pilot-xfer(1) PILOT-LINK pilot-xfer(1)NAMEpilot-xfer - Backup, sync, and restore databases from a Palm handheld
device.
SECTION
pilot-link: Userland conduits
SYNOPSISpilot-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 stan‐
dard .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.
OPTIONSpilot-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 exten‐
sion). 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 with‐
out the extension, as displayed with --list, in any order.
-e, --exclude=
<file>
Fetch each specified database out of the Palm into the current direc‐
tory.
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 data‐
bases.
-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 synchro‐
nization (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-synchro‐
nized 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 direc‐
tory will not be backed up.
NOTE: Any Palm databases which have been deleted will have their cor‐
responding 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 direc‐
tory will not be backed up.
-u, --update
This will back up the UnsavedPreferences.prc file from the Palm. Nor‐
mally 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 connection
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 configured
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
AUTHORpilot-xfer written by Kenneth Albanowski. This manual page was origi‐
nally 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 communi‐
cation 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 corrupted
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 ALSOpilot-link(7)0.12.5 Copyright 1996-2007 FSF pilot-xfer(1)
