How to get a Digi Edgeport/416 working with RHEL/CentOS 5

I had the opportunity to play with an Edgeport/416 16 port DB9 serial to USB converter. I was hoping to just be able to plug and play and use it in a Hylafax fax server setup. The reason for the attempt was to evaluate the potential  replacement of a failing OLD 4 port modem card included in an existing Hylafax fax server setup. Suffice it to say my dreams of plug and play were dashed when no /dev/ttyUSB* device files were created:

Dec 15 11:58:32 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.1.1: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 6
Dec 15 11:58:32 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.1.1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
Dec 15 11:58:33 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.1.2: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 7
Dec 15 11:58:33 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.1.2: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
Dec 15 11:58:33 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.1.3: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 8
Dec 15 11:58:33 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.1.3: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
Dec 15 11:58:34 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.1.4: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 9
Dec 15 11:58:34 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.1.4: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
Dec 15 11:58:34 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.2.1: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 10
Dec 15 11:58:34 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.2.1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
Dec 15 11:58:35 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.2.2: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 11
Dec 15 11:58:35 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.2.2: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
Dec 15 11:58:35 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.2.3: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 12
Dec 15 11:58:35 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.2.3: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
Dec 15 11:58:35 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.2.4: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 13
Dec 15 11:58:36 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.2.4: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
Dec 15 12:00:31 tsas3 kernel: usbcore: registered new driver usbserial
Dec 15 12:00:31 tsas3 kernel: drivers/usb/serial/usb-serial.c: USB Serial support registered for generic
Dec 15 12:00:31 tsas3 kernel: usbcore: registered new driver usbserial_generic
...

A bit of google-foo lead me to a blog entry from pjtsubaru and other references including a non-commented Redhat request for enhancement bug against RHEL 5.5.

Finally, I recalled the recent RHEL/CentOS mainline kernel tracker announcement from the GREAT folks at ElRepo. Installed the kernel-ml, reboot and ttyUSB serial port love:

Dec 15 13:06:08 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.1.1: Edgeport TI 2 port adapter converter now attached to ttyUSB0
Dec 15 13:06:08 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.1.1: Edgeport TI 2 port adapter converter now attached to ttyUSB1
Dec 15 13:06:08 tsas3 kernel: io_ti 3-1.1.2:1.0: Edgeport TI 2 port adapter converter detected
Dec 15 13:06:08 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.1.2: Edgeport TI 2 port adapter converter now attached to ttyUSB2
Dec 15 13:06:08 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.1.2: Edgeport TI 2 port adapter converter now attached to ttyUSB3
Dec 15 13:06:08 tsas3 kernel: io_ti 3-1.1.3:1.0: Edgeport TI 2 port adapter converter detected
Dec 15 13:06:08 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.1.3: Edgeport TI 2 port adapter converter now attached to ttyUSB4
Dec 15 13:06:08 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.1.3: Edgeport TI 2 port adapter converter now attached to ttyUSB5
Dec 15 13:06:08 tsas3 kernel: io_ti 3-1.1.4:1.0: Edgeport TI 2 port adapter converter detected
Dec 15 13:06:08 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.1.4: Edgeport TI 2 port adapter converter now attached to ttyUSB6
Dec 15 13:06:08 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.1.4: Edgeport TI 2 port adapter converter now attached to ttyUSB7
Dec 15 13:06:08 tsas3 kernel: io_ti 3-1.2.1:1.0: Edgeport TI 2 port adapter converter detected
Dec 15 13:06:08 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.2.1: Edgeport TI 2 port adapter converter now attached to ttyUSB8
Dec 15 13:06:08 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.2.1: Edgeport TI 2 port adapter converter now attached to ttyUSB9
Dec 15 13:06:08 tsas3 kernel: io_ti 3-1.2.2:1.0: Edgeport TI 2 port adapter converter detected
Dec 15 13:06:08 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.2.2: Edgeport TI 2 port adapter converter now attached to ttyUSB10
Dec 15 13:06:09 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.2.2: Edgeport TI 2 port adapter converter now attached to ttyUSB11
Dec 15 13:06:09 tsas3 kernel: io_ti 3-1.2.3:1.0: Edgeport TI 2 port adapter converter detected
Dec 15 13:06:09 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.2.3: Edgeport TI 2 port adapter converter now attached to ttyUSB12
Dec 15 13:06:09 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.2.3: Edgeport TI 2 port adapter converter now attached to ttyUSB13
Dec 15 13:06:09 tsas3 kernel: io_ti 3-1.2.4:1.0: Edgeport TI 2 port adapter converter detected
Dec 15 13:06:09 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.2.4: Edgeport TI 2 port adapter converter now attached to ttyUSB14
Dec 15 13:06:09 tsas3 kernel: usb 3-1.2.4: Edgeport TI 2 port adapter converter now attached to ttyUSB15
Dec 15 13:06:09 tsas3 kernel: usbcore: registered new interface driver io_ti
Dec 15 13:06:09 tsas3 kernel: io_ti: v0.7mode043006:Edgeport USB Serial Driver