So I recently wanted to try connecting arduino (a potentiometer) to PD to control a slider. One of the main objects I have been seeing everyone use is the "comport" object. A week or so in and I cannot seem to call upon the abstraction "comport" and it also does not show up in my "Find externals" search results n my Help section of the PD window. However, I have tried to download the comport extension and placing it (within folders as well as directly) into the patches I am trying to work with but with no luck.
Some of the possible problems could be that its not the right pure data version (I heard it might work with extended? Not even sure what version mine is or how to check) or old version of the "Find externals" plug in (by Deken?). Or perhaps I am placing the comport abstraction in the wrong places (I have also tried placing it in the externals sub directory).

Sorry for t the long message. Any help would be amazing. THank you!

@rei In the Pd terminal top menu "File" "Preferences" "Path"...... add the complete path from root to the comport folder.... and then Pd will find the objects in that folder.
If the object will still not create then you might have a mismatch between 32bit and 64bit versions (wrong for your installation of Pd).
Normally the comport folder should be in the Pd/extra folder...... the extra folder is always searched by Pd as it is the standard path for externals....... but maybe not for Linux..... unsure.

But looking harder at your post...... you should have...... somewhere..... a binary..... comport.pd_linux
If you don't then you need to compile it.
In your screenshot I see "makefile" in Pd/externals along with other comport files.
That is the file that will compile comport when you type "make" in a terminal window opened in that folder....... cd in the terminal into that folder and then enter "make" I think...... https://www.dummies.com/computers/operating-systems/linux/linux-how-to-run-make/

The comport.dll I see is for windows.... of no use on your system.
David.