I guarantee that the shape of the physical connector between the cable and the
camera is completely irrelevant to the computer and Ubuntu.

If one is a little fumble-fingered, it is possible to "blow" a memory card while
inserting it into a card reader which has the power on. You lose all your
pictures, of course. My preference is to connect the camera to the computer.

Mind you, I have three batteries for my camera. I've taken as many as 500
pictures in a single day, so I need to be able to swap batteries. (Battery Barn
in Chicago, and online, offers much better prices than your local camera
store....)

I'm actually a little disappointed with the loss of function from Windows to
Ubuntu, as far as my camera goes. In Windows, I can actually change the
settings in my Canon camera, and take pictures.