ANN: ZMacSync-1.0a3 available Options

[charlesa]

Hi -

As a further post, ZMacSync worked for my AddressBook & Stickies over a 802.11b connection!! Nice one. Allyrfriends' tip above did the trick. ;-) Thx all!

However, I couldn't get ZMacSync to do anything with my to-do or ical data from my Mac. Is this feature working in this version?

I'll ask again, but which are the data files on the Z that are being used written/psudo-sync'ed?

[Inuyasha]

As said in the first post in this thread... Only the Stickies and Address are COPIED (not SYNCED) from the Mac TO the Zaurus.

I assume the other things will be synced/copied in future versions.


On another note, I cannot wait for a fully working version...

[ccrandal]

I just tried this yesterday on my Powebook running the latest OS X.3 version. It didn't quite work.

I had to install the USB driver twice. On the second try, I could see it in System Preference -> Network. I could then ping it, ssh to it, etc.

The first problem I ran into was trying to set up the SMB/CIFS connection. I changed the workgroup to WORKGROUP and the username to zaurus and left the password blank. However, each time I tried to connect, it kept saying my username and password were wrong.

Since I could ssh, I figured I just try to run ZMacSync anyway. It did create some files, but those never got transferred over to the Z. I assume the problem setting up SMB is to blame.

Does anyone know what might be wrong here?

Thanks
Curt

[Inuyasha]

ZMacSync does not use SMB. It only uses SSH.

The SMB problem might be resolved by trying "root" as the user and no password. Also if you have set a security passcode in the Security app, try that as the password.

1.0a3 version of ZMacSync only copies (not syncs) the Stickies (to Text Editor notes) and the Address Book (to Address Book, duh). Also, I'm not sure, but does Cacko use the DTM format for the PIM database? Because ZMacSync only works with the DTM. (I don't know since I have a 5600). And if it does, you did install the zdbat ipk included with ZMacSync?

[ccrandal]

Yep, I have zdbat installed and I believe the Cacko Qt ROM should support the right format since it's a derivative of the Sharp ROM. I'll have to check my Z to see if the files were uploaded and just not loaded into the AddressBook app.

Curt

[Chaos]

Any chance of maybe releasing the source code for ZMacSync? It seems to not be having a lot of work being done on it (please, correct me if I'm wrong), and I wouldn't mind trying my hand at getting some more features working...

[mcamou]

Also, I'm not sure, but does Cacko use the DTM format for the PIM database? Because ZMacSync only works with the DTM. (I don't know since I have a 5600). And if it does, you did install the zdbat ipk included with ZMacSync?

Cacko does use DTM. Any chance for syncing with KOrganizer/PI?

[dhns]

It seems to not be having a lot of work being done on it (please, correct me if I'm wrong).

We have had published some alpha-versions (still buggy and not complete) to gain first user-experience and feedback (thanks to all for your encouragement!). We are currently working to finalize the (shareware) version which does real syncing and includes the calendar. And we had to tackle the 10.3.5 USB driver issue first. Please give us a little more time.

-- hns

[Chaos]

We have had published some alpha-versions (still buggy and not complete) to gain first user-experience and feedback (thanks to all for your encouragement!). We are currently working to finalize the (shareware) version which does real syncing and includes the calendar. And we had to tackle the 10.3.5 USB driver issue first. Please give us a little more time.

I know about the alpha versions. Just since they don't go both ways it's kinda useless to me at the moment.

I asked if it was still being worked on because it's been four months since any updates on it... May 14th was the post about the latest alpha release. The kernel panic was only a few weeks ago.


One more thing, by shareware, you mean once it's complete it's gonna be something requiring money? (I'm not someone who buys much software -- any kind of it. The last piece of software I purchased was OSX -- and I mean the OSX that came with my PowerBook. Coming from Linux [and still using it for x86 desktops and servers], I'm not used to paying for... Well, anything. 90% of it is OSS [Open Source Software].)

[dhns]

So,
it is time to describe what is going on with this project and why it was quiet for a longer time.

The reason is that we have found a very annoying behaviour (not really a bug). If you delete the first entry in the Address book or Calendar on the Zaurus and create a new one, the sync mechanism might confuse both and not be able to distinguish them any more.

The cause is deep and a potential cure was very difficult to find - but is now easily explained:
* on the Mac, Address book entries and Calendar entries are qualified by vCard/vCalendar "Unique ID" which needs to be translated to the Zaurus
* we use up to now 'zdbat' to access the Sharp DTM database
* 'zdbat' hides the interesting fields "CTTM", "MDTM", "SYID" which would allow to uniquely indentify entries by creation date
* we have been looking for a replacement trick - which did not work
* so, since we do not have the source code of zdbat, we have now started our own tool based on 'dtmdump'
* we currently fix bugs and extend this tool (which by the way is GPL, so we will publish the modified source)
* this changes the data format from Comma Separated Value lines to XML (which is generally a good step)
* but requires us to modify the parser in the ZMacSync logic as well

All this needs more time and testing...

So, please stay tuned.

-- hns

[Chaos]

Finally some more news! I really would like to be able to sync my 5600 and my PowerBook soon... Using only the Z for school is gonna get a little difficult, so I'd prefer to have a sync going on...


Any ideas on a timeframe for a final, working release (with at least Calendars/Addresses/Todos)?

[dhns]

* so, since we do not have the source code of zdbat, we have now started our own tool based on 'dtmdump'
* we currently fix bugs and extend this tool (which by the way is GPL, so we will publish the modified source)
* this changes the data format from Comma Separated Value lines to XML (which is generally a good step)

A first experimental version of the new dtmdump tool is available for download (USE AT YOUR OWN RISK). Details are described in this thread:

http://www.oesf.org/forums/inde...?showtopic=7299

-- hns

[dliao]

Hey looking foward to the completion of this software woudlnt' mind to pay small amount of money if the PIM sync could work with mac properly (but sorry I'm too chicken to try to beta verizon, my PIM info are too important, and dont want to go through the hassle of backing them up or restoring them in case anythig happened)

[samxiao]

i really wish the sync works for Mac <-> Zaurus Sharp ROM (or Cacko)

for my iCal, Addressbook, Stickes, Todo List


so i can make myself more productive

[dhns]

Hi all,
I just want to let you know that we have made much progress for the new ZMacSync.

What is now working (again):
* the new dtm2xml tool seems to work on SL5500 and C860 with Sharp ROM 3.10 resp. ROM 1.4 JP
* it has been fixed to be fully XML compliant
* the new Zaurus.conduit is now properly reading all DTM database entries from the Zaurus into the Mac
* most of the records are converted properly (except Calendar entries)
* writing (sync) to the Zaurus ends in a core dump - so real syncing is still a little away
* the new scheme for uniquely identifying entries on the Zaurus could not be tested yet because it needs to track written entries properly

So, this means some final wrapup, bug fixing and internal testing until we can publish a free (but restricted) beta release. I hope this can be within the next two weeks.

If the beta test phase, we want to make ZMacSync a shareware at a price of 10 US$.

-- hns