
INTRODUCTION:

This is a bare bones utility to enable people who have Palm OS 
devices to sync to Mobile Application Link (MAL) compliant servers. 
AvantGo (www.avantgo.com) and Puma Technologies (www.pumatech.com) 
are the first two companies committing to producing servers which speak 
this protocol. This utility will allow a user to sync with multiple servers,
simultaneously or separately. The AvantGo.com service (www.avantgo.com) 
is the first such server.   

There is currently no way to set server parameters on the desktop; you 
need to use the MobileLink application on the device. 

MALSync only operates from the command line.  If you want to build it
into some Unix-based, HotSync-like GUI, more power to you. 

BINARIES:

Executables for MALSync on Linux, Solaris, and FreeBSD are available at
http://www.avantgo.com/download/unsupported/ (soon available)
or http://www.etpsoft.com/malsync.html

Whether you use the pre-existing binaries or build MALSync yourselves,
you will need the Palm OS applications.  Get these from
http://www.avantgo.com/download/unsupported/ and install to your Palm 
with either HotSync (MS Windows/Mac OS) or pilot-link (*nix). 
(note: this web page will be up Real Soon Now.  In the meanwhile,
the binary downloads for linux, solaris, and freeBSD each contain 
the PalmOS apps.)


COMPILING:

If you have this file, you presumably have the MAL distribution. If not
you need to get it from http://www.avantgo.com/mal/download.html. 

You also need the pilot-link distribution, which can be found at
ftp://ryeham.ee.ryerson.ca/pub/PalmOS/
Download the latest version. You need libpisock.a. You 
can either compile the whole thing and the library will be in 
libsock/.libs or you can just type "make libpisock.a" in 
the libsock directory (after running configure first).

Now you need to edit the Makefile in the mal/client/unix 
directory. Change "PILOT_LINK_DIR" to the appropriate 
directory.

It should all make and be happy. If not, send email to me or the 
mal-dev mailing list (see below).

RUNNING:

You need to set two environment variables:

PILOTRATE is the baud rate you want to use 

PILOTPORT is the port your handheld is connected to.

All this stuff is documented in the pilot link distribution.


USAGE: ./malsync command(s)

Where a command is one or more of: -p   proxy address
                                   -r   proxy port
                                   -u   proxy username
                                   -d   proxy password
                                   -s   socks proxy
                                   -o   socks port
                                   -h   prints this

The serial port to connect to may be specified by the PILOTPORT
environment variable. If not specified it will default to 
/dev/pilot 

The baud rate to connect with may be specified by the PILOTRATE
environment variable. If not specified, it will default to 9600.
Please use caution setting it to higher values, as several types
of workstations have problems with higher rates.


SUPPORT AND BUGS:

If it looks like you downloaded your channels, but you 
don't see anything when you open the AvantGo app, open
the MobileLink app on the device and choose "Reset Connection"
from the menu and sync again.
 
THIS PRODUCT IS NOT OFFICIALLY SUPPORTED BY AVANTGO.  IT IS 
PROVIDED AS IS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE *NIX COMMUNITY.

The pilot-unix mailing list can be investigated by sending 
email to pilot-unix-requests@lists.best.com with the body 
message "help".

The mal-dev mailing list is open to all MAL programmers.  Point
your browser to http://www.avantgo.com/mal/mailinglist.html to 
subscribe.  Use this forum for bug reports, questions, support, 
and so forth. 

Bugs, comments, etc. to tom@avantgo.com

