synching with Sony usb palm pilot pda

[g <gideon2 verizon net>]

Hi folks,

I'm a newbie and admit that I have little idea what I am doing.
I am trying to get my Sony USB based palm pilot (model PEG-SJ22) to synch with 
built in programs under mandrake 9.2
I am currently using the Gnome desktop, and have tried synching with both 
jpilot as well as kpilot.  

When I try to synch, this is what kpilot has to say about it:

==================================

Version: KPilot 4.3.10 (BRANCH)
Version: pilot-link 0.11.8
Version: KDE 3.1.3
Version: Qt 3.1.2

HotSync Log

22:17:01  Pilot device /dev/pilot doesn't exist. Assuming the device uses 
DevFS.
22:17:02  Trying to open device...
22:17:02  Could not open device: /dev/pilot (will retry)
22:17:08  Device link ready.
22:17:08  Checking last PC...
22:17:09  KPilot 4.3.10 (BRANCH) HotSync starting...

22:17:09  [Conduit abbrowser_conduit]
22:17:09  Running with flags: 
22:17:10  No Files to install
22:17:10  End of HotSync

22:17:10  HotSync Completed.
22:17:12  Pilot device /dev/pilot doesn't exist. Assuming the device uses 
DevFS.
22:17:13  Trying to open device...
22:17:13  Could not open device: /dev/pilot (will retry)
==================================

There does seem to be some communication taking place between the computer and 
PDA as the PDA hotsynch log registers: 
"KPilot 4.3.10 (BRANCH) HotSynch" and shows the proper date and time that I 
tried to initiate the synch.

I have tried various settings both on the pilot as well as in kpilot.
What does "/dev/pilot" mean?  I looked in the /dev directory and found no 
entry for "pilot".  Do I need to create this?  If so how?

Any help would be much appreciated !
Thanks a bunch.
Gideon Turner