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<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"><title>Chapter 30. Mobile Computing with Linux</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="susebooks.css" type="text/css"><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.75.2"><link rel="home" href="index.html" title="Documentation"><link rel="up" href="part.reference.mobility.html" title="Part VI. Mobility"><link rel="prev" href="part.reference.mobility.html" title="Part VI. Mobility"><link rel="next" href="cha.pmanage.html" title="Chapter 31. Power Management"></head><body bgcolor="white" text="black" link="#0000FF" vlink="#840084" alink="#0000FF"><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header" border="0" class="bctable"><tr><td width="80%"><div class="breadcrumbs"><p><a href="index.html"> Documentation</a><span class="breadcrumbs-sep"> > </span><a href="book.opensuse.reference.html">Reference</a><span class="breadcrumbs-sep"> > </span><a href="part.reference.mobility.html">Mobility</a><span class="breadcrumbs-sep"> > </span><strong><a accesskey="p" title="Part VI. Mobility" href="part.reference.mobility.html"><span>◀</span></a> <a accesskey="n" title="Chapter 31. Power Management" href="cha.pmanage.html"><span>▶</span></a></strong></p></div></td></tr></table></div><div class="chapter" title="Chapter 30. Mobile Computing with Linux"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title"><a name="cha.mobile"></a>Chapter 30. Mobile Computing with Linux<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#cha.mobile">¶</a></span></h2></div></div></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Contents</b></p><dl><dt><span class="sect1"><a href="cha.mobile.html#sec.mobile.nbook">30.1. Laptops</a></span></dt><dt><span class="sect1"><a href="cha.mobile.html#sec.mobile.hw">30.2. Mobile Hardware</a></span></dt><dt><span class="sect1"><a href="cha.mobile.html#sec.mobile.comm">30.3. Cellular Phones and PDAs</a></span></dt><dt><span class="sect1"><a href="cha.mobile.html#sec.mobile.info">30.4. For More Information</a></span></dt></dl></div><a class="indexterm" name="idx.mobility"></a><div class="abstract" title="Abstract"><p class="title"><b>Abstract</b></p><p>
Mobile computing is mostly associated with laptops, PDAs and cellular
phones (and the data exchange between them). Mobile hardware components,
such as external hard disks, flash drives, or digital cameras, can be
connected to laptops or desktop systems. A number of software components
are involved in mobile computing scenarios and some applications are
tailor-made for mobile use.
</p></div><div class="sect1" title="30.1. Laptops"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="sec.mobile.nbook"></a>30.1. Laptops<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#sec.mobile.nbook">¶</a></span></h2></div></div></div><a class="indexterm" name="idx.notebook"></a><a class="indexterm" name="id501188"></a><a class="indexterm" name="id501196"></a><a class="indexterm" name="id501205"></a><a class="indexterm" name="id501210"></a><p>
The hardware of laptops differs from that of a normal desktop system.
This is because criteria like exchangeability, space requirements and
power consumption must be taken into account. The manufacturers of mobile
hardware have developed standard interfaces like PCMCIA (Personal
Computer Memory Card International Association), Mini PCI and Mini PCIe
that can be used to extend the hardware of laptops. The standards cover
memory cards, network interface cards, ISDN (and modem cards) and
external hard disks.
</p><div class="tip"><table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" width="100%" summary="Tip: and Tablet PCs"><tr class="head"><td width="32"><img alt="[Tip]" src="admon/tip.png"></td><th align="left">openSUSE and Tablet PCs</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" align="left" valign="top"><p>
openSUSE also supports Tablet PCs. Tablet PCs come with a
touchpad/digitizer that allows you to use a digital pen or even
fingertips to edit data right on the screen instead of using mouse and
keyboard. They are installed and configured much like any other system.
For a detailed introduction to the installation and configuration of
Tablet PCs, refer to <a class="xref" href="cha.tablet.html" title="Chapter 33. Using Tablet PCs">Chapter 33, <i>Using Tablet PCs</i></a>.
