[Linux-Qubes-Newbie]

I have a HUAWEI E3372 USB modem that I have tried to get to work with Qubes OS 4.0.3 without any luck.

And I’m totally new to both Linux and Qubes OS.

I have tried some different methods to get it to work with Qubes OS and have tried to get help here: https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!top ... Z1rD5fn6io

And I was suggested to take a look at these pages:

1) https://gist.github.com/guseppiguliano/ ... 1439a03790

2) https://www.draisberghof.de/usb_modeswitch

On the last page/link there is 3 download links under Download.

Can anyone tell me what I shall do after downloading them and placing them on the desktop in order to get the USB modem recognized by Qubes OS and use it to get connected to the internet ?

Remember that I’m totally new to Linux and Qubes OS so please make very detailed instructions.

[LOM]

Your google groups posts shows the dongle as 12d1:14dc which is a usb id the dongle gets after mode switching, so usb_modeswitch (or a similar utility) is already installed and has done its job. You can not switch from 12d1:14dc to another usb id.
E3372h with usb id 12d1:14dc is not an old fashioned dialup ppp modem, it is a direct ethernet device and it is handled by linux NetworkManager as any other ethernet controller except that you have to setup a few Mobile Broadband parameters like Country, Provider, and APN in NetworkManager.

With that you are on your own, I have no knowledge of Qubes OS and this forum is mainly about how to switch dongles not how to use them.

[Linux-Qubes-Newbie]

Yes, I started trying to use the NetworkManager but that didn’t help. I have tried to add it both as a Mobile Broadband connection and as a Ethernet connection.

In Linux Qubes OS the USB modem is listed as a storage device and not as a modem.

And if I use ifconfig in the terminal it’s MAC address doesn’t turn up. Which also indicates it is listed as a storage device and not as a modem.

That’s the reason why I think I need to change it’s mode from storage to modem which also is mentioned other places on the web.

I thought the point of usb_modeswitch was precisely to change a USB device mode from storage to modem device, or am I wrong ?

[LOM]

In Linux Qubes OS the USB modem is listed as a storage device and not as a modem.

Storage device as a way of telling the current mode is a bit foggy, the initial mode of a dongle usually have a virtual cdrom storage device and after mode switch there is often a TF/SD card storage device, for 12d1:14dc there is one.

And if I use ifconfig in the terminal it’s MAC address doesn’t turn up. Which also indicates it is listed as a storage device and not as a modem.

The same will happen if your linux distro doesn't have the usb ethernet drivers built in.
lsusb will tell you if the usb id is something else than 12d1:14dc, if it is then the dongle has not morphed from initial mode.
Your system log (dmesg) should show the usb activity like device detection, device disappearance and re-appearence (mode switching), and driver binding.

If usb_modeswitch is included or not in Qubes distrobution is a decision taken by the Qubes distro maintainers and it shouldn't be too difficult for you to find that out by asking them or other Qubes users.
usb_modeswitch main page (which is in your 3rd link above) shows the files of usb_modeswitch and where in the linux filesystem they reside so that is also a way for you to find out if your distro includes usb_modeswitch or not.

[Linux-Qubes-Newbie]

I have written “dmesg” in the root terminal, and here is the relevant part of the result:



For me it seems that Qubes OS first register the USB device correctly as a USB modem, and then changes it’s status to a storage device afterwards. But I’m just a newbie...

What do you more experienced and knowledgeable people get out of this... ?

[LOM]

I can't see any paste from your system log.

lsusb will show you the usb id of the modem and that will tell if the modem has been mode switched or not.

What you should expect to see in your system log is something like this:

Code: Select all

usb 1-2: New USB device found, idVendor=12d1, idProduct=14dc
usb 1-2: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
usb 1-2: Product: HUAWEI Mobile
usb 1-2: Manufacturer: HUAWEI
cdc_ether 1-2:1.0 eth0: register 'cdc_ether' at usb-0000:02:03.0-2, CDC Ethernet Device, 00:1e:10:1f:00:00
usb-storage 1-2:1.2: USB Mass Storage device detected
scsi host33: usb-storage 1-2:1.2

that is when the dongle has switched to 12d1:14dc and the cdc_ether driver is present in the system.

[Linux-Qubes-Newbie]

Sorry for the missing picture. I have inserted a link to it below.

Thank you very much ! - It’s a bit easier to look for errors by knowing how it should look like.

But as it look a little bit different and as I don’t have any experience with this, I hope you will look at the picture below and tell me if the USB modem seems to be registered correctly and how I may proceed in order to make it useable.

Here is a link to the picture:

https://13366229192823780453.googlegrou ... xms06amRS4

[LOM]

Please remove the pictures, they are not only space consuming but log lines can not be quoted from a picture..

The cdc_ether driver has bound to your dongle, has created an eth0 device which immediately got auto renamed to enp0s20f0u10 and this device should be visible under Mobile Broadband in NetworkManager.
There are 3 required setting in NetworkManager for a Mobile Broadband connection and they are Country, Provider, APN where after you will get a connection.
If you don't then it is not a question for this forum, usb_modeswitch has done what it should do.

[Linux-Qubes-Newbie]

Okay, thank you very much.

You have been very helpful !