Welcome to c/Palm, the Fediverse hub for everything related to Palm OS, webOS, and classic handhelds—including PalmPilot, Handspring Visor, Sony CLIÉ, Treo, Centro, Palm Pre/Pixi, HP TouchPad, Garmin iQue, and AlphaSmart.

Below is a living directory of software archives, emulators, synchronization tools, and hardware preservation resources. Have a favorite link, obscure .prc, or repair guide that isn’t listed? Drop it in the comments below and I’ll add it to the list!

📦 Software Archives & App Repositories

  • PalmDB (palmdb.net) — The largest modern community archive of Palm OS apps, games, ROMs, and restoration guides.
  • PalmArchive (palmarchive.com) — Curated preservation archive of classic Palm OS shareware, freeware, and documentation.
  • webOS Archive (webosarchive.org) — Home of App Museum II, Preware feeds, SDKs, and recovery tools (webOS Doctor) for Palm and HP webOS devices.
  • Sony CLIÉ Info & Drivers (sonyclie.org) — Essential drivers, MemoryStick utilities, and Sony-specific add-ons for CLIÉ handhelds.
  • Internet Archive: Tucows Palm Pilot Collection — Historical snapshot of thousands of classic .prc and .pdb installers. (link down)

🖥️ Emulators & Running Palm OS on Modern Gear

  • CloudPilot Emu — Accurate, open-source DragonBall (m68k) Palm OS emulator that runs right in your web browser, Android, or iOS device.
  • rePalm Project — An active effort to run native Palm OS 5 (Garnet) on modern ARM hardware and microcontrollers. (link down)
  • Mu (Palm OS Emulator) — Lightweight RetroArch/standalone emulator targeting Palm OS 4.x and 5.x devices.
  • POSE (Palm OS Emulator) & Palm OS Simulator — The original official debugging emulators for m68k (POSE) and ARM/OS 5 (Simulator). (link down)

🔄 HotSync & Desktop Connectivity

Linux

  • pilot-link & J-Pilot — The gold-standard native Linux CLI and GTK desktop suite for syncing databases, installing .prc/.pdb files (pilot-xfer), and managing contacts/memos.
  • Kernel Module Tip (visor) — Modern Linux kernels still include the visor USB driver (modprobe visor), which binds USB Palm cradles and cables to /dev/ttyUSB0 or /dev/ttyUSB1 when you press the physical HotSync button.
  • Serial Cradles — Standard FTDI or Prolific USB-to-RS232 adapters work out of the box with pilot-xfer -p /dev/ttyUSB0 -i app.prc.

Windows (10 / 11)

  • Palm Desktop 4.1.4e & 6.2 (PalmDB) — Official desktop software; 4.1.4e is generally preferred for older m68k devices, while 6.2 works well with newer Garnet devices.
  • 64-Bit USB Drivers — For 64-bit Windows systems where legacy USB drivers fail to install, use the signed Aceeca 64-bit USB drivers (bundled on PalmDB) or sync over Bluetooth, IR, or a USB-to-Serial cradle.

SD Card & Wireless Transfers (No Cradle Needed)

  • SD Card Slot (FileZ) — Copy .prc and .pdb files onto a FAT16-formatted SD card (2 GB or smaller for stock Palm OS) inside /PALM/Launcher/ and use FileZ on the handheld to move them into internal RAM.
  • PowerSDHC — A custom driver patch that unlocks 4 GB–32 GB SDHC card support on many Palm OS 5 devices (TX, LifeDrive, Treo 650/680, Tungsten T3/T5).

🛠️ Hardware Repair, Mods & Development

  • Palm Wiki (palm.wiki) — Everything Palm, all the time.
  • prc-tools-remix — Updated GCC toolchain for building C/C++ Palm OS applications on modern 64-bit Linux and macOS systems.
  • OnBoardC — Write and compile native Palm OS C programs directly on your handheld using Graffiti or a folding keyboard. (link down)

💬 Introduce Yourself!

To kick things off: What Palm OS or webOS devices are currently in your collection, and what’s your favorite app or game to run on them?