<chapter id="config-sync"> <title>Setting up your synchronization system</title> <para> Synchronization presents you with two issues you'll need to deal with. The first one is pretty simple: you'll need to get the data to move among the various devices you're using. If you've already got <application>Gnome-Pilot</application> working, then all you have to do is tell it to use the <application>Evolution</application> <glossterm>conduit</glossterm>. If you haven't used <application>Gnome-Pilot</application> before, you'll need to run the GNOME <application>Control Center</application> and go through the hand-held device setup assistant. Then you can select the Evolution conduit and press the hotsync button. </para> <para> If that doesn't work, jump up and down several times and swear loudly. Then make sure you've got <application>Gnome-Pilot</application> going to the right device (for my serial port, it's /dev/ttys0, not the default /dev/pilot) and that you have read and write permission on that device. If you don't, you'll need to be added to whatever group has those permissions (probably tty). </para> <para> Once <application>Evolution</application> knows how to get the mail, address, and calendar data, it needs to know what to do with it. When you synchronize your local data with the data on a server or handheld device, you may run into conflicts: perhaps you have ended up with two cards with the same name and different addresses, or old mail that has been deleted from one device but not the other. What if you want to keep only the a few contacts or messages on your hand-held or your laptop, but keep all the data server or your desktop machine? Select the <guibutton>Synchronization</guibutton> tab from the <interface>Preferences</interface> window to set up the conflict resolution preferences. </para> <para> You can set <application>Evolution</application>'s synchronization behavior in the following ways: <!-- LIST HERE --> </para> <para> <warning> <title>Data Loss Prevention</title> <para> It's always a good idea to make a backup. If you set your synchronization behaviors wrong, you could end up deleting the messages and cards you want to keep, and keeping the ones you want to delete. Before you change these preferences, make a backup of your the <systemitem><filename>evolution</filename></systemitem> directory. </para> </warning> </para> </chapter>