# Can't get serial port device information

**URL:** <https://forums.balena.io/t/cant-get-serial-port-device-information/368925>\
**Category:** Product support\
**Created:** [September 13, 2023, 10:22am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/cant-get-serial-port-device-information/368925 "2023-09-13T10:22:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Firat](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/firat/32/8850_2.png) [@Firat](https://forums.balena.io/u/Firat)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2023, 10:22am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/cant-get-serial-port-device-information/368925/1 "2023-09-13T10:22:05Z")

</div>

Hello,

I’m trying to retrieve information from my device which is connected to /dev/ttyACM0, but the feedback is completely empty. Here is my little script:

```auto
for port in /dev/ttyACM*; do
    echo "port name : $port"
    echo "manufacturer : $(udevadm info -q property -n $port | grep ID_VENDOR)"
    echo "Id vendor : $(udevadm info -q property -n $port | grep ID_VENDOR_ID)"
    echo "ID product : $(udevadm info -q property -n $port | grep ID_MODEL_ID)"
    echo "-----------------------------------"
done

```

When I run my script this is what I get:

```auto
port name: /dev/ttyACM0
manufacturer:
Vendor ID:
Product ID:
-----------------------------------

```

I use a raspberry PI3  
if I do the same command on a raspberry pi4 with raspberry os I get feedback:

```auto
**~** for port in **/dev/ttyACM*** ; do
echo "port name : $port"
echo "manufacturer : $(udevadm info -q property -n $port | grep ID_VENDOR)"
echo "Id vendor : $(udevadm info -q property -n $port | grep ID_VENDOR_ID)"
echo "ID product : $(udevadm info -q property -n $port | grep ID_MODEL_ID)"
echo "-----------------------------------"
done

port name : /dev/ttyACM0
manufacturer : ID_VENDOR=Newland_Auto-ID
ID_VENDOR_ENC=Newland Auto-ID
ID_VENDOR_ID=1eab
ID_VENDOR_FROM_DATABASE=Fujian Newland Computer Co., Ltd
Id vendor : ID_VENDOR_ID=1eab
ID product : ID_MODEL_ID=1a06
-----------------------------------

```

I also just tested on a raspberry pi4 with balena OS and I have the same problem  
Can someone help me ?  
Best Regards

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rcooke-warwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba9def/32.png) [@rcooke-warwick](https://forums.balena.io/u/rcooke-warwick)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2023, 11:25am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/cant-get-serial-port-device-information/368925/2 "2023-09-13T11:25:30Z")

</div>

Hi there,

to clarify, are you running this script ON the pi3/pi4 to retrieve the information from a device that is connected to it? Have you tried these instructions for enabling serial on the pi3? [I2C and Other Interfaces - Balena Documentation](https://docs.balena.io/learn/develop/hardware/i2c-and-spi/#using-uart-or-serial-on-raspberry-pi-3)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Firat](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/firat/32/8850_2.png) [@Firat](https://forums.balena.io/u/Firat)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2023, 11:27am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/cant-get-serial-port-device-information/368925/3 "2023-09-13T11:27:49Z")

</div>

Yes is that, and yes I followed the documentation, I defined my enable\_uart=1 variable on my raspberry pi4. Here is an overview of my configuration:

 ![Capture d’écran 2023-09-13 à 13.27.22](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/balena/original/2X/a/a3a552ba920df2facea2f751d8ed6d3097875bc7.png)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mpous](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/mpous/32/4742_2.png) [@mpous](https://forums.balena.io/u/mpous)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2023, 8:43am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/cant-get-serial-port-device-information/368925/4 "2023-09-14T08:43:31Z")

</div>

Hello @Firat could you please confirm that your container is running with `ENV UDEV=1` to your Dockerfile or maybe adding `priviledge: true` to the service in docker-compose?

