timing(?) problem syncing USB Palm OS device connected via udev (pilot-manager and pilot-link)

["Daniel B." <dsb@smart.net>]

What does it take to get the timing right in trying to connect to
a Palm OS PDA when using udev?


I'm having a problem in which connecting seems to work only if
I get the timing just right.

Sometimes connecting works when I press the PDA cable's sync 
button before clicking on PilotManager's sync button (or running
a pilot-link command such as "memos" or "addresses"), but 
sometimes it doesn't work.  (The PDA eventually times out and
PilotManager or the pilot-link command).

It seemed to depend on the timing (working if starting the Linux-
side software in 6 seconds or less), but then I got inconsistent
symptoms (it didn't work at all).  

At one point, it also seemed to depend on whether I started with 
the PDA turned on or started with it off (pressing the sync button 
to both turn it on and initiate a connection), but, of course, 
later I got inconsistent symptoms.  (It didn't work in either 
case.)

(I suspect that at least some of the inconsistent symptoms were
from accidentally having hung PilotManager processes still
hanging around with /dev/pilot open.)


(It never seems to work if I nc button 
(or run a pilot-link command) _before_ pressing the PDA cable's 
sync button.)

(And, of course, it doesn't work if I click on PilotManager's 
sync button (etc.) before turning the PDA on, since udev hasn't
created the /dev/pilot device file yet.)


So do PilotManager and pilot-link programs work with udev?

Does udev work with program likes PilotManager and pilot-link? 

(Does udev not properly accommodate for needs of such programs?
Do those programs make bad (or just old) assumptions about
devices?  Is something else the problem?)



My PDA is a PalmOne Tungsten T5.  

I'm running a Sarge system with udev (Sarge's 0.056-3) and kernel 
2.6.8 (Sarge's 2.6.8-16sarge1).


Thanks,

Daniel
-- 
Daniel B.
dsb@smart.net