[Maemo 5 / N900 How To] Disable Auto Updates Check

You may want to disable the automatic software updates checks that occur upon internet connection, in order to consume less bandwidth when using 2G/3G connections. 

You can do so by editing the gconf file found in /var/lib/gconf/apps/hildon/update-notifier and changing the check interval from 1440 (24 hours) to a much larger value. The value must not exceed 4,294,967,295.

Via : wiki.maemo.org

[Maemo 5 / N900 How to] Change the boot splash video !

I don't know if you're in touch, but as other Maemo's hacks, it is possible to edit hildon-welcome screen, in case you don't know ho to do it :

1- Copy the video to /usr/share/hildon-welcome/media
2- Go to /etc/hildon-welcome.d/ and edit the default.conf file or create a similar one (the videos will play by the alphabetic order of the .conf files)

In case you don't want to do the Step 2, simply rename your video file into Hands-v32-h264.avi and overwrite the original one in Step 1 ;)

Some examples here and here.

Via : talk.maemo.org

[Maemo 5 / N900 How to] Browse the whole file system with the web browser !

The built-in web browser can also be used as a simple "file manager" letting you browse the entire file system and view contents of files.

Simply type file:/// in the browser's address bar.

Seen @ : my-maemo

[Maemo 5 / N900 How to] Change battery and signal icons !

Heres a signal and battery mod, interesting to match the default "blue" theme (Don't be ashamed, You can share your layouts too) !

Signal images go in /usr/share/icons/hicolor/scalable/hildon
Battery1 images go in /usr/share/icons/hicolor/scalable/hildon

Battery2 images go in /usr/share/icons/hicolor/48x48/hildon/

You can access these paths as showed here ;)

Ps : icon pack includes original icons also.

Seen over symbianscientist

[Maemo 5 / N900] Android (Donut) boots on the n900 !

Good news. Android (Donut) boots on the n900 using bootmenu (using the maemo kernel with the android drivers patched in !)




Via : talk.maemo.org

[Maemo 5 / N900 How to] Control your N900 From Your Computer and Vice Versa With VNC !

In computing, Virtual Network Computing (VNC) is a graphical desktop sharing system that uses the RFB protocol to remotely control another computer. It transmits the keyboard and mouse events from one computer to another, relaying the graphical screen updates back in the other direction, over a network.

For that, if you want to view and control your pc/laptop from the N900, all you have to do is to :

1 - Get a vnc-server (the program on the machine that shares its screen. The server passively allows the client to take control of it.) like tightvnc (I'm using TightVNC Server. It works great!) or realvnc, install it on your laptop, set up a password, and add the tablet to the list of allowed hosts (plenty of documentation for that available on the net). 

2 - Then you fire up vncviewer (VNC client (or viewer) is the program that watches, controls, and interacts with the server. The client controls the server.) on the N900 (it's in extras-testing repository) and connect to :0 (For eg. 192.168.1.4:0) where

- 192.168.1.4 describes you laptop/pc ip address.

- ":0" describes the screen you want to connect to, under unix it's not uncommon to have several X Servers running, which would be adressed by :1, :2 and so on, but under windows there's usually only one, hence ":0".

You'll get a touchscreen user interface of your desktop, so you just click / drag etc on the screen...

For the other way round (controlling / viewing your N900's desktop from your laptop), it's basically the same :

- You just fire up x11vnc on the N900 (the default setting is without password, and to close after one session, so you have to start x11vnc every time you want to connect, unless you set it up to start automatically, but then you also want a password, and it gets a bit more involved). Then use vncviewer (tightvnc viewer for example works great for that) on your laptop to connect to :0 (you might have to add the IP address of your N900 followed by :0 by right clicking on tighvnc icon and select add client) et voilà!

[Maemo 5 / N900 How to] Explore, Edit, Replace System Files And So On...

With the help of the following steps, you'll be able to explore and tweak all system files and do some intersting hacking, like the one showed yesterday especially, to be able to access /usr/ directory :

1- You must be connected to a wireless LAN with your N900
2- Go to the application manager of N900, search for ssh server (and client, but this is optional) and install it
3- ssh on installation will ask you for a password (choose one)
4- Go to the application manager of N900, search for home ip (a widget on the desktop that always displays the n900 ip) and install it *
5- Go to your main PC and download a free ssh client with a graphic interface (it's much easier to use for a newbie) like winscp.
6- open winscp and login to the N900's as following :

Host name : N900's ip address that you get from home ip
Username : root
Password : your password (chosen in step 2)

6- You're done ! You have now the access to the /usr/ directory and you can explore and edit whatever you want (stay tuned for the upcoming "how to")

* You can replace the above step 3 with :

- In your N900 launch xterminal and type : sudo gainroot

- in x terminal type then: ifconfig

- ifconfig will show you r ip address

Stay tuned for some nice tweaks ;)

[Maemo 5 / N900 How to] Silent Camera Hack

Like on Ubuntu (or other Linux distribution), If you look in usr/share/sounds  you'll be able to access all system's sound and customize them !

