p2z - Palm to SHARP Zaurus Linux PDA Conversion Tool

This tool is known to work with these SHARP Zaurus Linux PDAs: SL-5500, SL-C7x0 and possibly the SL-C860.

Installation

p2z is a Perl tool that converts Palm Memo, ToDo, Addressbook and Datebook data to the Zaurus builtin applications. It needs Perl and opie-sh. p2z currently requires you to install p2z, perl and opie-sh to RAM. For the conversion of Strip password information see strip2zsafe.

p2z needs some Software to run which should be installed on your Zaurus first:

• perl
• opie-sh - get it here

Install all three .ipk packages with the Zaurus package manager. That's it.

Using It: Basics

To convert your Palm data simply copy the following files to your Documents folder on the Zaurus:

• AdressDB.pdb
• DatebookDB.pdb
• MemoDB.pdb
• ToDoDB.pdb

How to get these files:

Linux: use pilot-xfer from the pilot-link package to get the files from your Palm:

  pilot-xfer -p /dev/pilot -f AdressDB
  pilot-xfer -p /dev/pilot -f DatebookDB
  pilot-xfer -p /dev/pilot -f MemoDB
  pilot-xfer -p /dev/pilot -f ToDoDB

Beaming: use a Palm filemanager like Filez (freeware) to beam the databases to the Zaurus

Microsoft-Windows: You can use the Microsoft-Windows version of pilot-xfer or simply use the beaming-method mentioned above.

Now run p2z and follow the instructions.

Using It: SL-C7x0

Bob Igo wrote: "I wanted to let you know that I did manage to run p2z on my C760 with OpenZaurus. There's a compatibility library available that lets applications that were built with gcc2 to run in an otherwise gcc3-built environment. I went here to get them. As of this writing, I grabbed and installed:

• opie-sh_0.5-20030824_arm.ipk
• oz-compat-opie_0.1_arm.ipk
• oz-compat_0.5_arm.ipk

Then, in a shell, I ran this command:

% runcompat p2z

This says to run p2z and make use of the above compatibility libraries. It worked! I did have to copy the xml files from where they live under the Sharp ROM to where they live in OpenZaurus/Opie:

% cp /home/zaurus/Applications/addressbook/addressbook.xml
/root/Applications/addressbook/
% cp /home/zaurus/Applications/datebook/datebook.xml
/root/Applications/datebook/
% cp /home/zaurus/Applications/todolist/todolist.xml
/root/Applications/todolist/
% cp /home/zaurus/Documents/text/plain/* /root/Documents/

OpenZaurus sets 'root' as the default user. Seems dumb, but that's how it works.

Alternatives

There are some alternatives to convert your Palm data to the Zaurus:

Beaming

You can beam your data directly from your Palm to the Zaurus. Simply choose "Beam data" (calendar), "Beam business card" (phone book) or "Beam category" (phone book) on your Palm (You cannot beam the "All" category!). For Memos you have to beam them each by itself.
Note that this will not transfer your category infos and all your addresses will end up as business-addresses.
See the The Unofficial Zaurus FAQ II (Migration from PalmOS)

Syncing with Palm-Desktop

If you have a Microsoft-Windows machine ready you can install IntelliSync from your Zaurus CD and use it to sync with the Palm-Desktop. I've never tried it so I don't know how good it really works.

Converting on a Desktop

Download the desktop version and install it. For Debian I have a report that you need also these packages: libunicode-string-perl (2.07-1) libterm-readkey-perl (2.21-1.3)

Feedback

Yes please! Send ideas, bugreports and patches to <Andreas Gohr> or visit SplitBrainOrg.

Download

• p2z.ipk
• You may also point your Linux PDA to the TuxMobil IPK Feed
• take p2zDesktop.tgz if you don't want to do the conversion on your PDA itself

Changes

• 0.3b: no changes - just fixes the broken 0.3 package
• 0.3: fixed incorrect char-entity for ">" (thanks to Paul E. Baclace <peb_at_baclace.net>)
• 0.2: README removed from ipkg, cosmetical changes, accepts .prc aswell as .pdb
• 0.1: Initial Release

Other Resources

• The Unofficial Zaurus FAQ II (Migration from PalmOS)
• DataConv.ORG

License

p2z - Palm to Zaurus Conversion Copyright (C) 2002 Andreas Gohr

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.

See the file COPYING for details.

Credits

• Xtops.DE - Laptops+PDAs pre-installed with UniX
• TuxMobil - Linux and BSD on Mobile Computers
• another conversion tool by Thaddeus Selden
• Bob Igo <Bob_at_Igo.name>