WHY? is it so hard to get Linux to work?

[#1]

Quote from: MisterW

If the modem as a CD drive on the desktop , can you try 'right clicking' on it and selecting 'eject' . That often 'switches' it into modem mode. You may then see it recognised by Network Manager. If not we probably need to investigate usb-modeswitch to see if your dongle is handled by the version in Mint 11.

Clutching at straws..... ! ! !   see my previous post re "marengo blog"...... but have also found this little gem with my Windows Vista laptop
Plugged in the wireless dongle... and it is recognised as drive F   3 Connect... if I click on that... then it lists the contents... (as normal) but one of them is
ResetDevice.exe      now I wonder what would happen........ if I click on that... .......

[#2]

You might also try adding "-P 1506" to either of the usb_modeswitch commands I suggested.
The only difference in the 12d1:1446 config file between usb-modeswitch-data 20110227 (which, as far as I can tell from http://packages.ubuntu.com, is what 11.04 has) and the latest (20110714), is that the id "1506" has been added to the TargetProductList.

[#3]

You could even try
sudo modprobe usbserial vendor=0x12d1 product=0x1446
though I'd expect running the usb_modeswitch command with the -v and -p (or even -V and -P) switches to be more likely to get it working.
Which particular model of dongle is it?

[#4]

It`s a bit early in the morning for me, to start trying things... so, thanks for the help so far.... will see what time I have later, and try them then... will get back to you .........

[#5]

Quote

Plugged in the wireless dongle... and it is recognised as drive F  3 Connect... if I click on that... then it lists the contents... (as normal) but one of them is ResetDevice.exe      now I wonder what would happen........ if I click on that... .......

That's basically how the device is made to work as a modem. When you first plug the device in, its detected as a CD ROM ( with an ID 0x12d1 0x1446 ). The CD is autorun by Windows, the drivers on it are installed and then the device is reset ( by the resetdevice.exe ). This causes it to disconnect from the USB bus, it then appears as a different device( with a different ID ) and is detected by the ( now installed ) windows drivers as a modem. Under Linux the same procedure needs to happen, unfortunately the windows software on the CD is no use, obviously!. So thats where usb-modeswitch comes in, it is run when the CD device is detected and then issues the correct command to reset it, sometimes its an eject. The device switches to its modem ID and is detected by the standard Linux modem drivers and is then seen and can be configured using Network manager.
In your case usb-modeswitch doesn't seem to be switching the device to a modem for some reason and that's basically why its not working.
We need to try and establish why modeswitch is not detecting it properly. As Waldo said , can you tell us what device it actually is ? as that may help to understand whats going wrong.
Hope that explains things a little more shutter, and when we've got this working! we'll get on to your USB memory stick cos that should work just fine as well.

[#6]

OK...Yes, that is a pretty good description, and I understand what you are saying... esp about how the Wireless USB dongle sets itself up in Windows, and how it "should" do the same with Linux... so have just run a "repair" program from the grub(?) page (where it lists choices) and it has downloaded and installed 186 items !... just plugged in the dongle again, with the "computer" page open, and it shows as CDROM for a few secs together with the TF CARD (previously mentioned), then the CDROM disappears...
the device is a HUAWEI Mobile Broadband E353 HSPA+ usb stick running on "Three" mobile 

[#7]

ok looks like that dongle is a "problem" one in Mint (see <a href="http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=76717&f=49">here</a>)
And the reason it works in M$ and not Linux, THE MANUFACTURE DOESN’T SUPPLY DRIVERS. If they were to wake up and smell the coffee then they would know that more and more people are turning to Linux as an alternative to buying new machines every few years.
If the "cd" had drivers for Linux we wouldn't have these problems but at the moment they don't.
This "auto-switch" is just a pita. It looks like it is being switched since the cd is "disappearing" but fr some reason the network manager isn't seeing it as a modem.
You could try the manual adding of the 3 details to the NM and see if it works after re-inserting it.
I know 3 dongles do work 'cause I have one, but it is the older one without the TF slot & Ae connector on it.

[#8]

So,... is it not possible to  get it to work using WINE ?  (I used it a while back to get some windows progs working, after you told me how to do it.... but I have forgotten !  )
The dongle I have does indeed have a little connector on the side, (hidden under a little button) that I have just found, after your description.....

[#9]

Quote

So,... is it not possible to  get it to work using WINE ?

No, it needs adevice driver to be installed and therefore needs to be recognised at kernel level.

Quote

This "auto-switch" is just a pita. It looks like it is being switched since the cd is "disappearing" but fr some reason the network manager isn't seeing it as a modem.

Yep, sound like its switching to modem mode but then not being recognised. Looking at some of forums it seems as though its supposed to be handle by the 'option' driver.
@shutter, Can you post the output of lsusb after the CDROM has disappeared, We can then see if the vid/pid has changed and maybe try and force the option driver with a modprobe.

[#10]

Have just sent an email to HUAWEI Europe, explaining the problem,... so maybe they will come back with something...
meanwhile.... I will try to get the lsusb and post it back........

[#11]

result of lsusb
bus 005 Device 001 ID 1d6b:001 Linux foundation 1.1 root hub
bus 004 Device 001 ID ditto
bus 003 Device 001 ID ditto
bus 002 Device 002 ID 1bcf : 0007 Sunplus Innovaction Technology Inc. OpticlMouse
bus 002 Device 001 ID 1d6b : 0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
bus 001 Device 016 ID 12d1 :1506 Huawei Technologies co., Ltd.
bus 001 Device 001 ID 1d6b : 0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

[#12]

So it looks like it has switched it into modem mode, Just that the NM hasn't "seen" the change.
Try adding a new Mobile Network and choose 3 as the type.
Then remove and re-add the dongle and AFTER the cd has disappeared choose mobile internet if it will let you.

[#13]

Ok, so I made a "mobile wireless".. network connection....
after clicking on all the relevant blocks. and "apply"... I returned to the connection icon  and "greyed out" it says
Wired Network
Disconnected     
Wireless Networks
device not ready (firmware missing)
VPN Connections >
Networking is "enabled"
and so is
Wireless "enabled"
Removed and  re -added the dongle,.... same as above...
Incidentally, it is not picking up my wireless router about 18 inches away !... despite "wireless enabled" showing.
Will be going out very shortly, so may not answer any reply for a few hours 

[#14]

In case it's still not working, the 1506 product ID is the one that I mentioned earlier might be missing from usb-modeswitch-data, so the problem could be usb-modeswitch sends the command to switch the stick into modem mode, but then it doesn't turn into something it expects, so doesn't do the next steps.
You could try downloading the latest data file: http://www.draisberghof.de/usb_modeswitch/usb-modeswitch-data-20110714.tar.bz2
Extract the 12d1:1446 file from the usb_modeswitch.d folder in that archive, then copy it into the /etc/usb_modeswitch.d/ directory.

[#15]

Quote

So it looks like it has switched it into modem mode, Just that the NM hasn't "seen" the change.

You're right it has switched to modem mode, the problem is that the option driver hasn't recognised the vid/pid pair.
Usb modeswitch has done it's job fine, we now need to get the driver to recognise it.
@shutter,Plug the device in, wait for the CDROM to disappear and then check using lsusb that the device now appears as

Quote

ID 12d1 :1506 Huawei Technologies co., Ltd.

Now try running sudo modprobe option vendor=0x12d1 product=0x1506 ( from a terminal window ) and see if newtork manager now 'sees' the device. You could also perhaps post the output of dmesg ( the last 20 lines or so ) following the sudo modprobe command
Edit: not sure if the option driver will accept vendor/product on a modprobe but its worth a try...