cannot even log in with IIIc

[Rusty Carruth <rusty_carruth credence com>]

Ok, so I've got a Palm IIIc (color) that worked some years ago, with
much older software.

I had upgraded some time back, and my sync quit working.

So, I upgraded again, to Debian 4.0, hoping that things would get
better.

OTHER things are very nice, but I still cannot get my Palm IIIc
to sync with my Linux/Debian laptop.

The charging cable I have has 2 ways to hook it up to the computer:

1 - using 9-pin serial
2 - using USB (which you need if you want to charge your Palm)

When I connect the PDA via the DB9 serial to my laptop, start up
hotsync on Palm, run kpilot, wait for it to say 'device link
ready', then hit 'sync' on the Palm (with Local connection using
direct serial) - Palm beeps and says 'Identifying user' then
times out.  Kpilot says 'Unable to read system information from
Pilot'

The above is with Kpilot configured to use /dev/ttyS0, which is
where I have the PDA plugged in, at 9600 (No workarounds)

So, I decide to try USB:  Disconnect the DB9 from the laptop,
change Pilot Device to 'usb:' (without the quotes, of course),
and hit 'sync' on the Pilot.  It says 'connecting with the
desktop using direct serial' and goes no further.  I look in
/var/log/<interesting log files>, and I notice NOTHING relating
to the USB port other than 'hub 1-0:1.0: over-current change on
port 1' (and I see when I connected my USB mouse about 1/2 hour
earlier.  In other words, USB works, as I use it for my mouse and
my memory stick and my ...).  I look in /proc/bus/usb and see
only things I expect there (3 hubs and the mouse).

I had tried some stuff I found about fiddling with udev and putting
visor into the blacklist (for modprobe and/or hotplug), so I
tried that before the above usb attempt (actually, I've seen no
difference between before and after trying different howtos.
I even tried modprobe-ing visor (which loaded, but ddidn't seem
to do anything else)...

I tried IR once, but have no clue what I'm doing there, so
gave up pretty fast.

So - given that I want to hotsync my Palm IIIc (color) using
Linux, using ANY of the above (serial, USB, IR), does anyone have
any ideas/pointers_to_howtos/whatever?

Thanks!

rc

ps - the above info is INTENDED to go to the gnome-pilot-list!
Unfortunately, I have NO CONTROL over the stupid disclaimer
below, which should NOT go out with this email, but which I
cannot stop..  sorry about that, please ignore the below silly
disclaimer: