Joel Rosenberg wrote: >On Friday 22 February 2002 09:23 pm, you wrote: > >>My original Palm Pilot just bit the dust, and I want to replace it >>with something that will interface well with Linux. I'm interested in >>hearing about what kinds of handhelds people in the Linux world are >>using, and how well they interface with Linux. >> >>So I'd appreciate anyone responding with stories about what you have >>and what you like or don't like about it. >> >>In particular, I've been considering one of the Handspring Visor >>models. Does anyone have any experience, positive or negative, with >>them? >> > >I finally got my Visor, with USB port, working with Linux, but it only works >-- for me -- with jpilot and coldsync, as opposed to kpilot. Didn't do >anything special -- the upgrade to Mandrake 8.1 was what did it. > >I haven't yet spent the time or trouble to try to get the Avantgo-type >clients working. > >Not nearly as neat as the integration with Outlook -- and I can't get it to >sync with Evolution -- but jpilot, while fairly primitive, does have the >essential functions. > >I'd give it a B-. > As a fellow Visor/USB user, I'd just like to note how *weird* the Visor system setup is. The reason it won't work with kpilot, for example, is that the Visor USB device doesn't "exist" from your kernel's point of view except for the brief window of time when the Visor is actively attempting to sync with the box. I have actually gotten kpilot to grab some backup data, but it's an exercise in hand-eye coordination, as you have to hit the hotsync button, then start kpilotd *and* kpilot, and order kpilot to start a backup, all before the Visor kernel module decides there's nobody home (which takes about 3 seconds, long before the Visor itself times out). Even with jpilot, which I find to be a reasonable replacement for the Palm Desktop software, one must 1)fire up jpilot and position the mouse pointer over the 'sync' button, 2)hit the hotsync button on the cradle, and 3)hit 'sync' in the 3-second window while the device exists, and before the connection gets wonky! I love my Visor, would love an iPaq running Linux on a microdrive or one of the new Sharp Zauruses more. But, if you go with a Visor, I would humbly suggest getting an extra serial-port hotsync cradle. The data transfer may be slower, but the number of headaches you avoid by having a /dev/pilot that is actually present on the system at all times might be worth it.