Linux Mint Cinnamon drivers

jwells

jwells

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I am trying to load a GPS driver from an unpacked download from the manufacturers with no luck(no knowledge!!). Not picked up by the system
The GPS is a G-STAR IV the driver file is pl2303 - 3 separate files are supplied for Linux, Redhat8, Redhat9, Redhat73. I have no idea which I should use! Each file has a "Makefile" which is I believe what I have to load via the "terminal"! I have tried selecting copy/paste, it didn't work! Any ideas?
The gps unit worked with win7, got most things working on Linux, but this is proving more of a problem - any help would be very much appreciated!:eek:
Web not been a lot of help!
 
Never tried to load GPS drivers in Linux Mint so .............
Have you tried using Driver Manager under Administration?
Gromett is well clued up on Mint and may be able to assist or point in right direction.
 
Driver not supported through Driver Manager - that is I can't find one for it!:unsure:
 
Just reread your original post and noticed you mentioned Red Hat.:doh:
This was a Linux distro that was discontinued back in the early \ mid noughties. Some development work continued on under the Fedora name but that was abandoned a few years later. I dabbled with both but gave up on them.
Given this, I don't think you've got the correct drivers for Mint.
 
The Redhat it refers to is probably Redhat Enteprise Linux (RHEL) which is an rpm based distribution, Mint is based on Debian which is an apt base distribution.

Having said that I believe that the pl2303 is just a bog standard USB to serial converter and so I would not be surprised if you already have a driver anyway, GPS devices normally just squirt out text. Is is a USB device?

You might want to try just plugging it in and seeing what happens. There are various things you can try after that if you don't get anywhere.

ps. I registered for MHF just for this, finally a question I can help with!

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I've been using Mint since the beginning of the year, still tearing my hair out at times with driver problems.
I did get a GPS driver running then couldn't get the program I wanted to use it with to run Grr.
Recently upped the RAM to 12 GB really flies it's just stupid driver problems that are annoying.
Still got a graphics driver problem after boot up and sometimes randomly through the day mouse & screen go haywire for 10 or 15 min.
 
Last edited:
phroco said:
The Redhat it refers to is probably Redhat Enteprise Linux (RHEL) which is an rpm based distribution, Mint is based on Debian which is an apt base distribution.

Having said that I believe that the pl2303 is just a bog standard USB to serial converter and so I would not be surprised if you already have a driver anyway, GPS devices normally just squirt out text. Is is a USB device?

You might want to try just plugging it in and seeing what happens. There are various things you can try after that if you don't get anywhere.

ps. I registered for MHF just for this, finally a question I can help with!
Click to expand...

You are very welcome!
Done everything I can think of so far, I am new to Linux!
Plugged into usb, have Viking loaded to use hopefully if it works. So far been unable to find much on the net, one thing on utube didn't work. Now a challenge!!
 
jwells said:
You are very welcome!
Done everything I can think of so far, I am new to Linux!
Plugged into usb, have Viking loaded to use hopefully if it works. So far been unable to find much on the net, one thing on utube didn't work. Now a challenge!!
Click to expand...
You should have a device in /dev/ttyUSB<something>. If so then then a driver has loaded and hopefully your program can find it. It _might_ be called something else slightly different but it should be reasonably obvious.
 
phroco said:
You should have a device in /dev/ttyUSB<something>. If so then then a driver has loaded and hopefully your program can find it. It _might_ be called something else slightly different but it should be reasonably obvious.
Click to expand...

Nothing - no driver!

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I can try to talk you through it. GPS tends to use a serial interface, quite often over the USB protocol these days.

Try this command on the command line and let me know the output.

lsusb

I suspect you will see Prolific Technology, Inc. PL2303 Serial Port or 2303X or 2303HX

PL-2303X has support built into the Kernel from version 2.6.8 (Years ago) so should not need any drivers.

You could also try this command

dmesg | grep 2303


Please let me know what you find, and if no joy let me see the output of the commands.
 
PS: Do you have gpsd installed?
 