You will need root access (Download rootsh from app manager) and WinSCP (download winscp and connect to the phone via ftp through a wireless connection) to see system files and replace sounds in usr/share/sounds :

- camera_snd_title_1 (camera shutter sound)
- camera_snd_title_2 (video recording sound)
- camera_snd_title_3 (the focus sound)

All you have to do is to replace them with any working wav sound file  (Example)

For a silent camera, just rename or delete these files!

Via : talk.maemo

[Maemo 5 / N900 How To] Install maps without using Map Loader

I was thinking that connecting N900 to mass-storage mode and use the latest Nokia Map Loader 3.0.28.0 will allow me to install my maps without a headache, but i was wrong, it simply does not work...the Map Loader just keeps blinking that it's waiting for a phone (on both windows xp and 7) ! You know, it says the maps application is not open when connected through PC Suite mode and keeps blinking when it's connected through mass storage mode...so i started looking for some work around to this "bug" (?) till i remember an old way to do it, like on the first Nokia's map (ovi maps) releases...

Just to know, Nokia Map Loader downloads the maps as a zip file from http://static.s2g.gate5.de/maploaderzip/0.0.7h/[NUMBER].zip to a temp folder, and then unzips the content to the memory card. [NUMBER] is an ID, each country has its own.

After running Ovi Maps on the N900 once before you add any maps or voices (This will create the required folder structure on your memory card), all you have to do is to :

1. Download the map of your country from the link on the page
2. Unzip the map file, which contained subfolders called 0 to 9 and a to f
3. Connect the n900 in mass storage mode.
4. Open the folder Cities\diskcache (You may need to tell your computer to show hidden files and folders)
5. Copy/paste the downloaded files (the unzipped map files to the above folder on the n900)
6. Windows will pop up a message saying these folders exist. Just select replace with the new items.
7. Disconnect the phone, opened up Ovi Maps and the maps will be there.

I'm not sure we'll have the latest maps releases with this workaround, you have to use a tool like Fiddler to track HTTP update traffic...

Anyway, if you have some questions, feel free to leave them on comments ;)

N900 : Red Pill Mode and Root Access

If you are a curious N900 owner and like to go a deep far and exploring the beast like me you should know about RPM and RA : 

Red Pill is an Application manager mode that disables certain safety features, and allows access to certain additional settings.

It changes the way Application manager behaves, primarily by removing many of the safety locks that prevent users from installing harmful packages, or upgrading or replacing important system packages (which can result in reboot loops). It also hides packages that aren't relevant to users, and shows additional settings to tweak specific behaviors (like whether to cache packages to the internal memory card during installation).

In the opposite way, while in the Blue Pill mode (the normal operating mode), Application manager has many safety locks in place to reduce the risk of the user accidentally damaging their tablet by installing harmful packages. So the App Manager will only show and let you install the packages which are meant to be installed by end users and have been "approved" for general access. Which is a good thing for majority of "average users". Red Pill mode disables these locks.

For the same purpose, in Maemo 5, Nokia has removed the ability to install standalone .deb packages, to make sure that only compatible and secure files can be installed via repositories.

To enable Red Pill mode:

Open Application manager and go to "Tools -> Application catalogue"
Click "New"
Type "matrix" into the "Web Address" field
Click "Cancel" (N900: tap outside the window)
Tap "Red" in the dialog to enabled Red Pill mode, or "Blue" to keep the Application manager as-is or to disable Red Pill.

You'll then get the "Install from file" option in App Manager's menu. Using it, you will be able to install standalone .deb packages downloaded from the Internet and stored locally on the device!

Ps : The Red-Pill mode is not persistent after being enabled. Closing the Application manager, disables Red Pill.

Anyway, similar function can be accomplished by Root access and rootsh can be installed via application manager (if you have Extras enabled).

