announcements

Introducing Dave Neary

quim.gil@nokia.com (Quim Gil) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:30:18 +0000

Dave Neary is reading all kinds of maemo content as we speak: developer documentation, mailing list archives, web pages at maemo.org... He has a good reason for that: Nokia is funding some of his time to work as the content guy for the maemo community. Just like Niels Breet, he is being paid to follow your agenda and move forward those tasks and topics that interest you more.

Dave is a good organizer, communicator, writer and DIY professional, with proven tracks in the GIMP, GNOME and OpenWengo communities. While Niels concentrates on the web applications and server infrastructure, Dave takes care of the content in the website, and the ways for you to help improving it and get the ownership. Last year we made some steps in this direction with the social news and the revamped downloads. Now the revamped wiki plan and the fact of having someone listening and thinking how to go further should bring us to a next level.

Qt to be supported in addition to GTK+

quim.gil@nokia.com (Quim Gil) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 05:01:48 +0000

Nokia will introduce Qt to the maemo platform in addition to GTK+. The plan is in the earliest stage and recruitment offers for Qt/C++ developers will pop up soon. Don't expect any Qt application developed by Nokia for the tablets anytime soon, though. The first actual step will be the distribution of the Qt libraries for application development in maemo.org during 4Q2008.

Nokia wants to explore cross-platform possibilities between S60 and maemo. It is interesting also to check the interest in the developer community for Qt in the tablets. GTK+ and Qt coexist in the Linux desktop and the mix could work in maemo as well. This is also a way to attract more attention from the KDE community, a sensible move especially if the Trolltech acquisition gets completed.

GTK+ based Hildon continues defining the UI of maemo and the Internet Tablets. The maemo team is developing Hildon further and after the release of the N810 WiMAX edition there is more in the pipeline.

Nokia has no plans to offer a "hildonized" Qt-based UI. Qt applications will look different in the tablets just like some successful 3rd party applications look different. Cross-platform development has its own challenges: the earlier we start the better.

Maemo Eclipse Integration v0.9 (Beta)

jarmo.tikka@nokia.com (Jarmo Tikka) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 08:03:03 +0000

Maemo team is happy to announce beta release of maemo Eclipse Integration. This beta version has been released to get feedback from maemo community before final release. We hope that together with maemo community we will be able to have good (on functionality and quality point of view) final 1.0 release available very soon.

Release Information

Project: Maemo Eclipse Integration
Version: 0.9 (Beta)
Baseline: maemo 4.0 Chinook SDK
Date: 2008-02-26

Possible feedback can be sent to eclipse-integration@maemo.org.

Maemo Eclipse Integration supports maemo 4.0 Chinook SDK release and both N800 and N810 Internet Tablet devices.

Maemo Eclipse Integration includes following three parts:
1. maemo PC Connectivity version 0.1 (Beta)
2. maemo ESBox plugin for Eclipse IDE version 1.3.6 (Beta)
3. maemo Pluthon plugin for Eclipse IDE version 0.1.7 (Beta)

===================

1. maemo PC connectivity v0.1 (Beta)

Maemo PC connectivity packages are tools and other components developer needs to install into his Internet Tablet to enable connectivity between developer PC and Internet Tablet. This first beta release of maemo PC connectivity includes very basics e.g. mainly just components needed for setting up USB networking with ssh. Next version (planned to be released on March) will include more functionality to enable, for example, disk mounts between Internet Tablet and PC.

Maemo PC Connectivity components can be installed from maemo Chinook extras repository e.g. install maemo-pc-connectivity version 0.1 package to the Internet Tablet. Notice that you need to manually configure USB networking on host PC side. Instructions how to do that can be found from following how-to "Setting up USB
Networking"

2. maemo ESBox plugin for Eclipse IDE v1.3.6 (Beta)

Maemo ESBox plugin for Eclipse IDE integrates maemo SDK Scratchbox based development environment to the Eclipse development environment. ESBox plugin supports application developers using C, C++ or Python programming language. Developers are able to do all their development work inside Eclipse, from starting the project using template to packaging final application into maemo installation package.

Maemo ESBox plugin can be installed from ESBox project home page from maemo garage using standard Eclipse plugin installation.

