K700i & Linux

This page describes the use of a Sony Ericsson K700i mobile with Linux.

Testbed:

• Samsung P30 notebook with built-in IRDA, running Debian SID and Kernel 2.6.9
• Conceptronics CBT100U Bluetooth USB dongle
• Sony Ericsson K700i mobile with firmware R2AE033

Working:

• Bluetooth and IRDA connections
• Syncing contacts, tasks and the calendar with Evolution
• Uploading / downloading mp3's, pictures, screensavers etc.
• Direct access to all files on the phone which are not locked by the firmware

Connecting with IRDA

After enabling the IRDA port on my notebook (/etc/init.d/irda start) and the K700i, placing the mobile in front of the IRDA diode was enough for the phone to be detected. irdadump showed the following:

18:45:32.222109 xid:rsp b07e5840 <dl 000017af S=6 s=4 K700 \
series hint=9124 [ PnP Modem IrCOMM IrOBEX ] (28)
				

At this point it is already possible to sync against Evolution with MultiSync, browse all folders on the phone with obexftp (this is a pain, though) and upload files with irxfer.

Connecting with Bluetooth

If you have a properly configured Bluetooth subsystem installed on your PC, this is by far the easiest way to connect to your phone. Just enable Bluetooth on your PC and on the K700i and you are ready to go. It Just Works (TM)

If you are one of the last die-hard IRDA users out there, I think you really should go and get yourself a Bluetooth dongle. They are dirt cheap these days and are so much more comfortable to use than IRDA, you can trust me on this one :)

Syncing with MutliSync

Syncing against Evolution or another Multisync compatible device, like a PDA or another mobile is straightforward. On the phone side, configure MultiSync as follows:

• Select IrMC Mobile Device
• Click Options
• Set the connection type to Ir or Bluetooth
• Click Search for units
• Accept the settings
• Done

I've uploaded some screenshots of Bluetooth and IRDA configurations.

Useful applications for handling files on your mobile

IRDA users can beam files to the phone with irxfer from the openobex-apps package. Bluetooth users can use (the rather crude) obexftp to upload and download files. However, the best solution is to install the gnome-bluetooth package. It adds a "Send via Bluetooth" entry into the context menu of nautilus.

Another very interesting program is the kdebluetooth package. It adds bluetooth support for Konqueror. You can actually browse all folders of your phone and upload / download / delete all your files :) Kdebluetooth even allows you to beam files from your phone to your PC!

Both programs offer unofficial Debian SID packages on their homepages.

Editing sound files

The sound format support of the K700i is somewhat limited. If sound files are not encoded in a way the K700i understands (be it .wav or .mp3) the files can't be played or sound damaged.
If you encounter such a file, here's a lame encoder command to convert any files to mp3 with known-good settings:

lame -b 128 --resample 44.1 -m mono -q 7 \
$Source-File $Output-File.mp3	
				

The resulting mp3 file will have the following settings:

• 128Kbs
• 44.1KHz
• Low Quality
• Mono

Please use -b 128 only as a last resort. Resulting files will be huge.

Check out my K700i theme page :)