In the same way, having root access is an important step for users interested in modifying things "under the covers" of their tablets; without it, you won't have the necessary permissions to make those modifications. Root access is disabled by default on new tablets. Thankfully, the steps to enable root access are simple.

Root access is not required to install additional applications through Application Manager, open X Terminal or use your tablet in day-to-day operation.

If you want to edit the underlying system configuration, install applications through the command line or other low-level tasks, you will require root access. Then, from the shell, run sudo gainroot (or root for short). This will give you a root shell

WARNING: The steps described on this page could lead to severe damage to your system and/or device. Proceed at your own peril

Seen at my-maemo and wiki.maemo

N900 : Where To Get Applications?

Following my full coverage of the N900, i'll briefly talk about the application department ;)

The thing you'll love about the Maemo platform is the fact that you can add repositories, in a simplified way, that means that you can add a storage location from which software packages may be retrieved and installed, even though the N900 supports installing software directly from a file (downloaded with the WWW browser, received via Bluetooth, copied from the PC, etc.), you will quickly realize that getting and installing software via the Application Manager is a much better and more convenient way, not just to install the software but also to be automatically notified about any updated versions, additional files or plug-ins ;)

All you need to do is to add details of a repository to the Application Manager and it will check the repository and list all applications contained in it. You can add as many repositories as you can only find and the App Manager will monitor all of them and list all software they contain !

There are three different community driven repositories :

Extras

Extras is the primary repository for Maemo applications where most community software can be found. You can browse the applications available in Extras at Maemo Downloads.

The Extras repository is pre-configured in the N900 but is disabled by default. In order to enable it you can simply download an application from Maemo Downloads.

To enable Extras repository, just open this link on your tablet.

Or you can enable it by hand:

• Go into the Application manager.
• Tap the menu -> Tools -> Application catalog...
• Double-tap maemo Extras.
• Uncheck Disabled.

About Extras

Extras is split into two areas:

• free applications are Open Source have been through the Maemo Extras vetting process
• non-free applications are usually closed, binary only and their quality and security must be taken on trust

Extras-testing

The software hosted in extras-testing might not be ready for end users! Please don't play with it unless you really know what you are doing.

Extras testing is a repository that holds applications waiting to be tested. It is a place where power users can download the latest developer releases, test them out and evaluate them. User backups and predisposition to re-flash your device in case of trouble is assumed.

Extras-devel

The software hosted in extras-devel is most likely not ready for end users! So, don't play with it unless you really know what you are doing.

Developers upload the newest version of their software to Extras-devel. Developers upload the newest version of their software to extras-devel. From there the packages go Extras-testing and finally Extras through an automatic and human Quality Assurance process. This is a repository for developers and regular contributors of specific software projects. If you want to play with extras-devel software you need to be prepared to feel some pain sooner or later ;)

That said, here's an example to how to enable some repositories (Extras-devel as an example) :

Application manager --> Application catalogs --> New
Catalog name: Maemo Extras-devel
Web address: http://repository.maemo.org/extras-devel
Distribution: fremantle
Components: free non-free

Maemo Extras-Testing repository : 

URL: http://repository.maemo.org/extras-testing/
Distribution: fremantle
Components: free non-free

Maemo Extras-Devel repository : 

URL: http://repository.maemo.org/extras-devel/
Distribution: fremantle
Components: free non-free

Mozilla repository : 

URL: ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/mobile
Distribution: chinook
Components: release 


My-Maemo repository :

Name: My-Maemo.com
URL: http://my-maemo.com/repository/
Distribution: fremantle
Components: user 


Where you'll find software that's not available via any other repository. This includes apps posted by people as standalone files on the web, as well as apps written for previous Tablets but compatible with the N900.

Sometimes, some repositories might be broken, don't worry if you got an update fail notification ;)


Source : maemo and my-maemo

How to Create Loopable Wallpapers for Nokia N900

Quick steps

• Get equirectangular photos
• Crop it to 3200 x 480
• Slice it into 4 images of 800×480 images
• Create a .desktop file to group the images
• Transfer the 5 files to N900/images folder

Sample .paris.desktop text file

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Background Image
Name=360 Paris
Hidden=True
X-File1=/home/user/MyDocs/.images/360paris_01.jpg
X-File2=/home/user/MyDocs/.images/360paris_02.jpg
X-File3=/home/user/MyDocs/.images/360paris_03.jpg
X-File4=/home/user/MyDocs/.images/360paris_04.jpg
X-Order=01

Via : thenokiablog

Ps : You can also download some from here !