Nokia n800

From GuardianiUS

Contents 1 Intro 2 Pros 2.1 Web browsing 2.2 Chat/IM 2.3 IMAP E-Mail 2.4 Note Taking (Xournal) 2.5 Video Playback 2.6 GPS 2.7 Bluetooth 2.7.1 OBEX Profile 2.7.2 Dialup Profile 2.8 Free42 2.9 Network Backups 3 More Pros 3.1 remote desktop 3.2 VNC 3.3 SSH 4 Cons 4.1 Size 4.2 MP3 4.3 Not a Cell Phone 4.4 Battery Life 4.5 Bluetooth Headset Support 5 Development 5.1 PTY fix 5.2 Projects

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[edit] Intro

I'm the proud owner of a Nokia n800. It's not a cell phone, though it can be used as a VoIP phone (i.e. SIP/asterisk). It's more like a PDA with WiFi (802.11g) and Bluetooth. The primary selling point for me is that it's about the size of a check book, it has WiFi, and it runs Linux. I'm a developer by trade, so the n800 provides quite a mobile playground for me.

[edit] Pros

I spent quite a while trying to figure out how to fit the device into my daily life. I've finally decided to use the following features/applications:

[edit] Web browsing

This is the killer app for the n800. The browser is Opera. It works incredibly well. CPU intensive web pages like MySpace can be problematic, but if you mostly read the web, then it's simply amazing. Browse the web in comfort while standing, sitting, or even laying down. Among other things, this device makes E-Books practical.

[edit] Chat/IM

using irssi + bitlbee, or pidgin, but mostly irssi+bitlbee since pidgin's fancy GUI tends to get in the way on such a small screen

[edit] IMAP E-Mail

I use Claws for IMAP E-Mail. Has no trouble managing my 3 separate accounts. Though the amount of detail crammed into the screen means that you're forced to abandon your thumbs and use the pen.

[edit] Note Taking (Xournal)

Xournal provides page based notes and sketching on the n800. With Xournal I can effectively go paperless and leave my paper notepad inside my desk when I go to meetings. When I come back, I just export the notes to PDF, then transfer them to my workstation and print.

The OS 2007 n800 build is hard to find, so I've mirrored it on my N800_custom_packages page which is linked from the Development section below.

[edit] Video Playback

The built in video player sucks, but there are a number of 3rd party apps that successfully fill the void. For UPnP media or locally stored memory card media, use Canola. It kicks ass. For streaming divx/mpeg, use KMPlayer + Mplayer. Flash video is usable too, but it's choppy and out of sync due to the large amount of CPU required, so I usually avoid it.

[edit] GPS

hopefully in the future. Just need to buy a bluetooth GPS unit. Haven't decided whether I want to spend 230 USD on the commercial Nokia Navigation Kit or if I just want to buy a 40 USD bluetooth GPS unit and use Maemo Mapper. Tough decision. Seriously.

[edit] Bluetooth

Yeah, it's got bluetooth. What can you do with it? Quite a bit. Read on:

[edit] OBEX Profile

The primary use I have for it is OBEX file transfers. My WiFi net at work is firewalled so that I can't easily access my workstation to transfer files. I could always use email for that, but OBEX doesn't clutter up my inbox and generally takes a few less clicks. :)

[edit] Dialup Profile

This is cellular dialup, basically. With a CDMA (1x) phone, you're limited to relatively slow connection speeds. I'm not sure if that changes with EV-DO and other 3G networks or if the bluetooth connection medium becomes the bottleneck. I can connect through my CDMA cell phone at no extra charge other than using my cell minutes. With my carrier that means it's free on nights and weekends. Browse the web from your car, the bus, the train, etc... Slow, but incredibly useful when you need information and don't have time to find a wifi hotspot.

[edit] Free42

Check out the screenshot. For all you geeks who love "reverse polish notation" HP calculators.

[edit] Network Backups

This is a linux machine after all and setting everything up exactly the way you want can take quite a while (freedom of choice can be a bitch). In my case it takes over 5 hours of setup time from bare metal to a comfortable system with all the applications I use on a daily basis. So it's a good idea to insure your time investment by making backups of the entire root filesystem over SSH to a remote machine. First, grab rsync from my Custom Packages page. Then, as root, do the following:

# run the following as root on your n800 to backup your n800 to a remote machine (192.168.88.97 in this case):
# NOTE: rsync *must* log in as root on the remote machine, otherwise it can't properly back up file ownerships.
rsync -azx -e "ssh -l root" / 192.168.88.97:/n800-backup-dir

Note: I haven't yet had an opportunity to try this next step on my n800. It should work, but I make no promises. Continue at your own risk.

