SynCE + SynCE-KDE + syncekonnector HOWTO under Debian Linux

Serhan D. KIYMAZ

serhan@serotizm.com

www.serotizm.com/howtos






Introduction:

If you have any correction, ideas, comments about this how to, you can contact me.


I wrote this how to to sum up all necessary information about synchronizing Windows Mobile 2003 device with KDE KAddressBook and KOrginizer under Debian. Because there not much information about this issue.


Here are the applications that we will use:


1- SynCE + SynCE-KDE Install

SynCE installation is simple because Debian has a synce package.


apt-get install synce synce-dccm synce-kde synce-kde-dev synce-serial librra0 libsynce0 libsynce0-dev


That's enough for SynCE. Now you'll be able to browse in your mobile device with the help of Raki and Rapip. But for the moment we can't synchronize with KDE apps. We need syncekonnector to do this.


You'll need synce-kde 0.8.3-1 if you're running KDE 3.5, earlier versions crashes when you connect to the device.


2- SynCE Libraries Install

Now starting tricky part. Before we compile syncekonnector we need to install SynCE libraries. These libraries are;


syncekonnector compilation will fail if we can't install these libraries successfully. We will use CVS versions of some apps.



2.1- libmimedir

We will download libmimedir 0.4.


mkdir synce

wget http://heanet.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/synce/libmimedir-0.4.tar.gz

tar -xzvf libmimedir-0.4.tar.gz

cd libmimedir-0.4

./configure

make

make install


2.2- synce-rra

We will get synce-rra source from the CVS. This is one of the most critical application to connect mobile device via Multisynk. tar archive from http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=30550&package_id=22569 gives compilation errors. So I prefer to install CVS version.


cd ..

cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/synce co -P rra

cd rra

./bootstrap

./configure

make

make install


2.3- synce-librapi2

Install synce-librapi2;


cd ..

cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/synce co -P librapi2

cd librapi2

./bootstrap

./configure

make

make install


2.4- synce-libsynce


cd ..

cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/synce co -P libsynce

cd librapi2

./bootstrap

./configure

make

make install



3- syncekonnector Installation

This is the plug-in to connect Multisynk to mobile device for synchronizing with KDE apps.

First we need some plugins;


cd ..

apt-get install kdepim kdepim-dev kdepim-dbg


We still need something... syncekonnector looks for a file called kpimprefs.h. It must be in kdepim or kdepim-dev. But I couldn't find it. So;


wget http://ftp.debian.org/debian/pool/main/k/kdepim/kdepim_3.5.0.orig.tar.gz

tar -xzvf kdepim_3.5.0.orig.tar.gz

cd kdepim-3.5.0.orig

tar -jxvf kdepim-3.5.0.tar.bz2

cd kdepim-3.5.0

mv libkdepim /usr/include/kde


We just need to move libkdepim folder to KDE include folder (it's /usr/include/kde if you installed KDE with apt). We don't need to compile or install kdepim or libkdepim.


Now we will get syncekonnector from CVS.


cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/synce co -P konnector


But there's a problem with the code. It gives “Can't find libksync.so” error and exists while compilation. So open syncekonnector/configure.in.in file with you favorite editor and replace the contents with the lines below (Don't take start/end lines);


------ Start of configure.in.in ------

SYNCE_CHECK_RRA


LIB_KABC_FILE="-lkabc_file"

AC_SUBST(LIB_KABC_FILE)


LIB_KONNECTOR="-lkonnector"

AC_SUBST(LIB_KONNECTOR)


LIB_KSYNC="-lksync"

AC_SUBST(LIB_KSYNC)


KITCHENSYNC_INCLUDES="-I$kde_includes/kitchensync"

AC_SUBST(KITCHENSYNC_INCLUDES)

------ End of configure.in.in ------


Now we're ready...


Do:

./bootstrap

./configure –prefix=/usr

make

make install


prefix is the folder that syncekonnector plug-in will be installed. If you give prefix as /usr, plug-in will installed in /usr/lib


That's all :)


How To Use SynCE?


First you have to say your computer that you have a mobile device. Connect device to the USB port and run the commd below. You'll do this only for once. Not everytime that you plug your device.


synce-serial-config ttyS0


Now let's connect device to computer.

Start Raki from KDE menu.


Run command below as root;

synce-serial-start


It will ask if you want to use vdccm or dccm. Select vdccm. You can see additional information with vdccm.

Raki will ask for a password if your device is password protected.

If Raki icon is colorful in taskbar, your device is successfully connected. Left click on the Raki icon. You see your device name.

Now you can install CAB files to your device, browse in it, remove software, see memory and power status.


By the way, don't forget your device name, we need it later.


How To Use Multisynk and syncekonnector?


Now disconnect your device from the USB cable and exit Raki.

In terminal kill vdccm as root;


killall -HUP vdccm (ignore errors)


Now connect your device to the USB cable again. Run command below as normal user;


vdccm -p xxxx

xxx is the password that you use for your device. Type only vdccm if your device is not password protected.


Run synce-serial-start again as root.


Open Multisynk and add new synchronizing pair. Select SynCE Konnector for the first plugin. Click options button at the right and type your device name.

Select Local Konnector for the second plugin and click options button. Select your addressbook and calendar files (they will be listed in the box).

Click OK button.


You synchronizing pair have been added.

Click Synchronize button and VOILA!

Hint: Don't run Multisynk at the same time with Raki.