Re: [Bitpim-devel] Bitpim on MAC

[Roger B. <ro...@ro...>]

> 1) Can you supply to me, or to the Bitpim site a bp.py that is the
> latest version? (I cannot use the .rpm or the .exe, of course, but the
> .py file seems to actually work 

bp.py has been unchanged since almost the begining.  BitPim is actually
scattered across a rather large number of files, including code files,
images, help files etc

I recommend you work from CVS instead (details are on the developer
page).

The reason why there isn't a prepackaged Mac version is quite
simply because I don't have a Mac, and none of the Mac owners
have stepped forward to put the effort in to package it all
up.  There are no technical or other reasons why it hasn't
been done.

> (even though it seems targeted to the WinTel environment!)

Not in the slightest.  The only WinTel specific code deals with audio
format conversion and that is only because Qualcomm only releases
a binary for Windows.

All of the code is platform neutral although it does work around
various quirks on various platforms.

Actually I lied slightly.  You need to do right clicks in the
filesystem view.  I assume that works fine on multi-buttoned
Mac mice.  I have no idea what you do if you have a single
button.

> 2) I already have a Qualcom driver loaded. It directly conflicts with
> the python serial extensions (which have a BSD Un*x driver!) 

The Python serial extensions do not include a driver.  They are merely
a convenient way to access the ports from BitPim code without having
to deal with platform specific issues.  Things such as setting 
timeouts are quite horrid to deal with on each platform.

> This Qualcom driver allows OS-X to see
> the phone as a modem.

That isn't a Qualcomm driver.  What you are seeing is that the
phone's USB interface is actually a composite interface with
two sub interfaces.  One of them is a standard modem interface
and the Mac operating system (as well as Linux) have a default
driver interface for that.

The other interface is a bulk serial interface that you do need
special drivers for.  To my knowledge those drivers are only
available on Windows.  It is that interface (labelled "Diagnostic
Serial interface" on Windows drivers) which BitPim talks to.

The other alternative is to get a USB to serial interface, since
the serial interface in the phone combines access to the modem
interface and the diagnostics interface.

> Is there something that I can do (as a
> non-programmer) that can get you info that, knowing Bitpim, can assist
> me in going further towards an OS-X solution? 

If you work from CVS I would like to know about any bugs or 
other visual glitches.

Other than that, finding someone who has developer skills on a Mac
to make a bundled distribution.  They need to know how to make Mac
packages which I believe is a tool called Bundle Builder.  They
will also have to know all about Framework installs of libraries and
how to build the bundles off them.

Roger