visor module broken in Ubuntu 8.04 LTS's kernel (2.6.24-16)

[sordna]

I've been using pilot-link to sync my Palm pilot for the last several
ubuntu releases. After upgrading to 8.04 LTS I started getting this error:
visor: probe of 2-1:1.0 failed with error -5
and can no longer sync my palm device.

A little search revealed this is a known bug introduced in kernel 2.6.24
and resolved in 2.6.25:
http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=10118

Unfurtunately, Ubuntu 8.04 LTS uses the single kernel version
that is hit by this bug!

Can you please provide a linux-image package with kernel 2.6.25 for Ubuntu 8.04 LTS ?

[Rich (rincebrain)]

d04863e9e65767feff7807c8f693ac2719dd1944 looks like the commit that fixed this. Could someone push this into the Hardy and Intrepid kernels, as it's a regression since Dapper?

[Robert Brinson (rbrinson)]

This bug is also prohibiting me from syncing my Palm m130 with Evolution. This is a regression as it has worked before in previous versions of Ubuntu. Can the kernel please be patched to address this regression?

[Sebastian Berthold (sleif)]

also my Sony Clie is useless with the current Ubuntu Stable...

[Yattletrot (yattletrot-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

Also getting this with a Palm Tungsten W. Would *really* like it to work

Hamish

[Sascha K. B. (saschakb)]

Me to,

the bug doesn't let me sync my Sony Clie PEG N-770 or my Palm m505. A solution of that bug would be very, very nice.

Karl

[Tom White (taw27)]

This may be totally superfluous, but it took me a little while to work out: The 'usb' connection type (in, say, your gnome-pilot settings) might also work for your PDA. If your device works in this way, then the faulty kernel module is bypassed. I used to synchronise my Clie using /dev/ttyUSB0 in JPilot, but now I've switched to gnome-pilot and USB and it works perfectly.

[sordna (sordna)]

Tom, you are right, the visor kernel module can by bypassed if you use the libusb library instead.
I got this to work after I downloaded the pilot-link sources and reading the README.libusb doc.
First I installed "apt-get install libusb-dev" although I don't think it was absolutely necessary.
The pilot-link sources also come with a 60-libpisock.rules file that needs to be placed into
/etc/udev/rules.d/ followed by a reboot so it's read by the system.
After that, the command "pilot-xfer -p usb: -l"
prints a message:
  Listening for incoming connection on usb:...
instead of saying "Unable to bind to port".
This "Listening" is an indicator that libusb is being used and hitting the hotsync button
allowed my Garmin iQue 3600 to by synced using ubuntu's 8.04 stock kernel !!!
I'm using pilot-link directly (the pilot-xfer conduit) but I believe the 60-libpisock.rules file should help
users of other software like gnome-pilot since most of them use pilot-link under the hood.

This nice workaround doesn't mean that the bug I filed does not hold. The visor module is indeed broken
for kernel 2.6.24 and ubuntu should fix it, or update to the 2.6.25 kernel for 8.04.

[Sascha K. B. (saschakb)]

Sordna,

could you please tell us, in which directory the file 60-libpisock.rules can be found, so that we also have the chance to copy it to /etc/udev/rules.d/ and use that workaround?

Thanks,

Karl

[Sascha K. B. (saschakb)]

Well, now I've been on http://www.pilot-link.org, where I downloaded the file http://downloads.pilot-link.org/pilot-link-0.12.3.tar.gz

And - yes, inside is the 60-libpisock.rules, that is missing in the .deb-file of pilot-link.

[Bruce Crowther (bwucie)]

This workaround does not provide a cure for me, with a Kyocera 6135 and attempting to use Gnome-Pilot to sync with Evolution.
Long wait now for Ubuntu to do something about it.

[Bruce Crowther (bwucie)]

Have updated to Ubuntu 8.10, Alpha 3, which uses the 2.6.26 kernel, and still cannot sync with Evolution, either via usb: or loading the Visor module and using /dev/ttyUSB1.
So something that just WORKED in 7.10 is still broken in 8.10 (at least in my installation): I still wonder if this is a permissions issue?
Any suggestions?
Regards,
Bruce.

[Robert Brinson (rbrinson)]

I realize that 8.10 is still in alpha, and we should expect breakage to happen. However, Mr. Crowther's comments about not being able to sync with Evolution on 8.10 alpha 3 concern me. The workaround using usb: instead of the visor module does not work for me on an up-to-date 8.04 system with a Palm m130. I had hoped that this would just begin to work again with a new version of the kernel. Mr. Crowther, was your 8.10 alpha 3 system created from a clean install or a dist-upgrade?

[Bruce Crowther (bwucie)]

"I realize that 8.10 is still in alpha, and we should expect breakage to happen. However, Mr. Crowther's comments about not being able to sync with Evolution on 8.10 alpha 3 concern me. The workaround using usb: instead of the visor module does not work for me on an up-to-date 8.04 system with a Palm m130. I had hoped that this would just begin to work again with a new version of the kernel. Mr. Crowther, was your 8.10 alpha 3 system created from a clean install or a dist-upgrade?"

