Linux Mint 19.1
 

Sometime ago I wrote here that Linux Mint 18.2 was not seeing my cell phone or my microscope that is mostly designed for Windows systems. I hoped that in 19.1 that OS would be better for these simple tasks, I was wrong because nothing has changed.
Don't get me wrong because I love Linux Mint in any version, but one might think that by now they would have figured out how to get these priority appliances like a cell phone or a microscope to work on Linux, but they haven't yet.
So I would hope they can port these simple things to Linux and we can download the patch, that's my suggestion and my request.

Have you tried under wine? Of course, Mint is 64 bit only and does a 64bit wine which isn't good for much as most apps are 32bit. But I do find it hard to fathom that a microscope isn't even picked up as a webcam. What's the interface?

I'd demand a refund if I were you.

Seriously, think about your criticism. This is customer mentality: You provide no actual information about the problem, simply claiming that "It Doesn't Work". I bet you it is possible.

And btw you are absolutely correct: there are things that work on Windows but not on Linux.
There are also many things that work on Linux but not on Windows, not even on macOS.

Have you also considered that it might not be "Linux' fault" that some things don't work? Many hardware providers do not provide opensourced drivers or Linux drivers or even any Linux software for their devices. Yet still some Linux developers reverse engineer drivers for Linux. Of course they are always behind in development, and then someone like you (sadly you're not the only one there) dismisses their efforts with "One would think they would've gotten this to work by now".

[B][B][B][I]I never said i was the only one with Linux problems, I realize that other people may have the same problem and they don't explain what is wrong either, but with your nasty way of explaining it, nobody will ever figure it out.However thanks for your useless advise.

joeinslw,

Maybe if you can give us some concrete terminal information we can be more helpful.

A. Concerning the cell phone:

First, connect the cell phone to the OS, and while it is connected, whether it works or not, give us the following information from:

And:

B. Concerning the microscope:

First, connect the microscope to the OS and while it is connected, whether it works or not, give us the same information.

If we can figure this out than all is well. If we cannot figure it out, at least we tried.

You seem to have this pattern with your posts:
https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...es-4175654628/
https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...-a-4175617238/
https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...ml#post5495299

If you just want to complain about how Mint isn't working for you and demand features, not sure what anyone here can do to help you. This isn't the Mint website and we can't make the Mint developers do anything.

If you want help, then read the "Question Guidelines" and provide details, like greencedar asked. Just saying "cell phone" and "microscope" tells us nothing. But insulting folks won't get you much.

OK thanks, I will but to let you know I sent that microscope back to the people that sold it as a working Linux device, it didn't no matter what I did, so I returned it.
I recently bought another one because I'm not giving up, by the way I don't think it's Linux, it's the folks that make these devices and boast that they work on Linux or android, and they don't.
When I get the new one I'll be sure to let you know if it works or not, and if it doesn't I will contact you to see if we can figure it out.
This new one also says it will work in Linux or Android, we will see.

Thanks again
joeinslw

Oh, I see. A repeat offender.
At the very least the first one is pretty much the same as this one and I already answered there.
Interesting how op seems to think that we're the ones actually making Linux ("Please get your engineers to build the files that are missing" etc.) - no, we're just regular users like you!

My last comment was not nasty - the customer mentality mentioned was not meant as an insult, it's an important issue because it essentially means that somebody does not understand what FOSS is about.
Please see this document, esp. the section "Subproblem #3a: There is a culture".

And unless you tell us brand/model of whatever it is, be it phone, microscope, etc., there's going to be ABSOLUTELY NOTHING we can tell you. Saying "microscope" and "microscope software" is meaningless. You've not said what you did/tried to get this mystery device to work, so we can't even BEGIN to guess.

