You can check which version of debian you are running by running the command
user@server:/var/log/installer$ cat /var/log/installer/lsb-release
DISTRIB_ID=Debian
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION=”Debian GNU/Linux installer”
DISTRIB_RELEASE=”4.0 (installer build 20070308etch2)”
X_INSTALLATION_MEDIUM=cdrom
or similary for Ubuntu you can run
user@server:~$ cat /etc/lsb-release
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=8.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=hardy
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION=”Ubuntu 8.04.1″
So you just inserted your USB stick/drive into your Linux Workstation/D3esktop/Laptop and it did not automatically mount it. What to do? Well the first thing to do would be to make sure it is not really mounted but running, you guessed it right the “mount” command.
bab@mini:~$ mount
/dev/sda1 on / type ext3 (rw,errors=remount-ro)
tmpfs on /lib/init/rw type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,mode=0755)
proc on /proc type proc (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
sysfs on /sys type sysfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
procbususb on /proc/bus/usb type usbfs (rw)
udev on /dev type tmpfs (rw,mode=0755)
tmpfs on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,nodev)
devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,noexec,nosuid,gid=5,mode=620)
Aha yup, looks like there are no usb