OESF Portables Forum
Everything Else => Desktop Operating Systems Issues => Zaurus General Forums => Archived Forums => Linux Issues => Topic started by: gregkedro on November 29, 2003, 01:45:58 am
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Hey, Penguin People, gotta question for you...
Can anyone sync a Zaurus SL-5600 with any Linux kernel? The only desktop software out there that I\'m aware of right now is QtopiaDesktop. Is there another?
Here is my dilema: I have a 5600 that I cannot sync with Linux. I can ping it in a term window, but I cannot get it to sync via usb0 (the stinkin cradle). My next and last option is to buy a CompactFlash ethernet card and see if I can get it to sync that way. BUT (and here\'s the kicker), if I cannot sync this unit with my desktop, I cannot use it. If QtopiaDesktop will not work with the 5600, not even with a CompactFlash ethernet card and regular IP on my LAN, then I need to sell this piece of $%#& and get something that will. I like my Z, but I need to be able to SYNC my Z. If I can\'t, I\'m dumping it on eBay.
Anyone out there able to sync???
-Greg
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The SL-5600 CANNOT YET SYNC TO ANY LINUX PROGRAM. There are ways to access it over Samba, but no syncing, because Sharp changed the PIM data format. The same goes for SL-5500 3.x ROMs.
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Thank you.
Would anyone like to buy a slightly used Sharp Zaurus SL-5600?
-Greg
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You can backup your data, if you just want a backup (I\'m unsure of exatly how, but there are ways), or you can wait for a little while, and then switch to OpenZaurus, which will sync to Qtopia Desktop, but is not stable enough on the 5600 yet, to be really useful. It\'ll probably be stable enough within a couple months, maybe?
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You can backup your data, if you just want a backup...
Yeah, I got back-ups going fine. That\'s fairly easy. But...
...or you can wait for a little while, and then switch to OpenZaurus, which will sync to Qtopia Desktop...
Qtopia Desktop (I\'m sorry, don\'t mean to flame and bash, but) is \"lacking.\" It is terribly rudimentary and years behind the stuff Palm is putting out (the stuff I\'ve seen, at least).
What I need is a desktop pda program to run to-do lists (and manage projects with those lists), a calander (month-at-a-glance that can be read on both desktop and pda), a configurable address book, and ability to do text-based \"memos.\"
I run all my \"planner\" crap off the desktop. So, I need to be able to have the pda desktop running all the time on my LAN. When I pick up and go, I sync with the pda and have all my \"planner\" crap in hand and mobile.
My Z is sorely lacking.
I am shopping.
1. I\'ll either go back to my paper Franklin Planner.
2. Or, I\'ll get a pda that has decent sync software for Linux (JPilot worked fine for my Handspring Visor, and then the Visor bit the dust).
Any input you\'d have on Linux-based pda desktops and sync\'ing would be appreciated. I\'ll be googling here for a while.
Thanks for the straight answers. You\'ve helped me a lot.
By the way, I got my Z on my Linux box. :-) I installed the sync software on a little used Win98SE machine hanging off my LAN. Then I just connected via VNC. If I get a CompactFlash ethernet card, I could connect the Z to the LAN by itself, and then just bring up the software (Qtopia) in my Win4Lin here on my desktop. But, that still doesn\'t get past the pda limitations of the Z and Qtopia Desktop.
I feel shortchanged.
-Greg
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Greg,
Read this:
http://www.zaurus.com/dev/board/index.php?...?showtopic=7113 (http://www.zaurus.com/dev/board/index.php?showtopic=7113)
It sounds like your problem is Sharps new PIM, so before you sell your Z try a custom- rom with Opie.
Greg
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Greg,
Read this:
http://www.zaurus.com/dev/board/index.php?...?showtopic=7113 (http://www.zaurus.com/dev/board/index.php?showtopic=7113)
It sounds like your problem is Sharps new PIM, so before you sell your Z try a custom- rom with Opie.
Greg
Neat! But... I\'m a little overwhelmed here with newness... I downloaded and tried to install the Opie datebook. It cried for dependencies (all too familiar). So, I poked around a little more...
Should I move to the OpenZaurus ROM that is entirely based on Opie?
Or should I test drive Opie PIM stuff first? If so, is there a basic package that I need to install? Their directory listing of \"stable\" install stuff is overwhelming. I would assume there is a lib I\'d need... other stuff... ??
And then, it syncs with \"normal\" Linux PDA programs like JPilot - via cradle or ethernet connection? That would be awesome.
Got a minute to give me a boost up the learning curve?
Regardless, thanks!
-Greg
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Got libopie installed, and that allowed me to install the Opie PIM apps.
1. I cannot get back to my original Sharp PIM apps. They\'re gone. Trashed. Dunno where. Can I reinstall those somehow?
2. I cannot get the Opie apps to sync with JPilot. Seems he wants only serial ports. ???
-gk
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To restore your Sharp Pim, read:
http://www.zaurususergroup.com/index.php?n...viewtopic&t=428 (https://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=428)
Have you tried to sync Qtopia Desktop with Opie apps?
Later today I will try and find the earliar version of QT Desktop for Linux for both of us.
I can only find v1.7.
If you or anyone has a link for a feed for Qtopia Desktop v1.5, 1.5.4, or 1.6 for Linux please post it here.
