Usbserial not found/trying to use USB wireless device
 

I am new to Linux and may just be missing something but here is my issue:

I am running Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope

I have a Novatel Wireless Ovation U727

I found a PDF file on how to use this device with Linux OS but when I am in the terminal and I type in

"sudo modprobe -r usbserial" to unload my usbserial driver, per the instructions in the PDF, after it promots me for my password, I get this error message:

"FATAL: Module usbserial not found"

At first I was unsure what this meant and thought maybe it just meant that the driver was unloaded so I continued with the instructions which them prompt me to load the driver using my device. It gives me the same error.

So I go back and review the instructions and I find that the usbserial driver must be installed but that Ubuntu does it by default, according to this PDF file.

I tried this with the usb modem plugged in and not plugged in so I do not think that is the issue.

My concern is that the usbserial driver is not installed and I am unsure as to where to go from this point. I am finding information about usb connections but nothing about this specific error message. My broadband connection works fine on my Windows machine so I know that the stick is not damaged or corrupt, I can only assume it is the system or me that is not doing it correctly.

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

The first message you get, is due to the fact the usbserial module isn't loaded, as you surmised. You can load it with "modprobe usbserial" (need to be root to do that, though, or use "sudo modprobe usbserial"). The "-r" is the remove flag, BTW.

If the device uses a 'standard' USB to serial chip, when you plug it in, it may just show up under /dev as a USB device, like /dev/ttyUSB0, etc. With the unit unplugged, look for such a device, then plug it in, and look again. If it shows up, you can just configure your dialer using that device, instead of /dev/modem, or whatever.

If you don't get anywhere with those suggestions, try the following, as root. Unplug the device, and run "dmesg -c". This will flush your dmesg log, then plug the device in, and run "dmesg" again. This should then ONLY contain info about the device. Post it back here, along with the results of "lsusb"....

Many of these devices initially show up as just a CD-ROM, which contains the drivers for windows. This is not helpful to linux, but they can be made to work, once a few puzzles have been solved.

They need to be "Switched" to become a serial device, which you can then use.
See here: http://www.draisberghof.de/usb_modeswitch/

Please plug your device into USB. Does it show up on your desktop as a CD-ROM?

Once you have plugged it in, please tell us the output of lsusb in a terminal, and indicate which of the devices listed is likely to be your Ovation U727, if it is not listed as such.

A CDROM? Really? I would have never guessed that, was just going by what I knew about USB/Serial stuff....

OK
See here: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...57#post3524657

Huh...wasn't doubting you at all, just had never seen a device like that.

Learn something new every day.....

Fixed
 

Thanks for all of the suggestions.....

Nothing worked and I had to reinstall the OS. Once I did that I had no problems. May have been a bad download.

Thanks again!