For Gromett:-
john@john-Latitude-D630:~$ lsusb
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 0411:00b9 BUFFALO INC. (formerly MelCo., Inc.)
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 007 Device 003: ID 0b97:7772 O2 Micro, Inc. OZ776 CCID Smartcard Reader
Bus 007 Device 002: ID 0b97:7761 O2 Micro, Inc. Oz776 1.1 Hub
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 008: ID 152d:2336 JMicron Technology Corp. / JMicron USA Technology Corp. Hard Disk Drive
Bus 001 Device 006: ID 067b:2303 Prolific Technology, Inc. PL2303 Serial Port
Bus 001 Device 012: ID 050d:016a Belkin Components Bluetooth Mini Dongle
Bus 001 Device 011: ID 0a5c:4503 Broadcom Corp. Mouse (Boot Interface Subclass)
Bus 001 Device 010: ID 0a5c:4502 Broadcom Corp. Keyboard (Boot Interface Subclass)
Bus 001 Device 009: ID 0a5c:4500 Broadcom Corp. BCM2046B1 USB 2.0 Hub (part of BCM2046 Bluetooth)
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 04b4:6560 Cypress Semiconductor Corp. CY7C65640 USB-2.0 "TetraHub"
Bus 001 Device 005: ID 413c:2003 Dell Computer Corp. Keyboard
Bus 001 Device 007: ID 046d:c50e Logitech, Inc. Cordless Mouse Receiver
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 413c:0058 Dell Computer Corp. Port Replicator
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 002: ID 413c:8137 Dell Computer Corp. Wireless 5520 Voda L Mobile Broadband (3G HSDPA) Minicard Status Port
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
john@john-Latitude-D630:~$
john@john-Latitude-D630:~$ dmesg|grep 2303
[ 4.522703] usb 1-3.4.2: New USB device found, idVendor=067b, idProduct=2303, bcdDevice= 4.00
[ 31.304834] usbcore: registered new interface driver pl2303
[ 31.304849] usbserial: USB Serial support registered for pl2303
[ 31.304888] pl2303 1-3.4.2:1.0: pl2303 converter detected
[ 31.308183] usb 1-3.4.2: pl2303 converter now attached to ttyUSB0

Thanks, at least I now know it's actually there!
Now how do I actually make it useful? John
 
The DMESG command means your driver is installed and working. It is connected to ttyUSB0.

Do you have gpsd installed? If not go into start -> administration -> software manager and type gpsd into the search box. Install it. Probably don't need the client at this point.
 
ok. type this command at the prompt (this is diagnostics normally you don't need to run it.)

gpsd -n -N -D 2 /dev/ttyUSB0
 
you may need to use

sudo gpsd -n -N -D 2 /dev/ttyUSB0

Sorry
 
gpsd:ERROR: can't bind to IPv4 port gpsd, Address already in use
gpsd:ERROR: maybe gpsd is already running!
gpsd:ERROR: can't bind to IPv6 port gpsd, Address already in use
gpsd:ERROR: maybe gpsd is already running!
 
Yay, that means everything is working.

You can now either go directly to gcps or test the output of gpsd?

telnet 127.0.0.1 2947

If you don't have telnet installed, install it using the software manager.

You could also try

xgps
 
This is all pointing to linux is working fine with your GPS receiver (so far). So it is a software config issue. What software are you trying to use?

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PS: just to note. I don't have any GPS devices and have never used GPS on linux. So we are probably getting close to the limits of my ability to assist/advise.

We do however know that your device is seen by Linux, The driver is loaded, and the daemon is running correctly. We have now ruled out most of the chain from being the cause of the problem.
 
Gromett thank you so very much for your help, now know that it is still worth banging my head for a bit longer. I will investigate what software I can play with before I give up and revert back to the smartphone!!
Thanks again! - John





































































Thank you
 
jwells said:
Gromett thank you so very much for your help, now know that it is still worth banging my head for a bit longer. I will investigate what software I can play with before I give up and revert back to the smartphone!!
Thanks again! - John
Thank you
Click to expand...

Please let us know how you get on. Don't leave us in suspense :D
 
Linus Tech Tips does the occasional Linux video. They are a Windows based channel for the most part but do occasionally dabble in Mac and Linux.

This is there latest Linux video which is probably a fair and balanced review from a gamers point of view...

 
Thanks Gromett! Now making the most of a wet day doing more research, happy where I have got with the old win7 dual boot laptop, but the main 9 year old win7 pc which is raided and has all my photographic programs running on it is going to be more of a challenge! First have to back up the main discs then combine , but could I just run Linux on a separate bootable disc leaving everything else as it is? Whatever I decide, I still have to rationalize the whole setup. I feel I have already picked up the baton!o_O

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