pilot-xfer(1)

📦
version 0.12.5_git20241124 · 2 versions
, in alpine 3.24

okay so real quick, the manual name is PILOT-LINK and this whole page is about pilot-xfer — bestie, it's the moment.

🌸 NAME 🌸

pilot-xfer — backup, sync, and restore databases from a Palm handheld device. yes. that Palm. the retro icon. 🦋

✨ SECTION ✨

pilot-link: Userland conduits — that's the family it runs with, iykyk.

🫶 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 — like, pick one, don't be messy 💀 — and mix in -aexDPv, --rom and with-os.

🧚 DESCRIPTION 🧚

This is literally the swiss-army-knife of the entire pilot-link suite. main character energy, no cap.

pilot-xfer lets you 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 — plus a whole bunch of other powerful operations performed on a Palm handheld device. it's giving multitasking queen 👑

💖 OPTIONS 💖

⭐ pilot-xfer options ⭐

  • -a, --archive <dir> — archive files which have been removed from the Palm to <dir> instead of just deleting (unlinking) them. keeps the receipts 🧾
  • -b, --backup <dir> — back up the Palm into the specified directory (which will be created if it does not already exist). fresh folder, who dis ✨
  • -C, --cardinfo — show information on available cards 🃏
  • --delete <dbname> — permanently delete the specified database(s) by name (without extension). Obviously, be very careful with this one. like. genuinely. this is the "no undo" button 😭
  • -D, --vfsdir=dir — modify -l, -i or -f to use VFS dir instead of internal storage (see examples section for usage) 🗂️
  • -e, --exclude=<file> — 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. not invited to the party 🚫
  • -f, --fetch <dbname> — fetch each specified database out of the Palm into the current directory. come here bestie 🫴
  • -F, --Flash — obsolete. Replaced by --rom in v0.12. it's retired, let it rest 💀
  • -i, --install <file> [...] — install each specified file into the Palm. Wildcards are valid with this syntax and multiple files may be listed at once. bring the whole squad 🌈
  • -l, --list — 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. the full lineup, iconic 👑
  • -L, --Listall — Unsupported in 0.12 - see -l. gone, but not forgotten 🙈
  • -m, --merge <file1> <file2> [...] — adds the records in each specified file into the corresponding Palm database. merging vibes 🤝
  • -O, --Osflash — Obsolete. Replaced by --with-os in v0.12 and later. respectfully, old news 💅
  • -P, --Purge — 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. spring cleaning, but make it handheld 🧹
  • -r, --restore <dir> — 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). glow-up from backup ✨
  • --rom — modifies -b, -u, and s, to back up non-OS dbs from the internal Flash ROM. straight from the source 🔥
  • -s, --sync <dir> — 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. like, actually deleted-deleted 😭
  • -S, --novsf — Not supported in v0.12. No replacement. no stand-in, no understudy, nothing 🫠
  • --with-os — modifies -b, -u, and s, to back up OS databases from internal Flash ROM. OS dbs said "include me" 💖
  • -u, --update — 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. only the new stuff, we love efficiency ⚡
  • -I, --Illegal — 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. yes it's literally called "Illegal", we don't make the rules 🚨

  • -x, --exec=command — 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. pipeline era 🎀

🔌 Conduit Options 🔌

  • -p, --port <port> — 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. it literally cannot find your Palm, bestie 😭
  • -v, --version — display version of pilot-xfer and exit without connecting. quick flex, then bye 💅

🎀 Help Options 🎀

  • -h, --help — display the help synopsis for pilot-xfer and exit without connecting. the cheat sheet 🫶
  • --usage — display a brief usage message and exit without connecting. even shorter cheat sheet ✨

🌟 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. that's it, that's the whole vibe 🌸

🌈 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>. legends, all of them 🫶

💀 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. not me getting corrupted mid-sync 😭 — fr fr, don't yank it out of the cradle.

🐛 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. the tracker is the main character here, respect it 💅

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. (yes, that's the big scary all-caps part — it means it. 😤)

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) — go read it, bestie, it's the whole ecosystem ✨

okay that's the whole page, mwah 💖

version 0.13.0 · Copyright 1996-2007 FSF · pilot-xfer(1) · byeee, go back up your Palm 🎀🦋

📦 where this page comes from