</p></td></tr></table></div><div class="sect2" title="30.1.1. Power Conservation"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sec.mobile.powerm"></a>30.1.1. Power Conservation<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#sec.mobile.powerm">¶</a></span></h3></div></div></div><a class="indexterm" name="id501261"></a><a class="indexterm" name="id501270"></a><p>
The inclusion of energy-optimized system components during laptop
manufacturing contributes to their suitability for use without access to
the electrical power grid. Their contribution towards conservation of
power is at least as important as that of the operating system.
openSUSE® supports various methods that influence the power
consumption of a laptop and have varying effects on the operating time
under battery power. The following list is in descending order of
contribution towards power conservation:
</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" type="bullet"><li class="listitem" style="list-style-type: disc"><p>
Throttling the CPU speed.
</p></li><li class="listitem" style="list-style-type: disc"><p>
Switching off the display illumination during pauses.
</p></li><li class="listitem" style="list-style-type: disc"><p>
Manually adjusting the display illumination.
</p></li><li class="listitem" style="list-style-type: disc"><p>
Disconnecting unused, hotplug-enabled accessories (USB CD-ROM,
external mouse, unused PCMCIA cards, WLAN, etc.).
</p></li><li class="listitem" style="list-style-type: disc"><p>
Spinning down the hard disk when idling.
</p></li></ul></div><p>
Detailed background information about power management in openSUSE
is provided in <a class="xref" href="cha.pmanage.html" title="Chapter 31. Power Management">Chapter 31, <i>Power Management</i></a>.
<span>For more information desktop specific power
management, see the Section “Controlling Your Desktop’s Power Management” (Chapter 2, <i>Working with Your Desktop</i>, ↑GNOME User Guide) on
how to use the GNOME Power Manager. More information about the KDE power
management applet is available at
Chapter <i>Controlling Your Desktop’s Power Management</i> (↑KDE User Guide).</span>
</p></div><div class="sect2" title="30.1.2. Integration in Changing Operating Environments"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sec.mobile.nbook.change"></a>30.1.2. Integration in Changing Operating Environments<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#sec.mobile.nbook.change">¶</a></span></h3></div></div></div><a class="indexterm" name="id501375"></a><p>
Your system needs to adapt to changing operating environments when used
for mobile computing. Many services depend on the environment and the
underlying clients must be reconfigured. openSUSE handles this task
for you.
</p><div class="figure"><a name="fig.mobile.scpm"></a><p class="title"><b>Figure 30.1. Integrating a Mobile Computer in an Existing Environment</b><span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#fig.mobile.scpm">¶</a></span></p><div class="figure-contents"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="75%"><tr><td><img src="images/mobile_scpm.png" width="100%" alt="Integrating a Mobile Computer in an Existing Environment"></td></tr></table></div></div></div><br class="figure-break"><p>
The services affected in the case of a laptop commuting back and forth
between a small home network and an office network are:
</p><div class="variablelist"><dl><dt><span class="term">Network</span></dt><dd><p>
This includes IP address assignment, name resolution, Internet
connectivity and connectivity to other networks.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term">Printing</span></dt><dd><p>
A current database of available printers and an available print
server must be present, depending on the network.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term">E-Mail and Proxies</span></dt><dd><p>
As with printing, the list of the corresponding servers must be
current.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term">X (Graphical Environment)</span></dt><dd><p>
If your laptop is temporarily connected to a projector or an external
monitor, the different display configurations must be available.
</p></dd></dl></div><p>
openSUSE offers several ways of integrating laptops into existing
operating environments:
</p><div class="variablelist"><dl><dt><span class="term">NetworkManager</span></dt><dd><p>
<a class="indexterm" name="id501528"></a> <a class="indexterm" name="id501535"></a> NetworkManager is especially tailored for mobile networking on
laptops. It provides a means to easily and automatically switch
between network environments or different types of networks, such as
wireless LAN and Ethernet. NetworkManager supports WEP and WPA-PSK encryption
in wireless LANs. It also supports dial-up connections (with smpppd).
Both desktop environments (GNOME and KDE) include a front-end for
NetworkManager. For more information about the desktop applets, see
Section “Using KNetworkManager” (Chapter 5, <i>Using NetworkManager</i>, ↑Start-Up) and Section “Using GNOME NetworkManager Applet” (Chapter 5, <i>Using NetworkManager</i>, ↑Start-Up).
