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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-synchronized 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  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

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 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
       MERCHANTABILITY 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)