I have lindows 4.5 with DigiKam. My camera is a Kodak cx6230 which is supposed to be supported by DigiKam. I can set up the camera in the DigiKam software, but when I plug in the USB cable nothing happens. Do you have to mount the USB? Supposedly USB is supposed to be plug and play in Lindows. Any ideas as to what I am doing wrong?
Thanks.

I run Lindows (ie pre-Linspire) 4.5.122 on an HP Vectra PII-400/192Mb RAM with the two onboard USB1 ports.

I have always run an USB scroll mouse on it because the PS/2 mouse port (and the serial port) are stuffed - there is presumably a motherboard problem.

Indeed LOS 4.5.122 (and later) certainly support the onboard USB1 and also a compact 4port USB2 hub.

USB may need to be "redetected". Try that. It shouldn't take more than a few seconds to see it on booting.

I run a Canon N670U USB scanner plugged into either the hub or the other port. Works well.

So does a Vivicam el-cheapo camera - recognised as a mass storage item only.

Digikam has to be set up for your camera - go into the preferences or whatever. If you don't see your model camera from the list, it's not there. Mine is not.

Write back with your brand and model and I'll look and see if its available.

Thank You, My camera does show up in the DigiKam software, and I chose it and set it up, but still no luck. What do you mean by redetecting the USB?
Thanks, Again

I'm wondering if the USB is working on windows, if you are running it as dual boot.

I assume the camera has a USB connection. I suspect that you need to make sure that USB is actually working, which is why I suggested "redetect".

When you first fire up the computer, you are met with a scrollable menu of several items.

1. Linspire
2. Redect
3. Diagnostics
4. Windows (if it is dual boot)
5. other OSs (if detected)

Once it is up and running, and you are logged in and you are presented with a desktop, does it see the camera as "mass storage"? i.e. like a USB memory plug drive? If it does not, then the problem would be there rather than in the DigiKam application.

Linspire should automatically mount anything it sees as an USB drive. Open the file cabinet icon in the panel (taskbar) and it should be shown there.

In my case, it is called DIGITALCAMERAUSB(D) and a right click shows it is located in /home/richard/.D

Try opening it to see if the camera's directory structure and file system can be read in the file manager (which is Konqueror, btw)

Apart from that, no suggestions, except you could try plugging in a memory plug into a USB port and see if that is recognised.

And as a last resort, in case there is a problem with the particular USB port on the computer, have you tried plugging into other USB ports on the machine?

Older machines with USB ports only on the back are a pain to access, but a trick I use on a couple of those is to have standard USB male to USB female extension cables plugged in, and the mating end of them lie on the floor beside the front of the PC tower

There are also hardware and software specific forums at www.linspire.com and you might like to go and see if your problem is mentioned, once we know that the computer and the OS are detecting USB correctly.

Thank You, I will try this. No I only have Lindows.
Ron

It might pay you to check if the BIOS has USB turned off. It's an area I am a bit vague on.

(BIOS is an acronym for Basic Input-Output System) and has to be configured correctly for any and all operating systems to work - which includes all Linuxes!

However if something does not work that should work, it's always worth scrolling through all the pages in the BIOS.

As I suggested before, try plugging something else into the BIOS and see if it sees it.

Lindows and Linspire will normally automatically detect something plugged into a USB port - what is called "hot plugging".

I don't think you mentioned what exact version of Linspire or Lindows you are using. (like 4.5.122) Let us know please

Thanks for your help. I tried plugging in a thumb drive and it didnt detect it either. I just dont think the USB is working. I went in to the BIOS (its a Dell Inspiron Laptop) and i could see nothing that even remotely looked like USB. The Lindows version is 4.5 something, I am not sure, I will check next time I fire up the computer. I believe it is 4.5.9something.
Thanks again.

Okay.

I suggest you try calling Dell then. I looked at their website, http://www.dell.com/ , looks like they don't have a phone number on the website though... can't see a forum on their site either, so...

There are several of the forums here which could be more suitable...

Linux-hardware
Linix Laptop and handheld
Linux - Newbie
Linux - General

You are more likely to have success in a forum area closer to the problem of the Dell Inspiron notebook.

I wish you success... but try the phone if you can find a number, maybe on the paperwork that came with the computer.