</p><div class="table"><a name="id501564"></a><p class="title"><b>Table 30.1. Use Cases for NetworkManager</b></p><div class="table-contents"><table summary="Use Cases for NetworkManager" border="1"><colgroup><col><col></colgroup><thead><tr><th>
<p>
My computer…
</p>
</th><th>
<p>
Use NetworkManager
</p>
</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>
<p>
is a laptop
</p>
</td><td>
<p>
Yes
</p>
</td></tr><tr><td>
<p>
is sometimes attached to different networks
</p>
</td><td>
<p>
Yes
</p>
</td></tr><tr><td>
<p>
provides network services (such as DNS or DHCP)
</p>
</td><td>
<p>
No
</p>
</td></tr><tr><td>
<p>
only uses a static IP address
</p>
</td><td>
<p>
No
</p>
</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br class="table-break"><p>
Use the YaST tools to configure networking whenever NetworkManager should not
handle network configuration.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term">SLP</span></dt><dd><p>
<a class="indexterm" name="id501699"></a> <a class="indexterm" name="id501710"></a> The service location protocol (SLP) simplifies the
connection of a laptop to an existing network. Without SLP, the
administrator of a laptop usually requires detailed knowledge of the
services available in a network. SLP broadcasts the availability of a
certain type of service to all clients in a local network.
Applications that support SLP can process the information dispatched
by SLP and be configured automatically. SLP can even be used for the
installation of a system, sparing the effort of searching for a
suitable installation source. Find detailed information about SLP in
<a class="xref" href="cha.slp.html" title="Chapter 22. SLP Services in the Network">Chapter 22, <i>SLP Services in the Network</i></a>.
</p></dd></dl></div></div><div class="sect2" title="30.1.3. Software Options"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sec.mobile.nbook.soft"></a>30.1.3. Software Options<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#sec.mobile.nbook.soft">¶</a></span></h3></div></div></div><p>
There are various special task areas in mobile use that are covered by
dedicated software: system monitoring (especially the battery charge),
data synchronization, and wireless communication with peripherals and
the Internet. The following sections cover the most important
applications that openSUSE provides for each task.
</p><div class="sect3" title="30.1.3.1. System Monitoring"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="sec.mobile.nbook.soft.mon"></a>30.1.3.1. System Monitoring<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#sec.mobile.nbook.soft.mon">¶</a></span></h4></div></div></div><a class="indexterm" name="id501765"></a><p>
Two KDE system monitoring tools are provided by openSUSE:
</p><div class="variablelist"><dl><dt><span class="term">KPowersave</span></dt><dd><p>
<a class="indexterm" name="id501791"></a> <a class="indexterm" name="id501802"></a> KPowersave is an applet that displays the state of the
rechargeable battery in the control panel. The icon adjusts to
represent the type of power supply. When working on AC power, a
small plug icon is displayed. When working on batteries, the icon
changes to a battery.
</p><p>
Right-click the KPowersave tray icon to access options to configure
KPowersave behavior. You can choose one of four listed schemes,
according to your needs. For example, the
<span class="guimenu">Presentation</span> scheme disables the screen saver and
the power management in general, so that your presentation is not
interrupted by system events. You can also tell the system what to
do if, for example, you close the laptop lid or press the power
button.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term">KSysguard</span></dt><dd><p>
<a class="indexterm" name="id501838"></a> <a class="indexterm" name="id501849"></a> KSysguard is an independent application that gathers
all measurable parameters of the system into one monitoring
environment. KSysguard has monitors for ACPI (battery status), CPU
load, network, partitioning and memory usage. It can also watch and
display all system processes. The presentation and filtering of the
collected data can be customized. It is possible to monitor
different system parameters in various data pages or collect the
data of various machines in parallel over the network. KSysguard can
also run as a daemon on machines without a KDE environment. Find
more information about this program in its integrated help function
or in the SUSE help pages.
</p></dd></dl></div><p>
In the GNOME desktop, use GNOME Power Management and System Monitor
applications.
</p></div><div class="sect3" title="30.1.3.2. Synchronizing Data"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="sec.mobile.nbook.soft.sync"></a>30.1.3.2. Synchronizing Data<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#sec.mobile.nbook.soft.sync">¶</a></span></h4></div></div></div><p>
When switching between working on a mobile machine disconnected from
the network and working at a networked workstation in an office, it is
necessary to keep processed data synchronized across all instances.
