This document contains my experiences using the Palm Treo 650 with Debian GNU/Linux (initially with sarge, with the 2.6 kernel and udev). Included are instructions on how to pair the Bluetooth devices, to create a network connection and perform a HotSync over it, and finally to use the Treo as a modem to the Internet.
This works out of the box on lenny using the usb:
port as all of the instructions
in /usr/share/doc/pilot-link/README.libusb.gz have
been carried out in the system.
I found that pilot-xfer -l -p usb: didn't connect
initially. It seems that the first time you HotSync, you need to
run the pilot-xfer command before starting HotSync on the Treo.
After that first time, the order doesn't matter.
Set up Bluetooth on your laptop as per Debian GNU/Linux on an IBM ThinkPad T40p.
Modify two variables in /etc/default/bluetooth
(was /etc/default/bluez-utils) as follows:
DUND_ENABLED=1
DUND_OPTIONS="--listen --persist --msdun call treo"
The dial-up script referred to above is found in the
/etc/ppp/peers directory. Assuming you called it
treo as I did, edit /etc/ppp/peers/treo
as follows:
115200
192.168.2.1:192.168.2.2
local
ms-dns <IP address of your DNS server>
noauth
debug
This file is used to set up a ppp connection and will set the IP address of your Debian GNU/Linux PC to 192.168.2.1 and your Treo to 192.168.2.2. You can use these values or choose two of your own.
The value of ms-dns should be set to the IP
address of your DNS server, or 127.0.0.1 if your DNS
server is on your host, or you don't need DNS resolution.
Optionally, uncomment the auth enable and
encrypt enable lines in
/etc/bluetooth/hcid.conf.
Finally, restart Bluetooth (was bluez-utils):
# /etc/init.d/bluetooth restart
On the Treo, go to the Bluetooth application and turn on Bluetooth. Then select Setup Devices > Trusted Devices > Add Device. You should see your computer listed. Select it and click OK. You should then be prompted for your PIN. You should now be paired with your computer. Click Done twice to return to the main Bluetooth application.
2009-03-24: I installed lenny on a new laptop, and I was
not able to pair my Treo with my laptop: the passkey setting
in hcid.conf no longer seemed to work. However, by
killing bluetooth-applet, running sudo
hciconfig hci0 piscan to make the Bluetooth on the laptop
discoverable, and compiling passkey-agent
in /usr/share/doc/bluez-utils/examples using the
Makefile and following the instructions therein, I was able to
pair successfully. Hopefully, these problems will go away when
version 4 of bluez-utils is added to Debian.
Create a new connection.
Create a new network.
Configure the HotSync application.
/etc/ppp/peers/treo, you'd use
192.168.2.1).
Try running pilot-xfer -p net:any -l on the PC and
click on the HotSync button on the Treo. Hopefully, you'll get a
listing of the applications on your Palm. I found that you could
simply specify a port of net: as well.
I set the name and ID on my Treo to that of my old Palm so that
the my registered 3rd-party applications would continue to work. I
did this with install-user -u "Bill Wohler" -i 12345.
You can get the old ID by running install-user
without arguments.
I also found that configuring gpilotd for network
HotSyncs is a pain in the sphincter so I went back to JPilot. Even
though the Treo is a breeze to use, I'm finding that I am now
using JPilot to enter data on the PC again. I had been using
Evolution in read-only mode because the Evolution conduits were
slow and often corrupted my data and didn't propagate categories.
Its ToDos only had three priorities instead of the five in the
Palm.
If you have a Treo 650 that has the DUN feature, then you can use the following steps to put your laptop on the net anywhere your phone has reception.
My carrier is T-Mobile so some of the files below are named accordingly. If you have a different carrier, you will most likely need to find slightly different scripts on the net.
Configure /etc/bluetooth/rfcomm.conf.
On the Treo, go to the Prefs application and set Bluetooth >
Discoverable to Yes. Then run hcitool scan to get
your Treo's hardware address. I found that
hcitool could not find the Treo if Dial-up Networking
was on. Update
/etc/bluetooth/rfcomm.conf with that information.
rfcomm0 {
bind yes;
device 11:22:33:44:55:66;
channel 1;
comment "treo.newt.com";
}
Then run /etc/init.d/bluetooth restart (was
bluez-utils). You can now set Discoverable to No.
