Thank you, Matt, Shay, and all who helped with this problem.
Problem: Counterfeit Chinese chips.
(See
https://www.prolific.com.tw/US/
ShowProduct.aspx?p_id=223&pcid=126)
Solution: Upgrade your driver (and if necessary replace the hardware)
o Check forums and version logs,
to see if and when your distro updated the pl2303 driver
o If using openSuSE
File = /lib/modules/*/kernel/drivers/usb/serial/p2303.ko.zst
version >= 5.14.5.14.21-150500.55.65-default
o Download the source and build instructions from
Prolific Technologies at the site above, compile the driver,
and offer it to your distro supplier for testing, inclusion
(and a bounty?).
Details:
If you got a counterfeit chip, try to get your money back,
and file complaints with the appropriate authorities.
(e.g. U.S. Federal Trade Commission,
ebay.com, ...)
Please help make crime unprofitable.
If you got a legitimate chip, but your exploited driver
o does not recognize the vendor 067B and product 23A3,
o does read but not write, or
o does read and WIPE target memory,
let your driver supplier know of the need to upgrade,
and offer your help.
Prolific Technologies provides source code, build instructions,
and for major distros, compiled drivers,
at the URL above.
(If you think your driver supplier malicious, rather then
innocently tricked, try to get your money back and file
complaints with the appropriate authorities.)
History:
I had to drop this problem for 4 months.
In February 2024, I installed Raspberry PI OS (Debian) and chirp on a
Raspberry Pi 3 which successfully read and wrote through the
6-in-1 USB programming cable (detailed in prior mail) using
Prolific Technologies pl2303g chipset (genuine, not counterfeit)
In March 2024, I updated to openSuSE-Leap-15.5 but the driver included
with 5.14.21-150500.55.65-default (2024-03-06), would read
successfully but writes failed.
I was able to successfully build the kernel driver following
instructions from Prolific Technologies and openSuSE.
As of kernel-5.14.21-150500.55.65 (2024-05-23),
/lib/modules/*/kernel/drivers/usb/serial/pl2303.ko.zst
successfully reads and writwa,
Reporting,
P.S. If you think this solution, leaves questions unanswered, please ask
them. I will try to update this solution accordingly.