This could include e-mail folders, directories and individual files
that need to be present for work on the road as well as at the office.
The solution in both cases is as follows:
</p><div class="variablelist"><dl><dt><span class="term">Synchronizing E-Mail</span></dt><dd><p>
<a class="indexterm" name="id501904"></a> <a class="indexterm" name="id501915"></a> Use an IMAP account for storing your e-mails in the
office network. Then access the e-mails from the workstation using
any disconnected IMAP–enabled e-mail client, like Mozilla
Thunderbird Mail, Evolution, or KMail<span> as
described in GNOME User Guide (↑GNOME User Guide) and
KDE User Guide (↑KDE User Guide)</span>. The e-mail client must be
configured so that the same folder is always accessed for
<code class="literal">Sent messages</code>. This ensures that all messages are
available along with their status information after the
synchronization process has completed. Use an SMTP server
implemented in the mail client for sending messages instead of the
systemwide MTA postfix or sendmail to receive reliable feedback
about unsent mail.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term">Synchronizing Files and Directories</span></dt><dd><p>
<a class="indexterm" name="id501964"></a> There are several utilities suitable for synchronizing
data between a laptop and a workstation. <span>For
detailed information, refer to
<a class="xref" href="cha.filetrans.html" title="Chapter 34. Copying and Sharing Files">Chapter 34, <i>Copying and Sharing Files</i></a>.</span>
</p></dd></dl></div></div><div class="sect3" title="30.1.3.3. Wireless Communication"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="sec.mobile.nbook.soft.wlan"></a>30.1.3.3. Wireless Communication<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#sec.mobile.nbook.soft.wlan">¶</a></span></h4></div></div></div><a class="indexterm" name="id501999"></a><p>
As well as connecting to a home or office network with a cable, a
laptop can also wirelessly connect to other computers, peripherals,
cellular phones or PDAs. Linux supports three types of wireless
communication:
</p><div class="variablelist"><dl><dt><span class="term">WLAN</span></dt><dd><p>
<a class="indexterm" name="id502028"></a> <a class="indexterm" name="id502039"></a> With the largest range of these wireless technologies,
WLAN is the only one suitable for the operation of large and
sometimes even spatially disjointed networks. Single machines can
connect with each other to form an independent wireless network or
access the Internet. Devices called <span class="emphasis"><em>access
points</em></span> act as base stations for WLAN-enabled devices and
act as intermediaries for access to the Internet. A mobile user can
switch among access points depending on location and which access
point is offering the best connection. Like in cellular telephony, a
large network is available to WLAN users without binding them to a
specific location for accessing it. Find details about WLAN in
<a class="xref" href="cha.wireless.wlan.html" title="Chapter 32. Wireless LAN">Chapter 32, <i>Wireless LAN</i></a>.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term">Bluetooth</span></dt><dd><p>
<a class="indexterm" name="id502076"></a> <a class="indexterm" name="id502087"></a> Bluetooth has the broadest application spectrum of all
wireless technologies. It can be used for communication between
computers (laptops) and PDAs or cellular phones, as can IrDA. It can
also be used to connect various computers within range. Bluetooth is
also used to connect wireless system components, like a keyboard or
mouse. The range of this technology is, however, not sufficient to
connect remote systems to a network. WLAN is the technology of
choice for communicating through physical obstacles like walls.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term">IrDA</span></dt><dd><p>
<a class="indexterm" name="id502114"></a> <a class="indexterm" name="id502126"></a> IrDA is the wireless technology with the shortest
range. Both communication parties must be within viewing distance of
each other. Obstacles like walls cannot be overcome. One possible
application of IrDA is the transmission of a file from a laptop to a
cellular phone. The short path from the laptop to the cellular phone
is then covered using IrDA. The long range transport of the file to
the recipient of the file is handled by the mobile network. Another
application of IrDA is the wireless transmission of printing jobs in
the office.
</p></dd></dl></div></div></div><div class="sect2" title="30.1.4. Data Security"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sec.mobile.nbook.sec"></a>30.1.4. Data Security<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#sec.mobile.nbook.sec">¶</a></span></h3></div></div></div><a class="indexterm" name="id502154"></a><a class="indexterm" name="id502163"></a><a class="indexterm" name="id502171"></a><p>
Ideally, you protect data on your laptop against unauthorized access in
multiple ways. Possible security measures can be taken in the following
areas:
</p><div class="variablelist"><dl><dt><span class="term">Protection against Theft</span></dt><dd><p>
Always physically secure your system against theft whenever possible.