Let us know if this works!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Firat](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/firat/32/8850_2.png) [@Firat](https://forums.balena.io/u/Firat)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2023, 8:55am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/cant-get-serial-port-device-information/368925/5 "2023-09-14T08:55:40Z")

</div>

Hello,  
I found part of the problem. in my local environment I mounted two volumes:

```auto
docker run -v /dev:/dev -v /run/udev:/run/udev:ro --rm -it app bash

```

but when I want to deploy on balena cloud I do not have the rights to mount the volumes:

```auto
/dev:/dev and /run/udev:/run/udev:ro

```

For exemple:

```auto
 peripheral:
    image: app
    labels:
      io.balena.features.dbus: '1'
    volumes:
      - 'src:/src'
      - '/dev:/dev'
      - '/run/udev:/run/udev:ro'
    networks:
      - default
      - peripheral
    mem_limit: 300M
    privileged: true
    environment:
      DBUS_SYSTEM_BUS_ADDRESS: 'unix:path=/host/run/dbus/system_bus_socket'

```

I have this error:  
`[Error] Deploy failed Bind mounts are not allowed ` I gonna try with : `UDEV=1`

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mpous](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/mpous/32/4742_2.png) [@mpous](https://forums.balena.io/u/mpous)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2023, 9:05am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/cant-get-serial-port-device-information/368925/6 "2023-09-14T09:05:24Z")

</div>

@Firat why do you try to create the `dev` or `src` volumes?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Firat](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/firat/32/8850_2.png) [@Firat](https://forums.balena.io/u/Firat)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2023, 9:09am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/cant-get-serial-port-device-information/368925/7 "2023-09-14T09:09:46Z")

</div>

@mpous The src volume, I need it for my application. In fact, the container is a C++ application which allows you to have information on devices connected in series. The bash script that I am showing you is more or less an equivalent of what my application does. I use the script to test first. Concerning the dev volume, I noticed that if I run my container (locally on my PC) with the dev and run/udev volumes my script worked. I told myself that if by mounting the volume locally it works, why not test on docker-compose. 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Firat](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/firat/32/8850_2.png) [@Firat](https://forums.balena.io/u/Firat)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2023, 9:41am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/cant-get-serial-port-device-information/368925/8 "2023-09-14T09:41:02Z")

</div>

@mpous Here is the last situation.  
In my dockerfile I added:  
`ENV UDEV=1`

my service looks like this:

```auto
peripheral:
    image: app
    labels:
      io.balena.features.dbus: '1'
    volumes:
      - 'src:/src'
    networks:
      -default
      -peripheral
    mem_limit: 300M
    privileged: true
    environment:
      DBUS_SYSTEM_BUS_ADDRESS: 'unix:path=/host/run/dbus/system_bus_socket'

```

I still have the same problem

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mpous](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/mpous/32/4742_2.png) [@mpous](https://forums.balena.io/u/mpous)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2023, 10:14am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/cant-get-serial-port-device-information/368925/9 "2023-09-14T10:14:32Z")

</div>

Please change the `dev` volume for something different and try @Firat

Find more information here [Interact with hardware - Balena Documentation](https://docs.balena.io/learn/develop/hardware/)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Firat](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/firat/32/8850_2.png) [@Firat](https://forums.balena.io/u/Firat)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2023, 10:24am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/cant-get-serial-port-device-information/368925/10 "2023-09-14T10:24:31Z")

</div>

Is it possible to do something like that:

```auto
- "/dev/ttyACM*:/dev/ttyACM*"

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Firat](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/firat/32/8850_2.png) [@Firat](https://forums.balena.io/u/Firat)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2023, 10:36am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/cant-get-serial-port-device-information/368925/11 "2023-09-14T10:36:17Z")

</div>

I deleted the dev volume and added devices, as in the documentation:

