Software⏱️ 3 min read📅 2026-06-15

How to Fix: Error Running udev trigger for USB Insertion

Error running udev trigger for USB insertion on Ubuntu 20.04.

Quick Answer: Check the RUN command in your udev rule and ensure it points to an executable script, such as /home/ubuntu/test.sh.

Error Running udev trigger for USB Insertion

This issue affects users who have installed a custom udev rule to run a script when a specific USB device is inserted. The error message indicates that the udev rule is triggered, but the execution of the script fails with an error.

💡 Why You Are Getting This Error

  • The primary cause of this error is that the RUN command in the udev rule is empty, causing the script to fail when executed.
  • An alternative reason for this error could be due to the permissions of the script or the directory where it's located. If the script or directory lacks execute permissions, the udev rule will not be able to run the script as intended.

🚀 How to Resolve This Issue

Fixing the Empty RUN Command

  1. Step 1: Open the file containing the udev rule in a text editor and locate the RUN command. Ensure that it is not empty.
  2. Step 2: Add the path to the script or command that should be executed when the USB device is inserted, separated by a space. For example: RUN+="/home/ubuntu/test.sh"
  3. Step 3: Save the changes to the file and reload the udev rules with the command 'udevadm control --reload-rules'.

Fixing Permissions Issues

  1. Step 1: Check the permissions of the script or directory where it's located. Ensure that they are set to allow execution.
  2. Step 2: Use the 'chmod' command to change the permissions of the script or directory. For example: chmod +x /home/ubuntu/test.sh
  3. Step 3: If the issue persists, try changing the ownership of the script or directory to the current user with the command 'chown ubuntu:ubuntu /home/ubuntu/test.sh'.

✨ Wrapping Up

To resolve the error running udev trigger for USB insertion, check if the RUN command is empty and fix it accordingly. If the issue persists, verify that the permissions of the script or directory are set to allow execution.

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