Various securing tools (like chains) are available in retail stores.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term">Strong Authentication</span></dt><dd><p>
Use biometric authentication in addition to standard authentication
via login and password. openSUSE supports fingerprint
authentication. For more details, see
Chapter <i>Using the Fingerprint Reader</i> (↑Security Guide).
</p></dd><dt><span class="term">Securing Data on the System</span></dt><dd><p>
Important data should not only be encrypted during transmission, but
also on the hard disk. This ensures its safety in case of theft. The
creation of an encrypted partition with openSUSE is described in
Chapter <i>Encrypting Partitions and Files</i> (↑Security Guide). Another possibility is to
create encrypted home directories when adding the user with YaST.
</p><div class="important"><table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" width="100%" summary="Important: Data Security and Suspend to Disk"><tr class="head"><td width="32"><img alt="[Important]" src="admon/important.png"></td><th align="left">Data Security and Suspend to Disk</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" align="left" valign="top"><p>
Encrypted partitions are not unmounted during a suspend to disk
event. Thus, all data on these partitions is available to any party
who manages to steal the hardware and issue a resume of the hard
disk.
</p></td></tr></table></div></dd><dt><span class="term">Network Security</span></dt><dd><p>
Any transfer of data should be secured, no matter how the transfer is
done. Find general security issues regarding Linux and networks in
Chapter <i>Security and Confidentiality</i> (↑Security Guide). Security measures related to
wireless networking are provided in
<a class="xref" href="cha.wireless.wlan.html" title="Chapter 32. Wireless LAN">Chapter 32, <i>Wireless LAN</i></a>.
</p></dd></dl></div><a class="indexterm" name="id502288"></a></div></div><div class="sect1" title="30.2. Mobile Hardware"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="sec.mobile.hw"></a>30.2. Mobile Hardware<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#sec.mobile.hw">¶</a></span></h2></div></div></div><a class="indexterm" name="id502306"></a><a class="indexterm" name="id502315"></a><a class="indexterm" name="id502324"></a><a class="indexterm" name="id502332"></a><a class="indexterm" name="id502341"></a><a class="indexterm" name="id502349"></a><a class="indexterm" name="id502354"></a><a class="indexterm" name="id502362"></a><a class="indexterm" name="id502371"></a><p>
openSUSE supports the automatic detection of mobile storage devices
over FireWire (IEEE 1394) or USB. The term <span class="emphasis"><em>mobile storage
device</em></span> applies to any kind of FireWire or USB hard disk, USB
flash drive, or digital camera. These devices are automatically detected
and configured as soon as they are connected with the system over the
corresponding interface. The file managers of both GNOME and KDE offer
flexible handling of mobile hardware items. To unmount any of these media
safely, use the <span class="guimenu">Safely Remove</span> (KDE) or
<span class="guimenu">Unmount</span> (GNOME) feature of either file manager.
<span>The handling of removable media by your desktop
is described in more detail in GNOME User Guide (↑GNOME User Guide) and
KDE User Guide (↑KDE User Guide).</span>
</p><div class="variablelist"><dl><dt><span class="term">External Hard Disks (USB and FireWire)</span></dt><dd><p>
As soon as an external hard disk is correctly recognized by the
system, its icon appears in the file manager. Clicking the icon
displays the contents of the drive. It is possible to create folders
and files here and edit or delete them. To rename a hard disk from the
name it had been given by the system, select the corresponding menu
item from the menu that opens when the icon is right-clicked. This
name change is limited to display in the file manager. The descriptor
by which the device is mounted in <code class="filename">/media</code> remains
unaffected by this.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term">USB Flash Drives</span></dt><dd><p>
These devices are handled by the system just like external hard disks.
