We have introduced how to synchronize Palm via IrDA, let’s move on to the next level: Synchronize Palm via Bluetooth.

Kernel matters

Linux kernel has built-in support for Bluetooth devices, you could build it into kernel or modules. The following configuration also includes the optional bluetooth headphone support, it does not hurt since everything is built into modules.

In the user land, we need to install BlueZ, the Linux Bluetooth protocol stack, in Gentoo, just

We need to modify /etc/bluetooth/hcid.conf to make it fit into our needs:

bluepin is a PyGTK-based dialog to prompt the password, if you don’t install X or do not change the PIN whenever a new device is connected, you could just feed the pin directly like this [2]:

in /etc/bluetooth/pin:

OK, plugin the bluetooth adpater. Enable your Palm’s Bluetooth for the first test drive:

OK, at least the Bluetooth adapter works, kernel modules loaded, and BlueZ take actions for the new device.

NOTE: For the curious users, please check /etc/udev/rules.d/70-bluetooth.rules to demystify the magic.

Tie a knot

In Palm side, create a new connection named “Bluetooth to PC” in Preference | Connection | New … like this, then click Device: Tap to find. If this is the first time to bind the handheld and desktop, bluepin would popup to ask for the authentification token.

Then create a new Network in Preference | Network | New , click Details …, then click Script …, and delete all scripts, like this:

The light of the tunnel

Bluetooth synchronization is quite different than the previous two local HotSync, it is a Modem HotSync via dial-up network on bluetooth tunnel. We need to build the dail-in server in Linux side:

Build the kernel modules in Device Drivers | Networking Support

In the userland, install the ppp package and enable the ip forwarding:

Set up the peer-to-peer network, /etc/ppp/peer/dun

Gentoo’s magic bluetooth service would launch the following service for us:

• hcid: the Host Control Interface daemon to talk with L2CAP kernel module.
• sdpd: the Service Discovery Profile daemon to discover nearby bluetooth devices.
• pand: the Personal Arean Network daemon to organize an Ad-Hoc PAN.
• dund: Dial-up Network daemon to build a virtual serial link for dial-up network.
• pppd: Point-to-Point Protocol daemon

Edit the /etc/conf.d/bluetooth:

Once the bluetooth adpater is plugged in, the corresponding services are launched, you can test the connection with either Merge Ping, or use the command line: Preference | Network | Option | View Log, then write ping www.foo.com

The last, but not the least

In HotSync | Options | Modem Sync Prefs…, hightlight Network
In HotSync | Options | Primary PC Setup…

Primary PC Name: leave blank
Primary PC Address: IP Address of the computer
Subnet Mask: Netmask of your network

NOTE Primary PC Name is parsed by the DNS, the best practice is to leave it blank.

When HotSync, select, Modem and Unix as the network. In the desktop side, use net:any to replace /dev/pilot in the previous HotSync settings.

Reference
[1] Synchronize your PalmOS� Handheld over Bluetooth in Linux
[2] HOWTO mobile phone, Bluetooth and GNOME
[3] [HOWTO] Bluetooth and Palm (or PocketPC) Network and Sync

I have complained the lame Palm Sync socket for quite a long time, eventually, I decide to try HotSync my Palm via IrDA on my Dell Latitude D600, which is equipped with SMSC IrDA Controller.

Prepare Hardware

The very first thing is to enable IrDA in the BIOS setting, since D600 has a COM1 serial port, IrDA is then assigned to COM2, aka /dev/ttyS1 in Linux.

Boot to the overweighted Windows XP, and check the IRQ/DMA/SIR/FIR in Device Manager.

The findchip in irda-utils package is supposed to probe the system, unfortunately, it does not work in D600.

Build the Kernel

Just follow this HOWTO to build IrDA modules.

SIR stands for Standard IR, which uses generic serial protocol to talk with IrDA; FIR needs specific driver to achieve Fast IR. Although IrLAN and IrNET are rarely used, it does not hurt to build them as modules.

Test drive

Since /dev/ttyS1 is also driven by serial, we need explicitly to tell the kernel this device is controlled by irda:

Then configure the module options in a Gentoo way, put the information collected from Windows into /etc/modules.d/irda:

run modules-update to refresh the environment.

Insert the necessary modules and bind the device and port together:

Open another console and run

If everything is OK, some packets are dumped when the Palm is close to the laptop’s IR port.

Sync the Palm

I am using korganizer/kontact/kpilot suite. Configure the Pilot device as /dev/ircomm0[1]; Uncheck Do not sync when screensaver is active, this is essential for the lightweight WM(e.g FVWM, Fluxbox) users. Bingo !

Glue the pieces together

Inspired by Gentoo official irda init script and this. I develops the /etc/init.d/irda-fir, and /etc/conf.d/irda-fir. Add irda-fir to default runlevel if Palm is a part of your life.

Further work

[1] Are we still using the high-speed FIR if the kopete is configured to access /dev/ircomm0? Since FIR maps IR port to the network interface, irda0, I have tried to configure the Pilot devcie to net:irda0 or net:any according to this undocumented hack, but it does not work and kpilot hangs sometimes.

I still prefer the USB sync when downloading huge files for the sake of speed. Any idea to make dbus/ivman to link /dev/pilot to /dev/ircomm0 or /dev/ttyUSB0 automatically?

I just installed Google Browser Sync a few days ago, to manage my Firefox profiles across the computers, one in Gentoo, one in Windows XP(VMWare), one in Mac. Today, after the upgrade the world, the firefox failed to launch with this error message:

Have I broken something in the upgrade? I double checked the emerge log via genlop, and found nothing relavent. Then I check the strace output:

It is quite strange that the Firefox would check $HOME/.firefox, it is supposed to check $HOME/.mozilla/firefox instead. There must be something wrong with the current profile. Here we are, the $HOME/.mozilla/firefox/profiles.ini is truncated to zero bytes! Once this is fixed, Firefox works again.

I don’t want to FUD Google Browser Sync, but it is the only relavent change about Firefox. If you have met the same problem, could you drop a comment here? I might need to dig into the source code before jumping to a conclusion.

I have a Palm powered device, Tungsten T. This device is released to fill the gap between the classical PalmOS4 and legendary PalmOS6 aka Garnet. As the first generation OS5 device, no SSL support, digitization drift prone, short battery life… nevertheless, the device itself is still solid for daily user, while the connection to the external world is really pain of the ass.

• The Palm. Inc prefers the same sophisticated socket for the power adapter and the USB cradle is not the standard accessory. I have to put the device leaning on the wall when charging. Thank you, the gravity.
• The Sync cable really drives me nuts. The connection depends on the pin-to-pin hitting, why not use the standard USB socket?