Linux and Mobile (Cell) Phones - Connectivity

USB

AIRcable(TM) for USB

AIRcable for laptops and PDAs (e.g. SHARP's Zaurus models SL-5x00 and C-7x0) provides a fast, convenient way of connecting mobile Linux computers to another personal computer or notebook computer or mobile phone without any cabling. The AIRcable uses a BlueTooth connection without the need to set up a complicated BlueTooth configuration.
For example: The AIRcable Zaurus-USB can be used for syncing the Zaurus (ZaurusManager, Intellisync), for Qtopia desktop and for network connections through the PC (Linux, Windows and Apple) running pppd.
AIRcable Zaurus comes with two distinct connectors: one that plugs into your Zaurus, and one that plugs into the USB port on your computer. The AIRcable Zaurus automatically establishes a serial connection between the Zaurus (/dev/ttyS0) and the PC (/dev/ttyUSB0 or COMx).
As a bonus, the dual pairing feature lets you connect the Zaurus module to a Bluetooth cell phone. See technical information for details. This keeps you online while you are on the road.
Note that the Zaurus side connector plugs into the serial (cradle) port and not into the Zaurus's compact flash (CF) port, which allows the CF port to be used for other purposes while wirelessly connected.

IrDA

Linux IrDA Project

The Linux IrDA Project provides software for IrDA connections to cellular phones.

Infrared Devices

I have setup a survey of infrared devices and their Linux status, which contains information about IrDA connections to cellular phones.

BlueTooth

BlueTooth and Linux .

PCMCIA Phones

For Linux information on the cards listed below see my survey of PCMCIA Cards.

• Nokia Card Phone 2.0 seems to be working with Linux.

GSM

GSM Modems

Dave Davey has set up a survey of GSM modems working with Linux.

gsm-lib

GSMLIB is a library to access GSM mobile phones through GSM modems. Features include: modification of phonebooks stored in the mobile phone or on the SIM card, reading and writing of SMS messages stored in the mobile phone, sending and reception of SMS messages. Additionally, some simple command line programs are provided to use these features.

xgsmlib

xgsm is a GNOME-based GUI for the gsmlib library. xgsm allows the user to edit/backup/manage a mobile phone's phonebook and SMS entries. It also enables one to send and receive SMS messages via a mobile phone using a computer.

GPRS

GPRS-HOWTO

GPRS is a General Packet Radio Service, an add-on to GSM and TDMA cellular telephone standards used all over the world. It allows (almost) always-on Internet connections using GSM (or TDMA) telephones. GPRS-HOWTO

BlueTooth and GPRS on the COMPAQ iPAQ HOWTO.

Synchronization

SyncML Server in PHP

The SyncML server in PHP is based (right now) on a MySQL backend, but could easily use other kinds of SQL servers, LDAP servers or even flat files. SyncML is an XML based protocol family, aimed at providing remote synchronisation of mobile devices. It's built-in more and more mobile devices, such as mobile phones or PDAs

MultiSync

MultiSync is a free modular program to synchronize calendars, addressbooks and other PIM data between programs on your computer and other computers, mobile devices, PDAs or cell phones. MultiSync works on any Gnome platform, such as Linux. It supports IrMC Mobile Client synchronization (supported by e.g. SonyEricsson T39/T68i, Siemens S45i/S55 phones etc.) via Bluetooth or IrDA on Linux or cable connection.

KSyncML

The KSyncML is a SyncML Konnector for Kitchensync. The SyncML is a protocol invented by Nokia, Ericsson and others in order to provide a standard platform for synchronizing various data between various devices. Theoreticaly it is possible to synchronize anything using SyncML. The current devices however, use it mainly for all kind of PIM (Personal Information Management) data: calendars, contacts and so on.... Kitchensync is the synchronization program and framework for the KDE PIM suite. The current stable version is 0.0.6, but there is a lot of things going in the KDE CVS tree and we target this version for KSyncML development. A "konnector" is a plugin for KitchenSync allowing it to connect to a specific device.

GPE MultiSync Plugin

The GPE MultiSync Plugin is used to syncronize GPE PIM data with other devices and software. It currently supports syncing tasks (ToDo/gpe-todo), events (Calendar/gpe-calendar) and contacts (Contacts/gpe-contacts). Apart from GPE, Multisync provides syncronisation against Ximian Evolution, devices that use SyncML (over TCP/IP), Palm PDAs, Opie based PDA software and IrMc ddevices. Additionally it is possible to create backups using multisync.

HOWTOs

Symbian OS GNU/Linux Connectivity How To by Mal Minhas.