Alternatively, you can find the Treo's address by peeking at the log file after a HotSync. For example:
Apr 5 13:47:38 olgas hcid[8349]: link_key_request \
(sba=01:23:45:67:89:00, dba=11:22:33:44:55:66)
Apr 5 13:47:40 olgas dund[15145]: New connection from 11:22:33:44:55:66
Create /etc/ppp/peers/t-mobile.
/dev/bluetooth/rfcomm/0
115200
crtscts
#debug
idle 300
lcp-echo-failure 0
lcp-echo-interval 0
local
lock
noauth
#nodetach
noipdefault
noproxyarp
defaultroute
usepeerdns
ipparam tmobile
password tmobile
remotename tmobile
user ''
connect "/usr/sbin/chat -f /etc/chatscripts/t-mobile-connect"
disconnect "/usr/sbin/chat -f /etc/chatscripts/t-mobile-disconnect"
Create /etc/chatscripts/t-mobile-connect.
SAY 'Starting GPRS connect script\n'
TIMEOUT 10
ABORT 'NO DIAL TONE' ABORT 'NO ANSWER' ABORT DELAYED
'' ATZ
OK 'AT+CGDCONT=3,"IP","wap.voicestream.com"'
SAY 'Dialing...\n'
OK ATD*99***1#
CONNECT ' '
Create /etc/chatscripts/t-mobile-connect.
SAY 'Starting GPRS disconnect script\n'
"" \K
"" +++ATH0
Bring up Network.
On the Treo, go to the Prefs application and set Bluetooth >
Dial-up Networking to On. Then test the connection by uncommenting
out the debug and nodetach lines in
/etc/ppp/peers/t-mobile and running pon
t-mobile. You can also create a stanza in
/etc/network/interfaces for this connection. It is
the Debian way, after all.
iface ppp0 inet ppp
provider t-mobile
You then create the network connection with ifup
ppp0. I first run ifdown ath0 so that the new
connection gets the default route unless I'm just using the Treo
to provide access to my mail MX if it is blocked by my current
Internet connection.
If you see tcsetattr: Invalid argument (line 971)
in the log, you can work around this error by turning off
Bluetooth and connecting to T-Mobile Internet just on the Treo.
After downloading some mail or viewing a web page or whatever,
turn Bluetooth and Dial-up Networking back on and try again.
Using Bluetooth and JPilot makes syncing fast and a whole lot
more reliable than when I used infrared with gpilotd
and the Evolution conduits. Still no wires, and you no longer have
to ensure the Palm is pointed at your infrared device (which was
often difficult since my laptop was often balanced on my lap or
the edge of the couch).
I'm currently seeing about a 15-20 kB data rate via dial-up networking. While I wouldn't use it to upgrade my system, it is entirely adequate for getting and sending mail and doing some light web surfing if you don't happen to have a broadband connection.
Now that I'm used to the Treo 650, my old Palm m505 looks and feels awfully clunky, and the screen seems drab and lifeless. By combining the phone and PDA with Bluetooth networking and a wireless earpiece, the Treo is the device I've been waiting for for a long, long time.
Luke, Bluetooth Hotsync on my Treo 650 to my Laptop,
previously at http://gehennom.net/~tool/tiki-view_blog_post.php?blogId=3&postId=21.
This is a short and sweet blog of how to HotSync your Treo to
a Debian GNU/Linux system. Mine is shorter as it assumes the
use of a non-custom kernel-image kernel.
Luke, Bluetooth Dial-Up Networking with my Treo and
Debian, previously at
http://gehennom.net/~tool/tiki-view_blog_post.php?blogId=3&postId=22.
This is a short and sweet blog of how to set up dial-up
networking on your Treo with Debian GNU/Linux system. Luke's
version contains a bit more detail; my version corrects a couple
of errors in his scripts.
David A. Desrosiers, Synchronize your PalmOS® Handheld
over Bluetooth in Linux, http://howto.pilot-link.org/bluesync/.
While some of the information is old, and doesn't cover Debian
GNU/Linux specifically, this document is long and rich and
contains much background information which is extremely helpful.
Werner Heuser, Linux PDA & Handheld Compatibility
Survey:
Handspring, http://tuxmobil.org/pda_survey_handspring.html.
Additional HOWTOs and references for the Treo, among others.
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