If you receive an error message, make sure you are logged on as the root user before trying the command again. Next, set appropriate permissions for the serial port so you can use pilot-link and other software for your Palm as a user other than root. Accept the prompt to press the HotSync button on your Palm's cradle to get a list of the databases and programs installed on the Palm. Check the serial port settings, making sure it's named correctly according to the above table and that its IRQ is set properly. Try man setserial for documentation on the program to use if you suspect problems with the serial port.
Proper configuration can increase the speed of backups and other operations by six times.