Trouble Installing FTDI on Ubuntu 9.10

rough_wood · 2010-02-15 01:29

I have downloaded the ftdi_sio.tar.gz. Once I unzip it, it has 4 text like files. I've tried running all of them, but nothing seems to work. I plug my prop plug in to the usb, the lights flash on Prop Plug, but the computer never recognizes it. Maybe I have to relocate these 4 files into some system folder?

I can find no documentation for installing FTDI on Ubuntu.

When I do the lsusb thing I get: Bus 005 Device 008: ID 0403:6001 Future Technology Devices International, Ltd FT232 USB-Serial (UART) IC

I have no idea where to go from here. When I downloaded FTDI driver, I downloaded the Linux one. I am trying to run Brads Spin Tool. It works, but I'm sure I can't compile untill I have recognition of the Prop Plug and communication to and from it.

I am new to linux, so if you could say for example:

wget www.etc.com
sh xyz

then I'd appreciate it. Being a Windows user my whole life, this is pretty confusing. I hear you get used to it eventually. Here's hoping.

Thanks,

Keith

BradC · 2010-02-15 01:37

Current linux distributions have the ftdi driver built in. Ubuntu shipped a very broken kernel in their 9.10 release until quite recently, so if your system is completely up to date with the latest patches then you *should* be good to go. I tested an updated Ubuntu 9.10 release about 3 weeks ago and it was finally working.

The driver in the kernel is more recent than the one supplied by ftdi, so you really gain nothing by compiling and installing their module.

Go to System -> Administration -> Update Manager to make sure you have the latest updates installed. Also, when booting make sure you boot from the most recently installed kernel (the one at the top of the grub bootloader list).

You can tell if your prop plug is detected properly by the system :
brad@bkmac:~$ ls -la /dev/ttyU*
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 188, 0 2010-02-10 15:05 /dev/ttyUSB0

Also, just to be sure you can check to make sure you are in the same group as the prop plug (dialout)

brad@bkmac:~$ groups
brad adm dialout cdrom floppy audio dip video plugdev scanner netdev lpadmin powerdev vde2-net admin vboxusers usbusers

Generally Ubuntu tends to get it right out of the box though.

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You only ever need two tools in life. If it moves and it shouldn't use Duct Tape. If it does not move and it should use WD40.

Post Edited (BradC) : 2/15/2010 1:42:38 AM GMT

rough_wood · 2010-02-15 01:45

It is a very recent version of Ubuntu, I installed yesterday.

I beleive my kernel was .19, though I forget how I found it, some mname command or something.

Found it:

Linux keith-laptop 2.6.31-19-generic #56-Ubuntu SMP Thu Jan 28 01:26:53 UTC 2010 i686 GNU/Linux

When I search ftdi in Synpatic, I see that the following are installed:

python-ftdi 0.16-2
ftdi-eeprom 0.3-1
libftdi1 0.16-2
libftdipp1 0.16-2

I also ran:

sudo apt-get remove brltty

because of all the people I heard saying it caused problems with ftdi.

What steps will I need to take to throw Spin code on to my Prop? I have the PPDB and also Props connecting through Prop Plug.

BradC · 2010-02-15 01:49

2.6.31-19 should be ok. They fixed it in -17.

Don't bother about any search for ftdi in synaptic, you only need the driver built into the kernel.

what is the result of
ls -la /dev/ttyU*
.. with your prop plug plugged in?

When you go to "Tools -> IDE Preferences -> IDE Preferences -> Configure Ports" in bst, do you get any ports listed?
What happens when you click on them and click "Test" ?

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You only ever need two tools in life. If it moves and it shouldn't use Duct Tape. If it does not move and it should use WD40.

rough_wood · 2010-02-15 01:51

I have it working now.

Thanks for the help, and thanks for the Tool, Brad, it's working great. Can't wait to see how well the optimizations work, especially "Eliminate Unused Spin Methods"

It was so tedious before figuring out myself which to get rid of in large programs and deleting them out, and keeping track of which version I needed etc.

BradC · 2010-02-15 01:53

rough_wood said...
Can't wait to see how well the optimizations work, especially "Eliminate Unused Spin Methods"

The rest of the optimisations are pretty bleh (mainly there because they were low hanging fruit).. nothing special but they can save a long or two here and there. The "Eliminate Unused Spin Methods" can really save space when using objects like "Simple_Numbers" or "Graphics" where you are only using one or two of the methods.

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You only ever need two tools in life. If it moves and it shouldn't use Duct Tape. If it does not move and it should use WD40.

rough_wood · 2010-02-15 01:56

crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 188, 0 2010-02-14 20:49 /dev/ttyUSB0

/dev/tty/USB0
/dev/ttyS0
/dev/ttyS3
/dev/ttyS2
/dev/ttyS1

It finds the Prop on /dev/ttyUSB0

Now that I have it up and running, are there any simple things you'd like me test and let ya know if they work/fail on my setup? Don't know if you have all the bugs worked out yet.

BradC · 2010-02-15 02:07

rough_wood said...

Now that I have it up and running, are there any simple things you'd like me test and let ya know if they work/fail on my setup? Don't know if you have all the bugs worked out yet.

I don't think I'll ever get _all_ the bugs worked out, but if you find any I'd be more than happy to hear about them. Generally posting in the bst thread http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=755835 is preferred as it keeps everything in one place.

I'm also happy to take feedback at proptools <at> fnarfbargle.com.

Glad you got it working [noparse]:)[/noparse]

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You only ever need two tools in life. If it moves and it shouldn't use Duct Tape. If it does not move and it should use WD40.

Trouble Installing FTDI on Ubuntu 9.10

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