P*Wcal 1.1 documentation

How does it work?

The pwcald process acts as a server just like pwcald. It waits for Palm Sync request. When you press the HotSync button of your Palm craddle, a Palm Sync request is sent to pwcald.

Before using pwcald, you need to install the pilot-link package.

Direct Sync

You can use pwcald to synchronize your Palm with Wcal by connecting your craddle directly to the server that runs wcald.

Your

Palm

----->
<-----
Your

craddle
--- serial -->
<-- cable ---
Wcal

server

If your craddle is connected to the serial port /dev/pilot for example, you can start pwcald by running: 

> pwcald /dev/pilot

Network Sync

You can use pwcald to synchronize several Palms with Wcal by using the Network HotSync. Craddles are connected on client PCs that are connected to the server that runs wcald by a TCP/IP network.

Your

Palm

----->
<-----
Your

craddle
--- serial -->
<-- cable ---
Your

PC

--- TCP/IP --->
<-- network ---
Wcal

server

The Network HotSync allows to synchronize your Palm with a distant server that runs wcald. You need to install the Network HotSync on your Palm (see NetSync).

Palm
1
        
 

        
 
PC
1
        
  		|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
         
 
Wcal

server

Palm
2
        
 

        
 
PC
2
        
 
Palm
3
        
 

        
 
PC
3
        
 

. . .
To detect network sync, you have to run pi-cds that comes with the pilot-link package: 
> pi-cds
pi-cds redirect all network sync request on a virtual port called '.'. So you have to run pwcald with this virtual port: 
> pwcald .
Note: You can have either a pwcald process waiting for a direct HotSync request and another one waiting for a Network HotSync running at the same time.

User authetication

When pwcald receives a Palm Sync request, the first operation is to get the user identity stored in the Palm to authenticate the user. The authentication allows to figure out which calendar must be synchronized with the Palm (see the password file). The authentication avoids illegal access to the calendars.

Sync session

When the user is authenticate by P*Wcal, the synchronization session begins. The sync session has four steps:
  1. Palm Address Book events to Wcal
  2. Wcal events to Palm Address Book
  3. Palm Todo events to Wcal
  4. Wcal Todo events to Palm Todo
For each step, P*Wcal extract events that have changed since the last HotSync. Those events can be sorted in four categories: The table below describes the differents actions done during each step of the sync session for each event type.

PalmP*Wcal 1.0WCal
1
created eventsPalm > Wcalcreate
modified eventsPalm > Wcalmodify
deleted eventsPalm > Wcaldelete
archived eventsPalm > Wcaldisable
2
createPalm < Wcalcreated events
modifyPalm < Wcalmodified events
deletePalm < Wcaldeleted events
deletePalm < Wcaldisabled events
3
created todosPalm > Wcalcreate
modified todosPalm > Wcalmodify
deleted todosPalm > Wcaldelete
archived todosPalm > Wcaldisable
4
createPalm < Wcalcreated todos
modifyPalm < Wcalmodified todos
deletePalm < Wcaldeleted todos
deletePalm < Wcaldisabled todos

At the end of the sync session, a report is written in the HotSync journal of the Palm. A typical HotSync report looks like: 

    P*Wcal: 24/08/2001 11:23:53
    ===========================
    Events      Wcal       Palm
    created     2          1
    modified    0          1
    deleted     1          3
    archived    2
    ===========================
A more detailed HTML report is generated and can be accessed from Wcal by clicking on
the Last Palm Sync: Friday 24 August 2001 11:23:53 icon at the top left corner of the week, month or year views.
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