OS2008 Released for Nokia N800 and N810 - Notes and Tips (Part 1)

Nokia has released the latest version of their Internet Tablet software OS2008. This post will cover my setup notes:

First Step (after going through the intro screens):

Configure your home city:

1. Go to "Settings | Control Panel"
2. Select "Date and Time"
3. Select "Select home city" button
4. Find the major city in your time zone.

Second Step:

Configure your home network:

1. Click the network symbol
2. Select "Connectivity Settings..."
3. Select "Connections" button
4. Select "New"
5. Configure the specifics for your home network

Third Step:

Install essential Nokia blessed software:

1. Go to "Settings | Application Manager"
2. Select Browse installable applications
3. Refresh application list? OK
4. select camera
5. click install
6. Install application? OK
7. OK to license agreement
8. camera successfully installed OK
9. select fmradio
10. click install
11. Install application? OK
12. OK to license agreement
13. fmradio successfully installed OK
14. Continue the process for any other app you would like to install.

Fourth Step:

Add many repositories for all your software downloading goodness:

Warning: Make sure http://www.gronmayer.com/it/ is up and running prior to deleting repositories. (edit 1/3/08)

1. In the top left of the screen click on the Application manager window title
2. A drop down box will appear. Select "Tools | Application catalog..."
3. Delete all repositories you can of the ones listed, highlight and select "Delete"
4. Select "Close" when all you can remove are deleted
5. Refresh application list? OK
6. Close the Application Manager
7. Open a new browser window
8. go to http://www.gronmayer.com/it/
9. Check the box by "Select all repositories" (this check box is only available for OS 2008) or select specific repositories you want
10. Click "Install Selected" button
11. For File download on Name repository.install select "Open"
12. Application Manager will reopen
13. For "Add catalog" dialog boxes select "OK" for all repositories being installed.
14. Refresh application list? OK
15. Select any applications you are interested in and follow the same directions as in Third Step

Fifth Step:

Install python2.5-runtime (you will need this for many apps to run):

1. Select Browse installable applications
2. Refresh application list? OK
3. Find and highlight "python2.5-runtime"
4. Select install
5. Install application? OK
6. Notice... OK
7. python2.5-runtime successfully installed OK

Sixth Step:

Install openssh client and server:

1. Select Browse installable applications
2. Refresh application list? OK
3. Find and highlight "openssh"
4. Select install
5. Install application? OK
6. Notice... OK
7. openssh successfully installed OK

Bonus Note: With Python installed prior to installing openssh, you should be prompted for a root password. If not, verify python-osso was installed with runtime. (edit 1/3/08)

Seventh Step:

Install from maemo.org:

1. Open a new web browser
2. Select the maemo link
3. Select Downloads
4. Browse the categories and select the apps that interest you. Most will have a green "Click to install" arrow.
5. After clicking the green arrow, select "Open"
6. Clicking the "Open" will open the application manager (For those without a green "Click to install" arrow, you will have to visit the homepage for the application and download the application, be sure to follow all install steps. If you select open, the application manage will open after the download completes.)
7. Select OK where relevant and wait for the download to complete

Part 2 will be posted after I can actually download apps and get my N800 back to normal goodness. Maemo Repositories have been swamped since the OS2008 release.

If you are interested in helping me get some links together for torrent download of Maemo Apps, please see this thread at Internet Tablet Talk.

US Cellular EasyEdge Bluetooth Setup

Here was my dilemma:

I own a Nokia N800 and have a US Cellular cell phone with EasyEdge as part of my package.  I wanted to use my "unlimited" data downloads over a bluetooth connection from my Nokia N800 to my bluetooth enabled cell phone. 

 

Here is my solution:

1.) Set up a bluetooth trust between your cell phone and your N800.

2.) On the N800 go into connection manager and select new.

3.) Name your connection and select the GPRS radio button (default selection).  Click next.

4.) For the dial-up number enter : #777

5.) username is your cell number at uscc.net:  1234567890@uscc.net

6.) Your default email password is you cellular number, in the password field, enter your phone number.

7.) click next, then finish.

 

You should now be able to use your N800 over the bluetooth connection to your phone for internet access.

 

Additional Notes:

I helped a co-worker set up his Windows PDA using the same instructions.  The notes worked, but he had an issue with his password and had to call US Cellular for help.  They gave him a different number to use than his cell number.

 

This has been set up on OS2007 and OS2008 and works flawlessly.  It seems 2008 has some smarts built into it's networking management to save on power and may disconnect you when your connection has been idle for an extended period.

 

Make sure you have EasyEdge added to your plan, about $10 a month, before doing this, otherwise you will be paying data charges out the arse.

Linux 5 Button Mouse Setup

The question:
How do I get my 5 button mouse to work under linux?

The answer:
The way I accomplished this magnificent feet...

I edited the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file. You must be root or have sudo rights to do this.

There is a stanza for the mouse, likely showing as a Emulate 2 Button or Emulate 3 Button mouse. Comment out this stanza by placing a # in front of each line.

Insert the following stanza:

Section "InputDevice"
       Identifier "Configured Mouse"
       Driver "mouse"
       Option "CorePointer"
      Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
      Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
      Option "Buttons" "7"
      Option "ButtonMapping" "1 2 3 6 7"
      Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Now make sure the section title matches the InputDevice name in the ServerLayout Section.

Next step, restart X. In other words, log out an in again.

As a side note, some mice will use a ZAxisMapping setting of "6 7". If your scroll wheel does not work, try changing that setting.

If you are questioning the Buttons "7" setting. It is correct. The scroll wheel actually is shown as a button to the Linux operating system. If you have a tilt wheel mouse, contact me and I will get a post up on 5 button tilt wheel setup.

A Linux Blogger Editor?

I have finally found a Linux Blogger client that is usable. Bless you makers of Petrus.

Petrus is a wonderfully simple editor. The source can be found here:
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=167260

Blogger and LiveJournal are the two primary blogging sites supported by this handy Java program. Yes I said Java. This may be the first Java program that I have found that is truely cross platform, though I have not tested the Mac Universal version.

The install is very simple, after a few downloads. There are five .jar files that are required:
- gdata-base-1.0.jar (available from SourceForge link)
- gdata-client-1.0.jar (available from SourceForge link)
- petrus.jar (available from SourceForge link)
- mail.jar (in Sun's JavaMail API)
- activation.jar (in Sun's JavaBeansActivationFramework)

For the Sun .jar files, download the .tar or .zip file and extract only the file that is required.

You will have to copy the .jar files to the lib/ext directory of your JRE.
- Windows JRE is located in C:\Program Files\Java\
- Ubuntu (Mint 4.0) the path is /usr/lib/jvm/java-6-sun/jre/lib/ext/

To run Petrus:
Windows - Create a shortcut to the petrus.jar file
Linux - Create a launcher with the command:
java -jar /usr/lib/jvm/java-6-sun/jre/lib/ext/petrus.jar

Some nice features available for the blogger client:
- shows all labels you have used in blogger.
- you can view history, not just the files you have posted with Petrus.
- when you cut a link, it automagically shows in the URL line of the add link window.
- easily insert images.
- post/review comments directly from the editor.

One drawback so far:
- No offline mode for Blogger.

Now if I could just get JRE running on my N800 Internet Tablet.

Let me know what you think of Petrus or of any other blog editors you find to be worthy. I will gladly try them out.