```auto
  peripheral:
    image: app
    labels:
      io.balena.features.dbus: '1'
    volumes:
      - 'src:/src'
    devices:
      - "/dev/ttyACM0:/dev/ttyACM0"
      - "/dev/ttyACM1:/dev/ttyACM1"
      - "/dev/ttyACM2:/dev/ttyACM2"
    networks:
      - default
      - peripheral
    mem_limit: 300M
    privileged: true
    environment:
      DBUS_SYSTEM_BUS_ADDRESS: 'unix:path=/host/run/dbus/system_bus_socket'

```

I still have the same problem…

 ![Capture d’écran 2023-09-14 à 12.32.42](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/balena/original/2X/b/bcbca45cadf733a5df726c94670e7e1c9737e08f.png)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rcooke-warwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba9def/32.png) [@rcooke-warwick](https://forums.balena.io/u/rcooke-warwick)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2023, 11:34am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/cant-get-serial-port-device-information/368925/12 "2023-09-14T11:34:09Z")

</div>

Hi there,

To help more effectively troubleshoot, I’d recommend this:

- firstly, ignore the container - go to the hostOS, and run the command `udevadm info -q property -n /dev/ttyACM0` from the hostOS command line . What comes out, if anything?
- if this does give the response you expect, with the correct values, then it means that there is something in the container configuration that is wrong. If even that doesn’t work, then it means that there is something else wrong.
- confirm that you can communicate with the device you are connecting to over serial - manually over the command line using a utility such as `screen`
- what is the device you are connecting to the pi? Maybe its not being recognised by Udev and you might need a custom rule?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Firat](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/firat/32/8850_2.png) [@Firat](https://forums.balena.io/u/Firat)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2023, 11:40am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/cant-get-serial-port-device-information/368925/13 "2023-09-14T11:40:41Z")

</div>

I think the problem is with the container configuration. Here is the output from balena host :

```auto
:root@e620ed4:~# udevadm info -q property -n /dev/ttyACM0
DEVPATH=/devices/platform/soc/3f980000.usb/usb1/1-1/1-1.2/1-1.2:1.0/tty/ttyACM0
DEVNAME=/dev/ttyACM0
MAJOR=166
MINOR=0
SUBSYSTEM=tty
USEC_INITIALIZED=14256434
ID_VENDOR=Newland_Auto-ID
ID_VENDOR_ENC=Newland\x20Auto-ID
ID_VENDOR_ID=1eab
ID_MODEL=NLS_IOTC_PRDsUSBVCP
ID_MODEL_ENC=NLS\x20IOTC\x20PRDsUSBVCP
ID_MODEL_ID=1a06
ID_REVISION=0001
ID_SERIAL=Newland_Auto-ID_NLS_IOTC_PRDsUSBVCP_FCCB2972
ID_SERIAL_SHORT=FCCB2972
ID_TYPE=generic
ID_BUS=usb
ID_USB_INTERFACES=:020201:0a0000:
ID_USB_INTERFACE_NUM=00
ID_USB_DRIVER=cdc_acm
ID_PATH=platform-3f980000.usb-usb-0:1.2:1.0
ID_PATH_TAG=platform-3f980000_usb-usb-0_1_2_1_0
ID_MM_CANDIDATE=1
DEVLINKS=/dev/serial/by-path/platform-3f980000.usb-usb-0:1.2:1.0 /dev/serial/by-id/usb-Newland_Auto-ID_NLS_IOTC_PRDsUSBVCP_FCCB2972-if00
TAGS=:systemd:
CURRENT_TAGS=:systemd:
root@e620ed4:~# udevadm info -q property -n $port | grep ID_SERIAL
info: option requires an argument -- 'n'
root@e620ed4:~# udevadm info -q property -n /dev/ttyACM0 | grep ID_SERIAL
ID_SERIAL=Newland_Auto-ID_NLS_IOTC_PRDsUSBVCP_FCCB2972
ID_SERIAL_SHORT=FCCB2972

```

If a do the same command in my container, I have nothing:

```auto
root@285e58bc8530:/app# udevadm info -q property -n /dev/ttyACM0 | grep ID_SERIAL
root@285e58bc8530:/app# 

```

Also the full command in my container give this :

```auto
root@285e58bc8530:/app# udevadm info -q property -n /dev/ttyACM0
DEVPATH=/devices/platform/soc/3f980000.usb/usb1/1-1/1-1.2/1-1.2:1.0/tty/ttyACM0
DEVNAME=/dev/ttyACM0
MAJOR=166
MINOR=0
SUBSYSTEM=tty

```

That said, I don’t know what is missing in my configuration. I activated uart with

```auto
enable_uart=1

```

In my dockerfile I also have:

```auto
ENV UDEV=1

```

I have the right labels for the service at docker-compose and I have the privileges:

```auto
privileged: true

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rcooke-warwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba9def/32.png) [@rcooke-warwick](https://forums.balena.io/u/rcooke-warwick)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2023, 11:46am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/cant-get-serial-port-device-information/368925/14 "2023-09-14T11:46:22Z")

