Import Vcf Contacts

Revision as of 23:32, 21 July 2008

Import for 2007.2

Basic Informations

Neo FreeRunner uses Evolution data server (eds) to save contacts. However, the specific version used differs from what is probably used on your desktop (if you have Evolution installed).

You cannot copy your addressbook.db from your desktop to Neo (bug 1119).

Import and Manage Scripts

If you want to import your old contacts to the Neo you could use this script:

Manage Contacts script mirror

If you first want to remove all existing contacts you could use this script.

remove all script

If you have all contacts in seperate vcf files and just want to import all at once:

Simple script

Simple script for one big contactsfile

(please add a .py after the filename, sorry my hoster gives an error if i link to .py files, even .py.txt)

Exporting old contacts to VCard format

To use the manage Script you need your Contacts in VCF format.

1. on nokia phones i used the nokia phone manager (long time ago)
2. on windows mobile phones you could use active sync to sync with Outlook and then use a Outlook export plugin to export as vcf
3. on lg phones the backup function to memory card creates one file with multiple VCards.

Usage

The script is for the 2007.2 Version (default install on Neo FreeRunner), not for Qtopia

You need Python to use this script so do a

opkg install python-dbus

to install python and the python dbus module

Manage Contacts Script

This script needs all contacts in one big file

You also could run this script on a ssh session!

1. Copy your big contacts file (contacts.txt) to your Neo
2. Copy script to your Neo
3. Connect via ssh to your Neo
4. Fix special chars in your contacts file with you favorite text editor
5. To import the file run on the SSH shell:

python manage-contacts.py load < contacts.txt

1. For a backup your existing contacts on the Neo

python manage-contacts.py dump > contacts.txt

Simple Script

You must run the script in the OM Terminal, not over ssh

The script does a listdir and imports ALL files it found in that dir. (i'm a bad python programmer)

1. Copy all vcf files to a separate directory on my freerunner
2. Copy the ac script to the parent directory also on my freerunner
3. Have the contacts program running (so you have eds running too)
4. Go to the terminal on the freerunner and type in the vcf directory: "python ../ac" (root@om-gta02:~/vcf# python ../ac)
   1. Note: You must call the script in the OM terminal not via Bluetooth or USB or you get a dbus error.
5. Done :D

Troubleshooting

• Make sure you have python and python-dbus installed
• Make sure you have no illegal chars (utf) in the filename and inside the vcf files. (I had problems with Ü,Ä etc)
  • The characters seem to work if you convert them from =C3=A4 type of format to proper UTF-8, and the vcards also specify UTF-8 charset. you cannot use other charsets besides UTF-8 since they are delivered via DBus which does not allow others.
• Only vcf files should be in your current directory so do a ../ac.
• You must call the script in the OM terminal not via Bluetooth or USB. If you do so a dbus error occur

Authors

• Simple script by smurfy - phil <openmoko at smurfy.de>
• Manage Contacts script by Roland Mas <lolando at debian.org>
• Remove all Contacts script / simple script for one big file by Andreas Dalsgaard <andreas.dalsgaard at gmail.com>

Thanks to Import_Sim_Contacts for the original Python Script.

Import for ASU/Qtopia

The Qtopia addressbook application suports import of VCF files out of the box:

/opt/Qtopia/bin/addressbook /home/root/addressbook.vcf

You will be asked if you want to import the contacts form addressbook.vcf.