Greg
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To restore your Sharp Pim, read:
http://www.zaurususergroup.com/index.php?n...viewtopic&t=428 (https://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=428)
Have you tried to sync Qtopia Desktop with Opie apps?Greg
Thanks for the link. Yes, I did try to sync Opie and Qtopia. It didn\'t work. Kinda honked me off (to say the least... I think I broke a bone in my hand).
-Greg
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I\'m working on a custom ROM, based on the Sharp one, with OPIE instead of QTopia. It\'ll probably be in at least a semi useful state in a week or two. It should be able to sync with Qtopia Desktop, so maybe hang on for a little while? I hope it works out. It\'ll probably have some big bugs in ot for a little while, but hopefully it\'ll work. (Yeah, I\'m a little hyper over it. Too much caffeine.)
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I may hang onto my Z... I dunno. Doubt it, though. The PIM software just seems too far behind what I had with my Visor, and what\'s out there these days with the Palms. Desktops, et al. I looked over the OpenZaurus project and Opie. Just dang neat stuff, you know? It\'s down right depressing to think that I gotta shelve my Z because I can\'t a decent calendar or to-do program for it. And after the money I\'ve spent on the thing, I\'m more than reluctant to put more into it to buy proprietary PIM software (e.g. theKompany.com). To even swap out my ROM, I need to throw more money at this thing to get a CF or SD card. I\'m bummed, guys. I\'m really bummed. My Z is cool. Opie and Oz are really stinkin neat. And I lose. I need flexible, configurable PIM that will sync with the same kinda desktop.
-Greg
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Thanks for the link. Yes, I did try to sync Opie and Qtopia. It didn\'t work. Kinda honked me off (to say the least... I think I broke a bone in my hand).
-Greg
I think I broke a bone in my head!
In the last 2 days I have at least 12 hours in this with no progress (very frustrated)! I can not even get OZ 3.3.5 to boot up so I could try that. Fortunately I still dual boot my desktop pc with Mandrake and 2000 Pro.
I will just continue to sync with windoze 2000,
Greg
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In the last 2 days I have at least 12 hours in this with no progress (very frustrated)!
I\'ll be going back to a paper planner (Franklin) for 2004. Maybe I\'ll sell my Z, maybe I\'ll hang onto it and see what kinda software comes out. But, I\'m with you. Terribly frustrating.
-Greg
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I have a question for some of the developers here: IIRC, the originally sync mechanisms were via a ftp server( on port 4242 ) built into Qtopia. Why isn\'t it possible to put an independant ftp server on the 3.xx ROM and build in a DTM<->XML engine in the ftp server. The server would check the DTM for changes when it was sent requests for sync\'ing and then construct XML messages to send to QtopiaDesktop. And visa-versa for updates from QtopiaDesktops XML stuff. Maybe there was much more going on over the previous sync but I thought it was all done over that special ftp server process and that is open sourced since Opie has it....
Just wondering.
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I\'ll be going back to a paper planner (Franklin) for 2004. Maybe I\'ll sell my Z, maybe I\'ll hang onto it and see what kinda software comes out. But, I\'m with you. Terribly frustrating.
-Greg
I just bought a Zaurus SL5600 and ran into exactly the same wall as you--- no usb0 connection on my Mandrake 9.0 system. I\'m going to go the same route as you and install Slackware 9.1 (which you reported successfully set up the usb0 connection) on a partition.
Luckily for me I\'m not so interested in using my Zaurus as a PIM I just want to be able to transfer \'ordinary\' files (eg ascii, mp3, ogg etc.) to and from my Zaurus via usb. So the Qtopia desktop stuff doesn\'t affect me at the moment. I share your frustration with the level of support for the 5600 though. It\'s particularly frustrating that that the usability of this linux-based PDA is being foiled by the use of proprietary PIM files.
Having said that, I want to say thank you for persevering for as long as you did and for asking and answering so many questions on the forum. Reading your messages helped me to figure out a solution for my own situation, so thanks!
-Felicity.
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Hi, My handle is cyphactor I am a developer and have been working on Reverse Engineering the Synchronization Protocol for the Zaurus SL-5600 v1.0 and the Zaurus SL-5500 v3.1. I have come a long way but understand that it is difficult to live without sync capabilities. If you would like to check out my work go to http://www.cyph.org/zsrep/ (http://www.cyph.org/zsrep/).
There IS A TEMP solution, well atleast this is the word around! It seems that KOrganizer a very nice PIM application for KDE has been ported to the Zaurus and people have been using it with joy. The cool thing about this is that it allows for rudamentery syncing. What I mean by that is that both the Desktop and ported version use the same file format *.ics (if i am not mistaken). This means that it allows you to use the Samba on your Zaurus SL-5600 to move the file to your desktop update it and move it back.
Oh and to answer you question! There are not really any good documentation on the DTM. Also the synchronization has a lot more advanced merging that is performed that wouldn\'t be possible with a simple FTP solution.
The goal of my project ZSREP(Zaurus Synchronization Reverse Engineering Project) is to allow a stock Zaurus SL-5600 sync with Linux using my software. I do have certain aspects of synchronization working with ZSREP. It would be nice and go a lot faster if I could obtain some help on this. I am a lone software developer working and going to school so I can get more money!!!!