</div>

ah nice. If you restart the container, while keeping everything physically still connected, do you still get the same result? Sometimes I’ve seen udev not pick up on devices if they are plugged at runtime, lets eliminate that as a possibility next

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Firat](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/firat/32/8850_2.png) [@Firat](https://forums.balena.io/u/Firat)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2023, 11:49am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/cant-get-serial-port-device-information/368925/15 "2023-09-14T11:49:29Z")

</div>

Yes, after restarting, I still get the same result:

```auto
SSH session disconnected
SSH reconnecting...
Spawning shell...
root@d7a139c8548b:/app# udevadm info -q property -n /dev/ttyACM0
DEVPATH=/devices/platform/soc/3f980000.usb/usb1/1-1/1-1.2/1-1.2:1.0/tty/ttyACM0
DEVNAME=/dev/ttyACM0
MAJOR=166
MINOR=0
SUBSYSTEM=tty

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rcooke-warwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba9def/32.png) [@rcooke-warwick](https://forums.balena.io/u/rcooke-warwick)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2023, 11:57am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/cant-get-serial-port-device-information/368925/16 "2023-09-14T11:57:09Z")

</div>

thanks for confirming.

what does your dockerfile look like? What is the base image you are using?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Firat](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/firat/32/8850_2.png) [@Firat](https://forums.balena.io/u/Firat)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2023, 12:01pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/cant-get-serial-port-device-information/368925/17 "2023-09-14T12:01:57Z")

</div>

I use : `debian:bullseye-slim`  
And here my dockerfile:

```auto
FROM debian:bullseye-slim
ENV UDEV=1
RUN apt-get update && DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install -y \
    build-essential \
    qtbase5-dev \
    libc6 \
    daemontools \
    libpcsclite-dev \
    ca-certificates \
    procps \
    libusb-0.1-4 \
    libdbus-1-3 \
    libpcsclite-dev \
    libnfc6 \
    i2c-tools \
    libqt5serialport5-dev \
 && apt-get clean \
 && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*

RUN qmake -r && make -j$(nproc)

COPY src/libs/libcomValina-* /usr/lib/

RUN pwd;
RUN ls -la

RUN chmod a+x src/peripherals
RUN chmod a+x src/start.sh

CMD ["src/start.sh"]

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rcooke-warwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba9def/32.png) [@rcooke-warwick](https://forums.balena.io/u/rcooke-warwick)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2023, 12:10pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/cant-get-serial-port-device-information/368925/19 "2023-09-14T12:10:40Z")

</div>

I think we’re getting close to the problem. The `UDEV=1` feature is only something that works with the `balenalib` base images: [Balena base images - Balena Documentation](https://docs.balena.io/reference/base-images/base-images/#how-the-images-work-at-runtime)

You could try  
`FROM balenalib/%%BALENA_ARCH%%--debian:bullseye`

instead.

And in your docker-compose, you shouldn’t need to specify `devices`, you can change it to:

```auto
peripheral:
    image: app
    labels:
      io.balena.features.dbus: '1'
    volumes:
      - 'src:/src'
    networks:
      - default
      - peripheral
    mem_limit: 300M
    privileged: true
    environment:
      DBUS_SYSTEM_BUS_ADDRESS: 'unix:path=/host/run/dbus/system_bus_socket'

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rcooke-warwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba9def/32.png) [@rcooke-warwick](https://forums.balena.io/u/rcooke-warwick)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2023, 12:11pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/cant-get-serial-port-device-information/368925/20 "2023-09-14T12:11:09Z")

</div>

sorry i made a typo: `FROM balenalib/%%BALENA_ARCH%%-debian:bullseye` instead

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Firat](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/firat/32/8850_2.png) [@Firat](https://forums.balena.io/u/Firat)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2023, 12:45pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/cant-get-serial-port-device-information/368925/21 "2023-09-14T12:45:21Z")

</div>

Thank you very much for your help, I am pleased to announce that the problem is resolved 🙂

[Next page](https://forums.balena.io/t/cant-get-serial-port-device-information/368925.md?page=2)