Good point; I used dist-upgrade, which has always given clunky results in the past.
I use a separate partition as "home", so the likelihood of importing the same problem to even a "clean" install is high, if it is a settings issue. In the interests of checking if this is the case, I have, over the past few months, reverted to 7.10, using my Live CD, without formatting my home partition, and synced successfully. I then reinstalled 8.04 from a Live CD, including formatting my home partition, so no existing settings or permissions would have been carried over, and cannot sync. I tried to compile the 2.6.25 kernel and made a hash of it (killed my nvidia driver and decided it was too much trouble to put right), so I decided to wait until Ubuntu started to use a kernel other than 2.6.24. That (so far) hasn't helped. I will do an install of 8.10 from a Live CD in October, when it is released in all its final majesty, perhaps then..............?
You will gather I am not a tech expert, so I need a solution that pretty much works "out of the box", and this issue is a long way off that for me yet.

[Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara)]

The Ubuntu Kernel Team is planning to move to the 2.6.27 kernel for the upcoming Intrepid Ibex 8.10 release. As a result, the kernel team would appreciate it if you could please test this newer 2.6.27 Ubuntu kernel. There are one of two ways you should be able to test:

1) If you are comfortable installing packages on your own, the linux-image-2.6.27-* package is currently available for you to install and test.

--or--

2) The upcoming Alpha5 for Intrepid Ibex 8.10 will contain this newer 2.6.27 Ubuntu kernel. Alpha5 is set to be released Thursday Sept 4. Please watch http://www.ubuntu.com/testing for Alpha5 to be announced. You should then be able to test via a LiveCD.

Please let us know immediately if this newer 2.6.27 kernel resolves the bug reported here or if the issue remains. More importantly, please open a new bug report for each new bug/regression introduced by the 2.6.27 kernel and tag the bug report with 'linux-2.6.27'. Also, please specifically note if the issue does or does not appear in the 2.6.26 kernel. Thanks again, we really appreicate your help and feedback.

[Bruce Crowther (bwucie)]

Let Synaptic update the kernel, now pulse audio is kaput, nvidia driver not working, computer sometimes boots, sometimes doesn't, can't see half the desktop because of the absurd screen resolution: don't even want to think about trying to fix all this for myself, let alone think about trying to sync my phone.
Yet another reinstall coming up. I am not technical enough to sort this out.

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. However, this bug is a duplicate of bug 222052 and is being marked as such. Feel free to submit any future bugs you may find.

[sordna (sordna)]

I just added intrepid to my apt sources, downloaded
linux-image-2.6.27-3-generic
to my 8.04 system, installed it and booted it and can confirm the bug has
been
resolved there.
I also did a complete installation of xubuntu (intrepid alpha6)
and the problem in resolved there too (2.6.27-4-generic)
xubuntu is the best ubuntu variant by the way. Does absolutely everything
you need, without the bloat of gnome/kde slowing you down, and has
flexible window focus/raise options (unlike teh regular ubuntu).

sordna

On Thu, Aug 28, 2008 at 8:01 PM, Leann Ogasawara <email address hidden> wrote:

> The Ubuntu Kernel Team is planning to move to the 2.6.27 kernel for the
> upcoming Intrepid Ibex 8.10 release. As a result, the kernel team would
> appreciate it if you could please test this newer 2.6.27 Ubuntu kernel.
> There are one of two ways you should be able to test:
>
> 1) If you are comfortable installing packages on your own, the linux-
> image-2.6.27-* package is currently available for you to install and
> test.
>
> --or--
>
> 2) The upcoming Alpha5 for Intrepid Ibex 8.10 will contain this newer
> 2.6.27 Ubuntu kernel. Alpha5 is set to be released Thursday Sept 4.
> Please watch http://www.ubuntu.com/testing for Alpha5 to be announced.
> You should then be able to test via a LiveCD.
>
> Please let us know immediately if this newer 2.6.27 kernel resolves the
> bug reported here or if the issue remains. More importantly, please
> open a new bug report for each new bug/regression introduced by the
> 2.6.27 kernel and tag the bug report with 'linux-2.6.27'. Also, please
> specifically note if the issue does or does not appear in the 2.6.26
> kernel. Thanks again, we really appreicate your help and feedback.
>
> ** Tags added: cft-2.6.27
>
> --
> visor module broken in Ubuntu 8.04 LTS's kernel (2.6.24-16)
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/226197
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>
> Status in "linux" source package in Ubuntu: Confirmed
>
> Bug description:
> I've been using pilot-link to sync my Palm pilot for the last several
> ubuntu releases. After upgrading to 8.04 LTS I started getting this error:
> visor: probe of 2-1:1.0 failed with error -5
> and can no longer sync my palm device.
>
> A little search revealed this is a known bug introduced in kernel 2.6.24
> and resolved in 2.6.25:
> http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=10118
>
> Unfurtunately, Ubuntu 8.04 LTS uses the single kernel version
> that is hit by this bug!
>
> Can you please provide a linux-image package with kernel 2.6.25 for Ubuntu
> 8.04 LTS ?
>
>

[Bruce Crowther (bwucie)]

Well, I'm glad it works for you.
I have just installed Alpha 6, and I still have to use Windows XP to sync to my Kyocera, 'cos Ubuntu still doesn't do it for me, unless I go back to Hardy, where it works fine.