It is similarly possible to rename the entries in the file manager.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term">Digital Cameras (USB and FireWire)</span></dt><dd><p>
Digital cameras recognized by the system also appear as external
drives in the overview of the file manager. KDE allows reading and
accessing the pictures at the URL <a class="ulink" href="camera:/" target="_top">camera:/</a>
. The images can then be processed using digiKam or f-spot. For
advanced photo processing, use GIMP. For a short introduction to
digiKam, f-spot and GIMP, see Chapter <i>Managing Your Digital Image Collection with DigiKam</i> (↑Application Guide),
Chapter <i>F-Spot: Managing Your Digital Image Collection</i> (↑Application Guide) and Chapter <i>Manipulating Graphics with GIMP</i> (↑Application Guide).
</p></dd></dl></div></div><div class="sect1" title="30.3. Cellular Phones and PDAs"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="sec.mobile.comm"></a>30.3. Cellular Phones and PDAs<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#sec.mobile.comm">¶</a></span></h2></div></div></div><a class="indexterm" name="id502507"></a><a class="indexterm" name="id502515"></a><a class="indexterm" name="id502524"></a><a class="indexterm" name="id502529"></a><p>
A desktop system or a laptop can communicate with a cellular phone via
Bluetooth or IrDA. Some models support both protocols and some only one
of the two. The usage areas for the two protocols and the corresponding
extended documentation has already been mentioned in
<a class="xref" href="cha.mobile.html#sec.mobile.nbook.soft.wlan" title="30.1.3.3. Wireless Communication">Section 30.1.3.3, “Wireless Communication”</a>. The configuration of
these protocols on the cellular phones themselves is described in their
manuals.
</p><p>
<a class="indexterm" name="id502549"></a> <a class="indexterm" name="id502560"></a> <a class="indexterm" name="id502571"></a> <a class="indexterm" name="id502579"></a> The support for synchronizing with handheld devices
manufactured by Palm, Inc., is already built into Evolution and Kontact.
Initial connection with the device is, in both cases, easily performed
with the assistance of a wizard. Once the support for Palm Pilots is
configured, it is necessary to determine which type of data should be
synchronized (addresses, appointments, etc.). <span>
For more information, see GNOME User Guide (↑GNOME User Guide) and
KDE User Guide (↑KDE User Guide).</span>
</p><p>
A more sophisticated synchronization solution is available with the
program <code class="literal">opensync</code> (see packages libopensync, msynctool
and the respective plug-ins for the different devices).
</p></div><div class="sect1" title="30.4. For More Information"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="sec.mobile.info"></a>30.4. For More Information<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#sec.mobile.info">¶</a></span></h2></div></div></div><p>
The central point of reference for all questions regarding mobile devices
and Linux is <a class="ulink" href="http://tuxmobil.org/" target="_top">http://tuxmobil.org/</a>. Various sections of
that Web site deal with the hardware and software aspects of laptops,
PDAs, cellular phones and other mobile hardware.
</p><p>
A similar approach to that of <a class="ulink" href="http://tuxmobil.org/" target="_top">http://tuxmobil.org/</a> is made
by <a class="ulink" href="http://www.linux-on-laptops.com/" target="_top">http://www.linux-on-laptops.com/</a>. Information about
laptops and handhelds can be found here.
</p><p>
SUSE maintains a mailing list in German dedicated to the subject of
laptops. See
<a class="ulink" href="http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-mobile-de/" target="_top">http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-mobile-de/</a>. On this
list, users and developers discuss all aspects of mobile computing with
openSUSE. Postings in English are answered, but the majority of the
archived information is only available in German. Use
<a class="ulink" href="http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-mobile/" target="_top">http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-mobile/</a> for English
postings.
</p><p>
Information about <code class="literal">OpenSync</code> is available on
<a class="ulink" href="http://en.opensuse.org/OpenSync" target="_top">http://en.opensuse.org/OpenSync</a>.
</p><a class="indexterm" name="id502679"></a></div></div><div class="navfooter"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer" border="0" class="bctable"><tr><td width="80%"><div class="breadcrumbs"><p><a href="index.html"> Documentation</a><span class="breadcrumbs-sep"> > </span><a href="book.opensuse.reference.html">Reference</a><span class="breadcrumbs-sep"> > </span><a href="part.reference.mobility.html">Mobility</a><span class="breadcrumbs-sep"> > </span><strong><a accesskey="p" title="Part VI. Mobility" href="part.reference.mobility.html"><span>◀</span></a> <a accesskey="n" title="Chapter 31. Power Management" href="cha.pmanage.html"><span>▶</span></a></strong></p></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>
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