now we go to /etc/udev/rules.d and create out custom rules definition:

touch 92-persistent-local.rules

Next we want a symlink created to point to the Surfstick without the need to fiddle with ttyUSB?:

92-persistent-local.rules

KERNEL=="ttyUSB?", ATTRS{bInterfaceNumber}=="00", ATTRS{modalias}=="usb:v12D1p1003d0000dc00d", SYMLINK+="ttyHUAWEI0"
KERNEL=="ttyUSB?", ATTRS{bInterfaceNumber}=="01", ATTRS{modalias}=="usb:v12D1p1003d0000dc00d", SYMLINK+="ttyHUAWEI1"

Test if all works as expcted:

udevadm test /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.7/usb5/5-5/5-5:1.1/ttyUSB2

OK, our symlinks ttyHUAWEI? should be created if we force the change:

udevadm test /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.7/usb5/5-5/5-5:1.1/ttyUSB2 --force

This program is for debugging only, it does not run any program,
specified by a RUN key. It may show incorrect results, because
some values may be different, or not available at a simulation run.

add_matching_files: unable to open '/lib/udev/rules.d': No such file or directory
parse_file: reading '/etc/udev/rules.d/50-udev.rules' as rules file
parse_file: reading '/etc/udev/rules.d/60-persistent-input.rules' as rules file
parse_file: reading '/etc/udev/rules.d/60-persistent-storage-tape.rules' as rules file
parse_file: reading '/etc/udev/rules.d/60-persistent-storage.rules' as rules file
parse_file: reading '/etc/udev/rules.d/60-persistent-v4l.rules' as rules file
parse_file: reading '/dev/.udev/rules.d/61-dev-root-link.rules' as rules file
parse_file: reading '/etc/udev/rules.d/65_mdadm.vol_id.rules' as rules file
parse_file: reading '/etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-cd.rules' as rules file
parse_file: reading '/etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rules' as rules file
parse_file: reading '/etc/udev/rules.d/75-cd-aliases-generator.rules' as rules file
parse_file: reading '/etc/udev/rules.d/75-persistent-net-generator.rules' as rules file
parse_file: reading '/etc/udev/rules.d/80-drivers.rules' as rules file
parse_file: reading '/etc/udev/rules.d/91-permissions.rules' as rules file
parse_file: reading '/etc/udev/rules.d/92-persistent-local.rules' as rules file
parse_file: reading '/etc/udev/rules.d/95-late.rules' as rules file
import_uevent_var: import into environment: 'DRIVER=option1'
import_uevent_var: import into environment: 'PHYSDEVBUS=usb-serial'
import_uevent_var: import into environment: 'PHYSDEVDRIVER=option1'
udevtest: looking at device '/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.7/usb5/5-5/5-5:1.1/ttyUSB2' from subsystem 'usb-serial'
udevtest: run: 'socket:@/org/kernel/udev/monitor'

And that's the result:

ls -la /dev/ttyHUAWEI?
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 7 23. Nov 15:32 /dev/ttyHUAWEI0 -> ttyUSB0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 7 23. Nov 15:32 /dev/ttyHUAWEI1 -> ttyUSB1

With a Debian Etch installation I encounterd the following problem:

the system was installed with an (optional) Intel Etherexpress (eepro100) as eth0. After installation the card was removed. There were still two Intel Pro/1000 cards present (eth1 and eth2).

Problem:
After reboot, eth0 wouldn't work as the system expects the eepro100 card still present.

Solution:

• Goto /etc/udev/rules.d
• edit z25_persistent-net.rules
• remove or comment out the entry regarding eepro100
• rename …NAME=“eth1” to …NAME=“eth0” and …NAME=“eth2” to …NAME=“eth1”
• reboot