pilot-xfer works, gpilotd doesn't

[Jack Coates <jack monkeynoodle org>]

Mandrake 9.0 on a Sony Vaio VX88 laptop with kernel 2.4.20-2mdk (visor.c
v1.6), trying to sync a Palm V via a Prolific PL2303 USB to serial
adapter as this laptop has no serial ports. Here's what that adapter
looks like:

Feb 27 16:08:30 chupacabra kernel: hub.c: new USB device 00:1f.2-1,
assigned address 2
Feb 27 16:08:30 chupacabra kernel: usb.c: USB device 2 (vend/prod
0x67b/0x2303) is not claimed by any active driver.
Feb 27 16:08:33 chupacabra /etc/hotplug/usb.agent: Setup pl2303 for USB
product 67b/2303/202
Feb 27 16:08:33 chupacabra kernel: usbserial.c: USB Serial support
registered for PL-2303
Feb 27 16:08:33 chupacabra kernel: usbserial.c: PL-2303 converter
detected
Feb 27 16:08:33 chupacabra kernel: usbserial.c: PL-2303 converter now
attached to ttyUSB0 (or usb/tts/0 for devfs)
Feb 27 16:08:33 chupacabra kernel: pl2303.c: Prolific PL2303 USB to
serial adaptor driver v0.9

& here's the load of libraries, tools, &c when I started...
[jack chupacabra jack]$ rpm -qa | grep pilot
libgnome-pilot1-0.1.71-2mdk
pilot-link-0.11.5-5.ximian.1
gnome-pilot-conduits-0.10-1.ximian.1
libgnome-pilot1-devel-0.1.71-2mdk
evolution-pilot-1.2.2-1.ximian.1
gnome-pilot-0.1.71-2mdk
pilot-link-devel-0.11.5-5.ximian.1

I've also tried:
installing the Mandrake 9.0 RPMs for gnome-pilot, libgnome-pilot, and
pilot-link (via urpmi)
installing the 9.1 RC1 "cooker" RPMS for gnome-pilot, libgnome-pilot,
and pilot-link (via rebuild of src.rpm)
installing the Ximian RPMs for gnome-pilot, libgnome-pilot, and
pilot-link (via red-carpet)

None of these attempts changed the situation in any way; pilot-xfer
works, gpilotd doesn't (& produces zero helpful output).
gpilotd-Message: gnome-pilot 0.1.71 starting...
gpilotd-Message: compiled for pilot-link version 0.11.7
gpilotd-Message: compiled with [VFS] [USB] [IrDA] [Network] 
gpilotd-Message: Activating CORBA server
gpilotd-Message: Watching Cradle (/dev/ttyUSB0)

/dev/ttyUSB0 is a symlink to /dev/usb/tts/0, which is correctly setup
via devfs. I tried making a /dev/pilot symlink too in case something was
hard coded, no soap.

And here's my problem: it works fine using pilot-xfer -- I can do
anything at all. gpilotd is totally useless, not even
gpilot-install-file works. Any ideas? I've tried running gpilotd from a
console to get its output, and it seems to be listening to the right
port, it just never hears the Palm V, which eventually times out. Is
there an undocumented --debug or --verbose feature?

pilot-xfer works, gpilotd doesn't (& produces zero helpful output).
gpilotd-Message: gnome-pilot 0.1.71 starting...
gpilotd-Message: compiled for pilot-link version 0.11.7
gpilotd-Message: compiled with [VFS] [USB] [IrDA] [Network] 
gpilotd-Message: Activating CORBA server
gpilotd-Message: Watching Cradle (/dev/ttyUSB0)

thanks,
-- 
Jack Coates
Monkeynoodle: A Scientific Venture...