To restore a previous network backup from a catastrophe like the dreaded "white screen of death" (a strange condition in which the n800 cannot boot due to a too full filesystem), follow these steps:

1. Flash a production firmware image
2. Boot
3. Install SSH
4. Install rsync
5. Install xterm
6. Run this as root:

# run the following as root on your n800 to restore your n800 from a previous backup stored on a remote machine (192.168.88.97 in this case):
# NOTE: rsync *must* log in as root on the remote machine, otherwise it can't properly restore file ownerships.
rsync -azx -e "ssh -l root" 192.168.88.97:/n800-backup-dir /

If all goes well, all of your settings, applications, and data will be restored. If not, at least you have backups of your files and you can restore them manually.

[edit] More Pros

The n800 can do much, much more. But the lack of a full keyboard and small screen means that I usually only do these things when I absolutely have to:

[edit] remote desktop

to a windows machine. Without a Bluetooth keyboard you can only click though, not type.

[edit] VNC

not much to say about this. Don't really use VNC much, but it's nice to know I can.

[edit] SSH

Typing is awkward on the thumb keyboard or with a pen. Would be faster with a Bluetooth keyboard, but I'm too cheap to buy one. They cost like 80 USD.

[edit] Cons

It can't all be good.

[edit] Size

I'm not sure if this is a Con or not really.

The n800 is almost exactly the size of a check book, but a little bit thicker and obviously not flexible. It's quite possible to put it in my pants pocket. I do it all the time. However, it can be a bit awkward, and I have to be careful not to bang my leg on anything (i.e. no sports) so sometimes I wish it was smaller. However, this goes both ways. At times I wish it was quite a bit larger so I could browse the web with less eye strain. But of course I'd never be able to fit it in my pocket if it was any larger.

I think I've finally gotten over this issue. I've become rather appreciative of the size. It's a very nice compromise between comfort and portability. The only alternative would be to make it twice as large. This would ease eye strain at the cost of likely doubling the price (in which case I never would have bought it) and significantly reducing portability (in which case I would probably only use it at home). Yeah, the size isn't so bad.

[edit] MP3

I'd love to use my n800 as an ipod replacement, but:

1. I mostly listen to audio book from audible.com, and they don't have a DRM client for the n800.
2. I'm afraid the battery life would suck.

[edit] Not a Cell Phone

Again, I'm not sure if this is really a Con. You can still connect to a CDMA (aka 1X) or EVDO (aka 3G) network via bluetooth, so you might be able to use your existing bluetooth enabled phone for mobile data service. And when you don't want to lug around a micro-computer (i.e. due to fear of loss, damage, or lack of need) you can just take the phone. :)

[edit] Battery Life

If I only use my n800 for part time note taking (Xournal) in the office then it lasts a full 8 hours with plenty to spare as it's idle most of the time. Under full time use I've made my n800 last for 5 hours with the right conditions (i.e. indoor, screen brightness set to one or two notches only, light CPU usage like SSH or IRSSI or any CLI app). But when browsing the web 3 hours is usually average and sometimes you get less under really heavy use. Someone should make an external battery pack for this thing.

[edit] Bluetooth Headset Support

Yeah, it's got bluetooth, but unfortunately there is no official software to support normal bt phone headsets or the fancy new stereo A2DP headsets. Fortunately, it's linux, so that doesn't have to be the final state of things. In fact, I have an alpha quality stereo A2DP system on my n800 right now. Check it out!

[edit] Development

Of course, I couldn't bring myself to stay out of the code.

[edit] PTY fix

The first thing you'll want to do is bump the number of allowed pty devices from 4 to something reasonable so you don't run out of SSH connections or xterm windows/tabs:

vi /etc/init.d/af-services

Then change this line:

echo 4 > /proc/sys/kernel/pty/max

to

echo 14 > /proc/sys/kernel/pty/max

or

echo 24 > /proc/sys/kernel/pty/max

[edit] Projects

Here are a few projects I'm working on:

• Custom Packages
• MythTV for the N800