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Linux Support on USB Palm Pilots?
seachnasaigh asks: "I love desktop Linux, but the one stumbling block I have with deploying it in some capacity for my userbase is USB Palm Pilots. Once upon a time I managed to get GPilot working with a serial PalmVx, but despite repeated attempts (SuSE 9.2 pro, Fedora Core 3 and several Palm devices) I can't get a synch to happen with the USB version, either through the native Gnome Pilot app or through Evolution (and yes, Kpilot too!). Our standard deployment is a Palm Tungsten T series; most of our desktops are recent Dells. It's embarrassing to have to boot into Windows to synch the Palms. Does anyone have some suggestions out there?"
My Tunsten E works flawlessly using Jpilot and pilot-link on Debian and FreeBSD. It doesn't work with Gnome-Pilot for some reason, but I haven't really tried very hard to get it to. I normally use Jpilot, and since it works fine, I don't worry too much about it.
Maybe this is a thoroughly unhelpful suggestion, but I'd say try Jpilot if you don't require Evolution or some other specific app to be able to sync with.
Anyways... the only real trick is that you have to start the hotsync on the pilot before you start the hotsync on the desktop (the desktop won't see the USB device until the hotsync has started).
Devices:
/dev/pilot: symbolic link to ttyUSB1
/dev/ttyUSB1: character special (188/1)
Modules required:
visor (CONFIG_USB_SERIAL_VISOR=m)
usbserial (CONFIG_USB_SERIAL=m)
-- Don't Tase me, bro!
How familiar. I had a lot of headache long ago with RedHat 9. It was kinda 3 yeras ago, so instructions are kinda fuzzy, sorry. Here are things to check (some of them were mentioned, but I do not have mod points, so I'll just repeat them to emphasize):
/etc/rc.local to get them loaded for sure. It was ugly, but worked. May be other slashdotters have better advice on how to force loading of particular modules.
/dev/ttyUSB*
/dev/ttyUSB0 /dev/visor /dev/ttyUSB0 /dev/palm /dev/ttyUSB0 /dev/pilot
/var/log/messages and see that Palm device is actually there, w/o any errors.
1. Check that kernel is compiled with modules 'serial' and 'visor', you can check if they are loaded by typing modprobe serial; modprobe visor.
If these modules are compiled but not loaded for some reason, modprobe will actually load them, so if modprobe's go w/o problems you may already be able to sync your Palm.
If modules are not compiled (which is usually NOT the case when you use popular modern distros - you have to compile them yourself).
I am not sure, but at some point I inserted modprobe seial; modeprobe visor; command into
2. Ok, so your modules are in place. Now you should have appropriate permissions to read/write serial USB connections.
chmod 666
under root should do the trick
3. Some programs expect Palm device under certain name, so it mightbe useful to that
ln -s
ln -s
ln -s
4. To check that Palm is seen by drivers, attach cradle to USB, place palm into the cradle and press sync button. Do not expect anything to appear, just press it. Now review
5. Now, the trick is that Linux does not actually see Palm device until sync button is pressed. So you have to press sync button on craddle (or in Palm sync app) first, and only then fire up your Linux plam software of choice. AFAIR, there is a cute thingy called hotplug, that let's you hook some actions on certain device events, so go RTFM.
I agree - this is frustrating. Actually I thought modern distros automate that whole stuff, but did not check it for a long time though. Good luck!
my sstream of consciousness
As many have noted the key is the "visor" use-serial module. I'm getting tired of ask/. questions that one could solve with a google search :-/
The support of USB Palms through Gnome (Gpilot or Evolution) is pants. It never worked correctly.
Now, I have SuSE 9.2 and I can sync my NX70 with the Kpilot shipped with SuSE.
One of the issue you may encounter is that user interaction required to sync a Palm is kind of convoluted (plug Palm, open sync application, wait, start HotSync from the Palm, click on Sync in the app, you get the picture) so the first time is always difficult. Please note that this is really Palm fault for having a freaky handshake protocol, not Kpilot's or Jpilot's.
Nobox: Only simple products.
This does not work with the Tungsten T5 at all. Because of the flash memory and "Drive Mode" (makes it work like a jump drive) it connects to USB0 and USB1 as soon as you plug it in. Whatever you did to make a Visor or older Palm work is irrelevent. Some distributions apparently have hotplug set up differently, but Mandrake 10 and Slackware 10.1 will not sync with a Tungsten T5 at all.