I have had Linux mint 19.1 Xfce (64-bit) and now upgraded to Linux mint 19.2 Xfce which both see my phone when it's connected through the USB. I am not aware that this is the case of other versions of Linux mint with different desk top environments. It has been my experience that USB cables can go bad even though they look good and cause connection issues. Which desk top environment you have?

joeinslw, why don't you try and verify the system is "seeing" your phone and/or microscope? I can think of at least a couple of ways to do that; there's the kernel log, there's also the lspci and lsusb commands that can give you more information.

So the first step is to check if the system is even seeing the hardware you wish to get working with Linux - not much point trying to configure application software for it/them, if the system isn't even seeing them to begin with. If the hardware in question is connected via USB, then the kernel log and the lsusb command should shed some light on whether or not the system is seeing the hardware in question. The next step is to verify if any drivers for the hardware concerned need to be loaded (usually that's the case), then to check if the correct drivers are in fact being loaded. Provided that's also true, then it's a matter of configuring the relevant application software to use said hardware. These basic troubleshooting steps apply to pretty much, if not, any Linux distribution. In many cases, the steps you take to verify the above, and troubleshoot a problem with Linux are almost identical.

I can understand if something just isn't making sense to you, some things just aren't obvious or easy to understand when something is new to you - I get that, honestly do. I can understand the frustration with manufacturers that won't provide drivers for Linux, and/or the relevant info for Linux developers to support a piece of hardware. But this isn't Linux's fault, anymore than it's the fault of Linux Mint's developers either. Anymore than it's the fault of the Linux kernel developers. But just sitting there complaining about it solves nothing, and isn't going to make anyone provide support for said hardware (if it isn't supported already) - particularly if you haven't even bothered to do some basic troubleshooting.

You've got to understand that because more desktops run Windows than any other system (including Linux based systems), hardware manufacturers/vendors support Windows ahead of any other system. How's that the fault of Linux Mint's developers? I think if you had any idea (which you don't seem to) of how difficult it can be write software, without the required info, particularly and especially drivers, then you might think differently. I'm glad there is a free/open-source system I can use and make my own, without MS's BS to contend with.

I'd suggest you either do some basic troubleshooting, then provide proper info to us, or maybe just use Windows and be done with it, and if you still have a problem, then contact the hardware vendor and get them to sort it out for you.

Thank you, I am using Linux Mint 19.1 and it sounds like if I upgrade to 19.2 my phone and other connection problems should disappear, am I correct?

Again, we have NO IDEA, since you still tell us absolutely nothing about your phone, microscope, how they're connected to your system, and what kind of 'connection problem' you're having.

Plugging in a phone to get pictures off is far different than being able to sync an iPhone for music, versus using the phone's bluetooth to sync a phone book. All are 'connections'...all are different. You again provide no details, so we can't tell you.

OK I get it, the phone is an UmiDigi an off brand probably made in china but it should work in Linux Mint. They claim it will work in Windows 7, 8, 10, XP, and Vista, it has an android OS so I don't understand, when I plug it in to a USB port it isn't recognized by the system, nothing happens, and when I look for it it's no-where to be found. I get no pictures, no music, no files of any kind, very frustrating.
However I did manage to get a new Digital Microscope, I just got it and it's called Jiusion it works in a Linux program called Cheese which doesn't have many options to use like brightness, camera, or any other buttons in that program. I think it might work in Media Player, but I didn't have the time yesterday, I had an appointment, so I need to try more, but the phone is impossible for me to deal with, it's very stubborn.

Ok...so an off-brand phone, running what version of Android? And what MODEL phone?? Where are you going to 'look for it', and what are you expecting it to actually do?? As root, run 'dmesg -c', then plug your phone in, wait a second, and run it again, and capture it to a file. That is relevant diagnostic information, as well as lsusb...as you've been asked to several times.

Again: without ANY sort of diagnostic information, log files, or even a model number for the phone, NO ONE can tell you anything. You still don't even say what you're wanting to do with the phone after you get it hooked up. Are you trying to copy files to/from? Sync contacts? What???
...and since it shows up in Cheese, you can run any one of a number of programs, such as VLC, that will let you play with the various settings. It is just a plain video device.