gpsbabel has usb problems

[Hadmut Danisch]

Hi,

I'm using gpsbabel to access my several Garmin eTrex Devices through usb to up- and download tracks, waypoints, etc. for almost ten years, but since I've upgraded to ubuntu 15.10, it does not work anymore. It hangs and says

Could not start session in a reasonable number of tries.

stracing gpsbabel shows that it goes into an endless loop.

21689 open("/dev/bus/usb/004/025", O_RDWR) = 3
21689 ioctl(3, USBDEVFS_CLAIMINTERFACE, 0x7ffe9479f5ac) = 0
21689 ioctl(3, USBDEVFS_SUBMITURB, 0x7ffe9479f000) = 0
21689 ioctl(3, USBDEVFS_REAPURBNDELAY, 0x7ffe9479efc8) = -1 EAGAIN (Resource temporarily unavailable)
21689 select(4, NULL, [3], NULL, {0, 1000}) = 1 (out [3], left {0, 945})
21689 ioctl(3, USBDEVFS_REAPURBNDELAY, 0x7ffe9479efc8) = 0
21689 ioctl(3, USBDEVFS_SUBMITURB, 0x7ffe9479f000) = 0
21689 ioctl(3, USBDEVFS_REAPURBNDELAY, 0x7ffe9479efc8) = -1 EAGAIN (Resource temporarily unavailable)
21689 select(4, NULL, [3], NULL, {0, 1000}) = 1 (out [3], left {0, 47})
21689 ioctl(3, USBDEVFS_REAPURBNDELAY, 0x7ffe9479efc8) = 0
21689 ioctl(3, USBDEVFS_SUBMITURB, 0x7ffe9479f000) = 0
21689 ioctl(3, USBDEVFS_REAPURBNDELAY, 0x7ffe9479efc8) = -1 EAGAIN (Resource temporarily unavailable)
21689 select(4, NULL, [3], NULL, {0, 1000}) = 1 (out [3], left {0, 53})
21689 ioctl(3, USBDEVFS_REAPURBNDELAY, 0x7ffe9479efc8) = 0
21689 ioctl(3, USBDEVFS_SUBMITURB, 0x7ffe9479f010) = 0
21689 ioctl(3, USBDEVFS_REAPURBNDELAY, 0x7ffe9479efd8) = -1 EAGAIN (Resource temporarily unavailable)
21689 select(4, NULL, [3], NULL, {0, 1000}) = 0 (Timeout)
21689 ioctl(3, USBDEVFS_REAPURBNDELAY, 0x7ffe9479efd8) = -1 EAGAIN (Resource temporarily unavailable)
21689 select(4, NULL, [3], NULL, {0, 1000}) = 0 (Timeout)
21689 ioctl(3, USBDEVFS_REAPURBNDELAY, 0x7ffe9479efd8) = -1 EAGAIN (Resource temporarily unavailable)
21689 select(4, NULL, [3], NULL, {0, 1000}) = 0 (Timeout)
21689 ioctl(3, USBDEVFS_REAPURBNDELAY, 0x7ffe9479efd8) = -1 EAGAIN (Resource temporarily unavailable)
....

although no other process has access to the garmin's device entry/usb port.

(Using the device as a mass storage works, so USB ports are not broken.)

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 15.10
Package: gpsbabel 1.5.0-3ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.2.0-17.21-generic 4.2.3
Uname: Linux 4.2.0-17-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.19.1-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: XFCE
Date: Wed Nov 25 00:24:02 2015
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-10-08 (47 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 15.10 "Wily Werewolf" - Alpha amd64 (20150924)
SourcePackage: gpsbabel
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Dennis Real (x-ubunmuone-z)]

Similar here. Try adding USB_BLACKLIST="091e:0003" in /etc/default/tlp . Worked for me.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Alberto Salvia Novella (es20490446e)]

If the work-around proposed by Dennis Real works for somebody else, please mark this bug as affecting the "hundredpapercuts" project.

[anarcat (anarcat)]

i confirm that the following patch works in Debian Jessie:

root@angela:/etc# git show
commit 1450db49877a85b78ed3cc431562fc06e00773d0
Author: root <email address hidden>
Date: Wed Feb 17 00:35:18 2016 -0500

    disable auto-suspend on GPS device

    this was keeping transfers from operating properly

diff --git a/default/tlp b/default/tlp
index cd56d3c..31407f3 100644
--- a/default/tlp
+++ b/default/tlp
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ USB_AUTOSUSPEND=1
 # Use lsusb to get the ids.
 # Note: input devices (usbhid) are excluded automatically (see below)
 #USB_BLACKLIST="1111:2222 3333:4444"
+USB_BLACKLIST="091e:0003"

 # WWAN devices are excluded from USB autosuspend:
 # 0=do not exclude / 1=exclude

i also did service tlp restart.

[Paul White (paulw2u)]

We are sorry that we do not always have the capacity to review all reported bugs in a timely manner.

I'm setting this bug to "Incomplete" as it's not seen any activity for some time. If this is still an issue when using a maintained release of Ubuntu then please let us know otherwise this bug report can be left to expire in approximately 60 days time.

[Thomas Meier (thomei)]

Good evening,

I just came to the same problem on Mint 20.1 when I tried to connect my Garmin eTrex Vista HCx with GpsBabel.

"gpsbabel -i garmin -f usb:-1" always causes the message "Could not start session in a reasonable number of tries"!
All my researches in the internet have not brought a solution.

Although my eTrex is now quite old it still works perfectly. A big advantage of this model is the fact that I can use it with rechargeables as well as with normal batteries.

By the way: On my old notebook with Ubuntu 16.04 32bit the connection between GpsBabel and eTrex workes fine.

Regards

[Paul White (paulw2u)]

Further to comment #7, reinstating "Confirmed" status

[Marcel Martin (marcel)]

Thanks so much for the provided workaround. On Ubuntu 20.04, /etc/default/tlp no longer exists. Instead, I created a file /etc/tlp.d/50-usb-blacklist.conf containing only this line:

USB_BLACKLIST="091e:0003"

After "systemctl restart tlp", gpsbabel worked fine with my Garmin eTrex Vista HCx.

[Josh Hatt (josh-rockstock)]

Does not work on Ubuntu 20.10 and eTrex 30x. GPSbabel (1.8.0) still returns:

"Could not start session in a reasonable number of tries.

Error running gpsbabel: Process exited unsuccessfully with code 1"

After going through the motions for just under 1 minute.