Palm Zire 31 on Linux Mandrake 10.1

Last Update : Jan 13, 2005


I have a Palm Zire 31 PDA.  It is a low-cost PDA from PalmOne but comes with some nice features like color screen, expansion slot, audio playback.

Getting it to sync with Evolution (2.0.3) took some effort.

Here are my pilot versions.  Make sure you have them ('devel' packages are optional)

$ rpm -qa | grep pilot
kdepim-kpilot-3.3.0-29.2.101mdk
libgnome-pilot2-2.0.11-4mdk
jpilot-0.99.7-2mdk
pilot-link-0.11.8-6mdk
gnome-pilot-2.0.11-4mdk
evolution-pilot-2.0.3-1.1.101mdk
libjpilot_plugin0-0.99.7-2mdk
gnome-pilot-conduits-2.0.11-1mdk
libkdepim2-kpilot-3.3.0-29.2.101mdk
libkdepim2-kpilot-devel-3.3.0-29.2.101mdk

Kpilot

Zire connects via a USB cable.  When connected it shows up on the desktop as a palm icon.  Double clicking on it brings up Kpilot.  This is pretty cool, thanks to HotPlug.

zire31-desktop.jpg

zire 31 on desktop
 zire31-kpilot.jpg

double clicking on desktop
icon brings up Kpilot

Kpilot syncs the data with Kontact.  Also it backs up files from the PDA.  I also use its 'Install Files'.  You drag and drop the files from konqueror and press the HotSync button on Palm - so easy.  Also kpilot backs up files every time its syncs.

Gpilotd & Evolution

Evolution uses gpilotd to sync with PDAs.  Getting the zire to work with gpilotd was a bit involved.
  1. First I need to update /usr/share/gnome-pilot/devices.xml to include Zire id
    <device vendor_id="0830" product_id="0061" />
  2. Install Evolution-pilot package.  This has conduits for gnome-pilot to sync Evolution Contacts, Calendar & TODOs
    • EAaddress
    • ECalendar
    • ETodo
  4. Configure them by going to Evolution menu 'Settings --> Pilot Settings'
  5. gpilotd runs in the background when you configure evolution.  Kill this background gpilotd process.  Because hotsync doesn't happen in this mode
  6. first press HotSync on palm and run /usr/lib/gpilotd.  Palm will beep to indicate syncing has started.  You will see messages scroll by on gpilotd window.  And palm will beep again to indicate the syncing is done.
  7. kill gpilotd process.  Next time repeat (5)