3. Sharing Data Between Palm OS and Linux Systems

3.1 The pilot-link software

The pilot-link suite of software tools allows you to download programs onto your Palm OS device, and transfer data for the Palm OS device's various built-in programs between the Linux system and the Palm OS device. While these programs are not quite as seamless as the desktop software that comes with the Palm OS device, they do allow you to copy your data in both directions. In general, each separate program in the pilot-link suite manages one type of data.

Installing the pilot-link software

The prepackaged versions will inevitably lag slightly behind the master distribution, but will be easier to install and not require configuration. The master distribution might be a better choice in those rare occasions when you have been waiting for a particular feature or bug fix.

You can get the Debian Linux (i386) port of pilot-link version 0.8.7 from ftp://ftp.debian.org/pub/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-i386/otherosfs/pilot-link_0.8.7-2.deb. If this file does not exist, you will likely find a newer version located in the same directory. If all else fails, or if you want a more recent version than has been packaged for Debian, you can install the generic distribution, as detailed below. Install this file in the normal manner and skip to Using the pilot-link software.

You can get the RedHat Linux (i386) port of pilot-link version 0.8.9 from ftp://ftp.redhat.com/pub/contrib/i386/pilot-link-0.8.9-1.i386.rpm. If this file does not exist, you will likely find a newer version located in the same directory. If all else fails, or if you want a more recent version than has been packaged for RedHat, you can install the generic distribution, as detailed below. Install this file in the normal manner and skip to Using the pilot-link software.

For other versions of Linux or unix, or if you need the absolute latest version, download the version 0.9.0 of pilot-link from ftp://ryeham.ee.ryerson.ca/pub/PalmOS/pilot-link.0.9.0.tar.gz. The version number is likely to change, but new versions should end up in the same location with a similar name.

Once you have the software distribution, unpack it with:

tar -xvzf pilot-link.0.9.0.tar.gz

gunzip pilot-link.0.9.0.tar.gz | tar -xvf -

This will create a directory (pilot-link.0.9.0) containing the source.

Change your working directory to the source (pilot-link.0.9.0) directory.

Run ./configure. This will search through your system for information needed to compile the software. configure will set things up to be installed in /usr/local by default. If you want to change it, run ./configure --prefix=DIR, where DIR is replaced with the name of the directory to which the software will be installed.

Run make. This will compile the software. The software will not be installed until later, so that you have a chance to try it out first. (If you are replacing an older version with a newer release, you may wish to check and make sure that no functionality that you need has been broken. Generally, this is not a problem.)

As the root user, run make install. This will copy the software into directories under /usr/local (or wherever you specified with the --prefix option). If you can not log in as root, you can install the software to some directory where you have write access.

Don't forget to add any new directories of executables to your search path.

Using the pilot-link software

Most of the programs in the pilot-link suite are conduits, that is they transfer data into or out of your Palm OS device.

Each time you use of one of these programs, press the HotSync button on your Palm OS device's cradle. This will initiate the Palm OS device side of the data transfer. Note that not all of these programs prompt you to press the `HotSync' button, so you may have to remember to do it yourself.

For more details, and other options to these programs, view the corresponding manual page. There is an overview manual page under the name pilot-link. For the pilot-xfer program, for example, type man pilot-xfer at your unix shell prompt.

pilot-xfer

Possibly the most useful program in the pilot-link suite, pilot-xfer allows you to install programs on your Palm OS device, make a backup, and restore that backup.

To install a program:

pilot-xfer /dev/pilot -i program.prc

To backup your Palm OS device:

pilot-xfer /dev/pilot -b backup-directory

To restore data to Palm OS device:

pilot-xfer /dev/pilot -r backup-directory

To list the programs on your Palm OS device:

pilot-xfer /dev/pilot -l

install-memo

Install a Linux file onto the Palm OS device as a memo.

To install a memo into your (already existing) project category:

install-memo /dev/pilot -c project project.memo

The name of the file will be inserted into the memo as its first line and will appear in the directory of memos on your Palm OS device.

memos

This program grabs each memo from the Palm OS device and prints it out in standard mailbox format.

To view your memos:

memos /dev/pilot 

pilot-addresses

pilot-addresses Transfer the address database to or from the Palm OS device.

To write your address data to a Linux file from your Palm OS device:

pilot-addresses /dev/pilot -w storage.file

To read your address data from a Linux file onto your Palm OS device:

pilot-addresses /dev/pilot -r storage.file

Mailing List

The pilot-unix mailing list is maintained by Matthew Cravit pilot-unix-owner@lists.best.com. Its mandate is:

The pilot-unix mailing list is for discussion and idea-sharing for those
interested in using the US Robotics Pilot PDAs with UNIX systems. This
includes people who are interested in helping to develop tools to allow the
Pilot to operate with UNIX, and possibly to develop an SDK for the Pilot
for Unix.

For more information, including how to subscribe to the list, send mail containing the word ``INFO'' to pilot-unix-request@lists.best.com. The subject line does not matter.

Mailing List Archives

An archive of the pilot-unix mailing list can be found at http:///www.acm.rpi.edu/~albert/pilot/. It is maintained by Chris Stevens albert@acm.rpi.edu.

FTP Site

An FTP site containing an archive of Palm OS tools for use on unix systems is located at ftp://ryeham.ee.ryerson.ca/pub/PalmOS/. It is maintained by Jeff Dionne jeff@ryeham.ee.ryerson.ca.