Zip/Printer problem - Using Linux instructions -- Almost!

[Benjamin Sher <sher07 bellsouth net>]

Dear friends:

Just one little detail stands between this latest attempt and success:
Changin "sda: partition unknown" to "sda: sda4"

I've been following the strict step-by-step instruction in Using Linux.
Here they are in a nutshell:

[Always as Root]

Turn on Zip drive.

1. Add "alias block-major-8 ppa" (without quotes) to /etc/conf.modules.
Save. I gather it doesn't matter where. Please correct me if I am wrong.

2. Add "sbin/insmod ppa" to either /etc/rc.d./rc.local or to /etc/rc.d
rc.sysinit. Save. The author does not elaborate. Does it matter where?
if so, then exactly where in either of these files and which one would
be a better choice?

3. Insert a Zip cartridge into drive and restart Linux.

4. During reboot, Linux should recognize the Iomega Zip drive and you
see a lot of lines with ppa, etc. The author has an exact duplicate in
the book of wht you see on screen. 

It is here that my problem lies. The very last line of this section
should end with:

sda: sda4.

But my boot sequence ends with:

sda: partition unknown.

5. Format and install file system on Zip cartridge. Choose Linux or Dos.

I chose Linux native. So I typed:

#mke2fs /dev/sda

No problem here. The cartridge is fully partitioned and formatted, etc.
Entries on my screen match the book exactly.

6. Create an entry in /etc/fstab as follows:

/dev/sda4        /mnt/zip        ext2       defaults,noauto 0 0

[note: The author chooses to call the Linux mount point zipln. I call it
simply zip and make sure that it is also invoked as such when mounting.]

7. After saving /etc/fstab, restart Linux. 

8. To mount the Zip disk, type:

#mount /mnt/zip

or

#mount -t ext2 /dev/sda4 /mnt/zip 

Either command, we are told, will mount the disk. To unmount type:

#umount /mnt/zip

[Note Umount, not UNmount]


MY PROBLEM:


1) During boot sequence "sda: partition unknown" instead of "sda:sda4"


2) When I try to mount the Zip drive, I get the message:

"mount: /dev/sda4 is not a valid block device"

I get the same message with both mounting commands above.


What am I doing wrong? It looks like I am only a step away from success. 

Could someone please help.

Thank you so much.

Benjamin
-- 
Benjamin Sher
sher07 bellsouth net
Sher's Russian Web
http://www.websher.net