NAME
    pilot-xfer - backup, sync, and restore databases from a Palm handheld
    device, such as those made from Palm, Handspring, Handera, TRGPro, Sony
    or other Palm Compatible Handheld PDA device

SYNOPSIS
    pilot-xfer -p <port> [ --exclude file] --backup | --update | --sync
    directory ]

    or

    pilot-xfer -p <port> [ --restore directory | --list | --Listall |
    --Purge | --fetch dbname ...  | --delete dbname ...  | --install
    file ...  | --merge file ... ] ...

    (Note that some options are not shown above and short option aliases
    are excluded for brevity. Please use pilot-xfer --help to get the full
    list of available options)

DESCRIPTION
    pilot-xfer allows the user to install databases contained in the  stan-
    dard .prc, .pdb, and .pqa formats onto a Palm, retrieve databases from
    the Palm, list the databases contained in a Palm, and backup or restore
    all of the databases at once.

TARGET DEVICE
    The  default serial device used to communicate with a Palm is
    /dev/pilot. If the environment variable $PILOTPORT is set, its  value
    will override the default. A serial device specified on the command-
    line will be used regardless of any $PILOTPORT setting.

OPTIONS
    Many options exist, including...

    -a dir,
    Archives files which have been removed from the  Palm to dir
    instead of just deleting (unlinking) them

    -b dir, --backup dir
    Backs up  the Palm into the specified directory (which will be
    created if it does not already exist). This operation must be
    specified after any exclude option.

    -c --count
    Counts the files as they go by, but shunts the displaying of the
    "Skipping file..." messages

    -d dbname [...], --delete dbname [...]
    Delete the specified database(s) by name  (without extension).
    Obviously, be very careful with this one.

    -e file, --exclude file
    Reads a list of databases from file. Prevents --backup, --sync,
    or --update from operating on the listed database(s).  This
    option must be specified before the --backup, --sync, or
    --update operation whose action it modifies.

    -f dbname [...], --fetch dbname [...]
    Fetch each specified database out of the Palm into the current
    directory.

    -F   Modifies the behavior of --backup, --sync, and --update to back
    up non-OS databases which have been stored in FlashROM

    -h, --help
    Displays a summary list of pilot-xfer's usage and exits.

    -i file [...], --install file [...]
    Install each specified file into the Palm. Wildcards are  valid
    with this syntax.

    -l, --list
    List the databases in the Palm, excluding OS-specific databases.

    -L, --Listall
    List all of the databases on the  Palm, including OS-specific
    native databases.

    -m file [...], --merge file [...]
    Adds the  records in each specified file into the corresponding
    Palm database.

    -O   Modifies the behavior of --backup, --sync, and --update to back
    up OS databases which are stored in FlashROM

    -P, --Purge
    Purge any deleted data  that hasn't been cleaned up by a sync
    (this is a safe operation, and will prevent your Palm from accu-
    mulating crud if you delete records but aren't syncing with a
    PIM.) The only information you can lose is archived but un-
    synced records.

    -q, --quiet
    Causes pilot-xfer to be quiet  and not display the "Skipping
    file..." messages

    -r dir, --restore dir
    Installs all files contained in a directory into the Palm. (Use
    this to restore  your Palm after a hard reset has cleared its
    memory, using your backup directory as a baseline.)

    -s dir, --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.  This operation must be
    specified after any exclude option.

    -u dir, --update 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.  This operation
    must be specified after any exclude option.

    -U   This will back up the UnsavedPreferences.pdb file from the Palm.
    Normally this file is not backed up by normal means (Palm Com-
    puting 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

    -v, --version
    Displays the version of pilot-link from which this program was
    installed and exits.

USAGE
    The program will connect to a target Palm handheld device and port,
    prompt the user to hit HotSync, and perform the requested options spec-
    ified by the user on the commandline.

EXAMPLES
    To backup a Palm:

    # long options

    pilot-xfer --port /dev/pilot --backup /home/pilot/Backup

    or

    # over IrDA, using short options

    pilot-xfer -p /dev/irnine -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

SEE ALSO
    pilot-link(7) .

KNOWN BUGS
    Unable detect when the Palm handheld is full when installing files. It
    will proceed as if successful though may not actually install the
    files.

    Unable to detect if the local files/directory are writable when fetch-
    ing or backing up from the Palm device, or if the target drive/parti-
    tion is full.

REPORTING BUGS
    Report bugs at http://bugs.pilot-link.org/

AUTHOR
    pilot-xfer written by Kenneth Albanowski. This manual page was origi-
    nally written by Kenneth Albanowski and David H. Silber. Completely
    rewritten by David A. Desrosiers for pilot-link 0.10 and later  revi-
    sions.