Friday, January 27, 2006
Synchronize contacts with Mozilla Thunderbird
As we know our Palm is compatible with Outlook, and actually works very well. However, using Mozilla Thunderbird to manage your mail, like me, miss unless the option to synchronize your contacts from the Palm with a list of contacts of this program. Well, there was no reason to resign, as there is an extension that will allow us to do just that. I warn that if you activate the synchronization of contacts with Thunderbird will turn off sync with the Palm Desktop, so we must choose one or the other.
Thunderbird mail client is a free, free and highly configurable
These are the steps you must follow:
- We install the extension of Thunderbird PalmSync. It is found in this directory, and has both for Thunderbird version 1.0 for the recent 1.5. The file is called palmsync.xpi. If you downloaded with Firefox we must be careful not to choose "install" because it is not an extension of Firefox, but Thunderbird. We chose to download and store it in our computer.
- Now go down another extension, Contacts Sidebar, which will add a list of our contacts in the main window of the Thunderbird, Outlook style. Also the store without installing it.
- We opened our Thunderbird and go to "Tools-> Plugins-> Install", we installed PalmSync, choosing the file that we have fallen to the top.
- In the same way we installed Contacts Sidebar.
- We close and open Thunderbird, which charge for new extensions. Should be activated without problems. We already have the Thunderbird set.
- Now we must turn the conduit in the Hotsync Manager. We right-click its icon in the toolbar of the system (beside the clock in the taskbar). We chose the menu that appears in the "Customize ...". This opens a list of channels that we have installed. The interests us is Mozilla Address Book, which was created when installing PalmSync. Is off by default. So what we select and click "Change ..." and choose "Synchronize the files". Also activate "Set as default", so that the change is stored beyond the first Hotsync.
- As I said, we must also turn in the same way (option "Do Nothing" and "Set as default"), through the contacts, because if we do not interfere between the two and get an error when the Hotsync. Watch as the other conduits Memos, Calendar, Tasks ... are activated, because to me I was defused at a time that the contacts and do not want that.
At this point you're all ready. Now we just have to do a Hotsync for synchronizing contacts from the Palm with Thunderbird. I recommend that do a backup of contacts first, so it could move on. For example, you can use MozBackup.
After trying a few times, I have concluded that it is better to make changes in Thunderbird and then synchronize, as the data created on the Palm and then transferred to the PC have problems with non-English characters such as accents. Once we get to have everything in the categories we want, it works very well. The categories we have on the Palm, will be the same that are created in the address book from Thunderbird.
I hope you work as well as me. At last we can use the free Thunderbird miss her synchronization of contacts with the Palm. You can find an article on the same topic here. For any questions or corrections, you have at your disposal the comments.
Published: It seems that with the latest versions of Thunderbird, the extension is not installed correctly. You can do so manually renaming the file. Xpi to. Zip, and extracting the contents normally, as explained in this forum.
By: Mark Gonzalez Troyes in Palm Tricks
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Great, simply great. Since I insinuate it in my blog, I've been waiting for. I've tried and I've had some problemillas with some characters, as you well commented.
But anyway, I prefer to manage contacts with the Palm Desktop is a pity that no one can have with the 2 at a time (Palm Desktop and thunderbird) can be synchronized with the 2 programs?
Greetings,
Je, je, we had a bit of suspense.
I guess the Hotsync only lets you define a conduit for working with the contacts, hence the need for exclusivity. I think about it because neither can take the time to sync with the Palm Desktop and Outlook.
What I do is to use the Palm Desktop, but every now and then synchronize with the Thunderbird. My contacts do not change as often as to need a lot of sync, but neither do I lose the comfort of change in the Thunderbird, and then put them in the Palm of a stroke, instead of writing one by one.
Not bad your suggestion, as well say, the contacts do not usually change continuously but will be added from time to time.
As such, it proved in the manner you say.
Greetings,
Dear Mark ... consultation as sync contacts with Palm Desktop thunderbird? There is a tool? agradeecido
Hello Csimon. No, it does not seem to have this tool, it would be very useful. Like you, I'm waiting to have someone with sufficient knowledge to make
I took him out for not having to type in a one contacts in the Palm and not have to constantly look at mail when a new boss. But my intention was to continue using Palm Desktop by that calendar, notes, ... you can not manage with Thunderbird.
However I have come across a serious problem. And it is that I do not know how to do now that I synchronize with Paloma Desktop as before.
I would appreciate it if someone put a cord, because I can not update my data. If you do not need to remove it ok, if it is possible to maintain both systems, ideal, but if I have to sacrifice one, as I already have almost everything that interests me, that is, in Thunderbird, I prefer to forego the synchronization with the latter.
Thank you.
Hello Xavis, to turn off synchronization with Thunderbird, and reactivate it with Palm Desktop, just click right in the HotSync Manager icon (near the Windows clock) and choose Customize. " There can do it without problems.
Mozilla is the conduit of "Mozilla Address Book," to give "Change ..." and "Do nothing." Remember to activate the "Set as default" to save the change for ever, not only for the first hotsync. Turn on "Contacts" in the same way again synchronize with Palm Desktop. I think you can only have one active at a time.
Greetings.
Marcos Thanks for your advice, but I have already repeated the process zillions of times and neither of these.
I have the "do nothing" in "Mozilla Address Book" and "synchronize the files" on "Contacts", both as "default", but does not synchronize anything.
If that's the right way to do it and not going to be something else that is wrong But what?
That is the question of a million.
Thank you.
Something strange happens then. If not resolved obsessions and do not try to restart the PC, and if it continues to fail, uninstall and reinstall Palm Desktop.
Well, so far everything was going well, but with the latest release of Thunderbird (1.5.0.7) PalmSync has stopped working. Someone has an alternative solution?