pilot-xfer(1)							    PILOT-LINK							     pilot-xfer(1)

NAME

       pilot-xfer - Backup, sync, and restore databases from a Palm handheld device.

SECTION

       pilot-link: Userland conduits

SYNOPSIS

	pilot-xfer [-p <port>] [-e <file>] [-b] [-u] [-s] <directory>

       or

	pilot-xfer [-p <port>] [-r <directory>] [-l] [-L] [-P] [-f <dbname>] [-d <dbname>] [-i <dbname>] [-m <file>] ...

       Use exactly one of -brsudfimlI; mix in -aexDPv, --rom and with-os.

DESCRIPTION

       This is the swiss-army-knife of the entire pilot-link suite.

	pilot-xfer  allows the user to install databases contained in the standard .prc (Palm Resource Database), .pdb (Palm Record Database), and
       .pqa (Palm Query Application) formats onto a Palm, retrieve databases from the Palm, list the databases contained  in  a  Palm,	backup	or
       restore all of the databases at once as well as many other powerful operations performed on a Palm handheld device.

OPTIONS

   pilot-xfer options
       Archive files which have been removed from the Palm to <dir> instead of just deleting (unlinking) them.

	  -a, --archive
	  <dir>

       Back up the Palm into the specified directory (which will be created if it does not already exist).

	  -b, --backup
	  <dir>

       Show information on available cards

	  -C, --cardinfo

       Permanently delete the specified database(s) by name (without extension). Obviously, be very careful with this one.

	  --delete <dbname>

       Modify -l, -i or -f to use VFS dir instead of internal storage (see examples section for usage)

	  -D,
	  --vfsdir=dir

       Reads a list of databases from <file> and prevents --backup, --sync, or --update from operating on the listed database(s). A maximum of 100
       databases can be excluded. Databases should be specified by name without the extension, as displayed with --list, in any order.

	  -e, --exclude=
	  <file>

       Fetch each specified database out of the Palm into the current directory.

       Obsolete. Replaced by --rom in v0.12.

	  -F, --Flash

       Install each specified file into the Palm. Wildcards are valid with this syntax and multiple files may be listed at once.

	  -i, --install
	  <file> [...]

       Note: the behavior of list has changed in version 0.12 and later

       List all the databases in the Palm, including OS-specific native databases.

	  -l, --list

       Unsupported in 0.12 - see -l

	  -L, --Listall

       Adds the records in each specified file into the corresponding Palm database.

	  -m, --merge
	  <file1> <file2> [...]

       Obsolete. Replaced by --with-os in v0.12 and later

	  -O, --Osflash

       Purge any deleted data that haven't been cleaned up by a full synchronization (this is a safe operation, and will prevent  your	Palm  from
       accumulating  unused  data  if you delete records but aren't syncing with a PIM.) The only information you can lose is archived but un-syn-
       chronized records.

	  -P, --Purge

       Installs all files contained in the named directory to the Palm. (Use this to restore your Palm after a hard reset has  cleared	and  wiped
       its memory, using your backup directory as a baseline).

	  -r, --restore
	  <dir>

       Modifies -b, -u, and  s , to back up non-OS dbs from the internal Flash ROM

	  --rom

       Backs up the Palm into the specified directory (which will be created if it does not already exist). Any Palm databases which have not been
       modified or created since the versions stored in the specified directory will not be backed up.

	NOTE: Any Palm databases which have been deleted will have their corresponding backup file removed.

	  -s, --sync
	  <dir>

       Not supported in v0.12. No replacement.

	  -S, --novsf

       Modifies -b, -u, and  s , to back up OS databases from internal Flash ROM.

	  --with-os

       Backs up the Palm into the specified directory (which will be created if it does not already exist). Any Palm databases which have not been
       modified or created since the versions stored in the specified directory will not be backed up.

	  -u, --update

       This  will back up the UnsavedPreferences.prc file from the Palm. Normally this file is not backed up by normal means (Palm recommends that
       you do not restore this file upon restoration of your device using --restore.

       This also modifies the behavior of --backup, --sync, and --update.

	  -I, --Illegal

       Execute a shell command for intermediate processing. All commands will be done, from left to right on the command-line, before the  connec-
       tion to the Palm device is made.

	  -x, --exec=command

   Conduit Options
       Use device file <port> to communicate with the Palm handheld. If this is not specified, pilot-xfer will look for the $PILOTPORT environment
       variable. If neither are found,	pilot-xfer  will print the usage information.

	  -p, --port
	  <port>

       Display version of pilot-xfer and exit without connecting.

	  -v, --version

   Help Options
       Display the help synopsis for pilot-xfer and exit without connecting.

	  -h, --help

       Display a brief usage message and exit without connecting.

	  --usage

USAGE

       The program will attempt to connect to a target Palm handheld device and specified port and perform the requested options specified by  the
       user on the commandline.

EXAMPLES

       To perform a full backup of your Palm handheld:

       # using long options

	  pilot-xfer --port /dev/pilot --backup $HOME/pilot/Backup

       # or over IrDA, using short options

	  pilot-xfer -p /dev/ircomm0 -b $HOME/pilot/Backup

       To  restore  that backup to a non-standard serial port (for example, to a xcopilot or POSE session, assuming you have xcopilot or POSE con-
       figured properly for this operation, see the appropriate man pages for details on configuring your emulator):

	  pilot-xfer -p /dev/ttyqe --restore $HOME/pilot/Backup

       To fetch a file that is on your Palm handheld, such as the Palm Address Book database, you could do the following.  This  will  connect	to
       /dev/pilot and retrieve the records found in AddressDB and place them in a local file called AddressDB.pdb (Palm Record Database).

	  pilot-xfer -p /dev/pilot --fetch AddressDB

       This  will  connect  to your Palm device and install the application Foo (in Foo.prc) to your external storage card (typically an SD or MMC
       card) in the directory /Palm/Launcher on that card, using VFS.

	  pilot-xfer -p /dev/pilot -i Foo.prc -D /Palm/Launcher

AUTHOR

	pilot-xfer written by Kenneth Albanowski. This manual page was originally written by Kenneth Albanowski and David  H.  Silber.	Completely
       rewritten by David A. Desrosiers. Updated for 0.12 by Neil Williams < linux@codehelp.co.uk > .

BUGS

   Known Bugs
	--backup will currently truncate/corrupt pdb/prc files if the communication to the device is interrupted during sync (such as removing the
       Palm from the cradle, or a temporary network hiccup during a NetSync). Ideally, this should restore the original file, or delete  the  cor-
       rupted version and restore the original version back into place, but presently.. it does not.

   Reporting Bugs
       We  have  an online bug tracker. Using this is the only way to ensure that your bugs are recorded and that we can track them until they are
       resolved or closed. Reporting bugs via email, while easy, is not very useful in terms of  accountability.  Please  point  your  browser	to
       http://bugs.pilot-link.org: http://bugs.pilot-link.org and report your bugs and issues there.

COPYRIGHT

       This  program  is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
       the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

       This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY	WARRANTY;  without  even  the  implied	warranty  of  MER-
       CHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

       You  should  have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
       Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.

SEE ALSO

	pilot-link(7)

0.12.5							      Copyright 1996-2007 FSF						     pilot-xfer(1)