2008.1 can't use Panasonic camera

[neddie]

So I excitedly got the torrent of 2008.1 One to see how it runs, and see whether I can upgrade from my 2007.1. The reason I didn't upgrade to 2008.0 was that the One version couldn't download pictures from my Panasonic camera, either with Konqueror or Digikam. So I stayed with 2007.1 which works fine. A few weeks after the 2008.0 release they fixed the bug which was preventing it downloading from my Canon camera, but the Panasonic is still a no-go. Apparently it doesn't like (some?) Olympus cameras either.

 

I tried the 2008.1 Alpha, but the bug was still there, and the bug on qa.mandriva.com is still in the same state, not touched since then. I hopefully tried the final release of 2008.1 this week, but again no joy.

 

So now I face a choice. Do I buy a new camera? Or do I stay with 2007.1 until end of life (only a few months left now) and then change to another distro? Or do I have to buy a card reader and hope that works better with 2008.1?

 

 

[moved from Software by spinynorman]

[adamw]

If it's any comfort, USB card readers work just fine 99.9% of the time and are very cheap. But yeah, it's a bad situation. Have you bumped the bug? What number is it?

[mindwave]

If it's any comfort, USB card readers work just fine 99.9% of the time and are very cheap. But yeah, it's a bad situation. Have you bumped the bug? What number is it?

 

 

just my 2 cts, but i much rather use my card reader than hot connect my camera. My wife thinks its a pain, but I think that VS the Kodak software (which she loves) it gives you a WHOLE lot more control.

 

I cant TELL you how often she'll tell me she cant find a picture, I'll ask whhere she stored it and she says "wherever the software put it"

 

 

AAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

 

I gave her a whole 160GB HD just for PIX and she wont narrow it down for me

[arctic]

Neddie, I use a very cheap external card reader since years (Xtension XA 100, Cost: not even ten Euros) and it works perfectly. So why bother with connecting the camera directly, if it ain't necessary? :)

[neddie]

If it's any comfort, USB card readers work just fine 99.9% of the time and are very cheap. But yeah, it's a bad situation. Have you bumped the bug? What number is it?

I thought USB mass storage cameras also work 99.9% of the time... just apparently recently not Canons or Olympuses or Panasonics :/

 

When I searched for "Panasonic" I found this bug from 2007-10: https://qa.mandriva.com/show_bug.cgi?id=34793 last comment from a few days ago mentions similar issues also with Suse so it's probably not a Mandriva-specific doozy.

 

And the reason I've not bought a card reader before now is that I've never needed to buy one - and it's another piece of plastic hanging around. I figure when the camera comes with a USB interface, I don't need a card reader. Maybe I'll try and borrow one and see if it works...

[adamw]

Are you sure it's actually a USB mass storage camera? As far as I'm aware most problems are with cameras that *don't* use mass storage mode.

[neddie]

Are you sure it's actually a USB mass storage camera? As far as I'm aware most problems are with cameras that *don't* use mass storage mode.

Well I was sure before you asked that... When I connect to it using Digikam (Mandriva 2007.1), the entry says "Mass storage camera". And when I get the prompt to open the camera in Konqueror, it looks just like a file system on sda1, iirc. So I always assumed it was a "mass storage camera" and should behave exactly like a USB stick.

[adamw]

hmmm. That is strange, then. So remind me what exactly happens when you connect it to 2008 Spring?

[neddie]

Same as what happened with 2008.0 in October (see post here), and with 2008.1 alpha in December (see post here).

 

Depending on the exact sequence of clicks, it either presents an empty Konqueror window, a message box after some seconds delay with "problem connecting to camera" or an error box with "unspecified error".

 

By the way, Spinynorman helpfully moved this thread to "Hardware" but it definitely isn't a hardware problem, as exactly the same hardware works with 2007.1.

 

arctic, what do you use to download the pics from the card reader? I'm guessing not digikam, do you just use a file browser like you're copying from a USB stick? So you have to go into each subfolder which the camera makes on the file system (if any)?

[Greg2]

I also prefer to use a card reader for my pics, it's a lot faster on my system. I use Konqueror as my file browser to do this. I only use (and rename) the subfolders for some special events, I keep the rest of them in one large folder. You simply enter the subfolder > select all > copy or move.

[spinynorman]

By the way, Spinynorman helpfully moved this thread to "Hardware" but it definitely isn't a hardware problem, as exactly the same hardware works with 2007.1.

You are having problems using a piece of hardware - that doesn't necessarily mean the hardware is at fault; it's just how we organise the forum... :)

[arctic]

arctic, what do you use to download the pics from the card reader? I'm guessing not digikam, do you just use a file browser like you're copying from a USB stick? So you have to go into each subfolder which the camera makes on the file system (if any)?

If I insert the CF card into my cardreader (I use Gnome btw.), then a dialogue asks me if I want to import the images or not. I can use that menu-option which directs me to fspot and manages the download automatically, or I can directly access the CF card using the hotlink that pops up on my desktop when I insert the CF card. Then it is like browsing any USB-stick.

[neddie]

While looking for a USB card reader, I came across a PCMCIA one. If this worked, it would have two advantages - I wouldn't have an extra piece of plastic lying around (the adaptor could stay in the PCMCIA slot of the laptop I guess), and it wouldn't take up one of my precious USB sockets.

Does anyone know what the likelihood of a PCMCIA memory card reader working with Mandriva might be?

 

Greg2: Thanks for that, I just didn't want the faff of having to go into each of the camera's subdirectories individually, I much prefer digikam's thumbnail view of all the pics on the card, regardless of which subdirectory they're in. I've just noticed though that when i plug in my USB stick I also get an option to download the photos with digikam, never paid it much attention before... :)

[Greg2]

Does anyone know what the likelihood of a PCMCIA memory card reader working with Mandriva might be?

That's what I use on my lappy. I purchased a very cheap one on e-bay ($1.95 USD). I leave it plugged in all the time (fits flush with the side of lappy), and it works with Mandriva 2008 out of the box. :)

 

I also use it with an old Intersil Prism2 CF-wireless-card for kismet and wireshark. My lappy has the BCM4318 chipset, no good for kismet. :P

[adamw]

neddie: see, that's suspicious: if it were being treated as a mass storage device, nothing would be talking to you about a 'camera', because nothing would *know* it was a camera. a mass storage device is a mass storage device; the OS has no idea whether it's a camera, phone, memory stick, hard disk drive, or humorously shaped chicken with a Flash chip in its head. a mass storage device is a mass storage device.

 

so something in KDE is trying to access your camera via camera protocols, not mass storage, and this seems to be what's throwing it all out of shape. it would be interesting if you could test simply booting to a console - no X running at all - plugging the camera in, seeing if it showed up as /dev/sdX , and mounting it manually. I'd bet a small amount that that might work, in which case we'd have a handle on where the problem is.