3. maemo Pluthon plugin for Eclipse IDE v0.1.7 (Beta)

Maemo Pluthon plugin for Eclipse IDE integrates Eclipse IDE development environment to the Internet Tablet so that maemo Python developers do not need to use maemo SDK and Scratchbox as development environment. Maemo Pluthon plugin fully supports application development process with Python where developer develops and tests his Python application directly with Internet Tablet.

Maemo Pluthon plugin can be installed from Pluthon project home page from maemo garage using standard Eclipse plugin installation.

---
Feedback can be sent to eclipse-integration@maemo.org

maemo 4.0.1 released to align with the latest OS2008 image

marcell@maemo.org (Maemo Team team) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 10:01:27 +0000

Nokia has released the maemo 4.0.1 SDK in order to match the content with the OS2008 image released earlier this week. This is a minor upgrade but all developers are encouraged to update their sources. More information in the release notes, installation instructions and the content comparison table.

About the new OS2008 image (OS 2008 version 2.2007.51-3 for Nokia N800 and OS 2008 version 2.2007.51-3 for N810): There have been problems in oscillator initialization timings in some devices causing problems in booting up the devices. This release fixes the problem and there should not be booting problems any more. The content of the image is just the same as the previous release (OS 2008 version 2.2007.50-2 for Nokia N800 and OS 2008 version 2.2007.50-2 for Nokia N810).

Internet Tablet Hacker Edition pushed at Chinook level

quim.gil@nokia.com (Quim Gil) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 13:27:54 +0000

There are two new releases of the Internet Tablet Hacker Edition but READ CAREFULLY before starting to download:

If you are adventurous power user willing to try out unstable releases then go for it and get Chinook/OS2008 level software in your 770. Don't miss the known issues and instructions below.
If you are a more conservative user and/or you want your 770 to be as reliable as it is now, then you are encouraged to keep using the last HE software based on Bora/OS2007. There is now a patched version allowing the change of language, a fix relevant to those users willing to have the interface in a language different than English.

About making Chinook/OS2008 fit in the 770: it has not been easy and the result is not fully satisfactory. All built-in applications start and run including VoIP but overall the device is not responsive and reliable enough for serious usage.

Hardware limitations are clear in certain circumstances, extra swap memory is required to get a decent performance, the device reboots from time to time... This release is definitely not recommended to end users and not even to users depending on this device alone. We are releasing it to show how far we have gone but for us this is a proof that the Hacker Edition has reached its limit. Still, the maemo community might find it interesting and some of you perhaps want to experiment with it. This release goes for you.

Known issues

Browser works nicely but there is no Flash.
Music player works nicely but video playback is unreliable.
It needs at least 16 MB of swap memory in the external memory card, much better if you allocate more.
No serious test has been done on third party applications. Some work, some don't. For example Maemo Mapper works, while Canola doesn't even boot.

Instructions to mount a swap partition on the external memory

Get root permissions (sudo gainroot) and then edit the file /etc/osso-af-init/af-defines.sh:

-export INTERNAL_MMC_MOUNTPOINT=/media/mmc2
+export INTERNAL_MMC_MOUNTPOINT=/media/mmc1

Then reboot, and the Memory Applet will allow swap creation.

Brave 770 hackers enjoy! (all the rest you probably want to keep your current HE version)

Introducing Niels Breet

quim.gil@nokia.com (Quim Gil) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 09:45:36 +0000

The maemo community grows (10x users joined during 2007) and some of the needs start being more complex to articulate (i.e. how to define an extras repository managed by the community). We at Nokia want to discuss with the maemo contributors higher levels of community empowerment around maemo.org. What, when, how...

We have decided to put some fuel in this process by funding some time of a person able to push the community agenda and work for it. Last year Niels Breet was really useful helping with the maemo.org migration, developing the revamped Downloads sections and privoding lots of fixes and good feedback. Since... now he is being paid by Nokia part time to work on maemo.org, to facilitate discussion and potential maemo projects and to do more or less whatever the community thinks it would be good for him to do.

He has already got the responsibility on some tasks that were done by Nokia employees: approving Garage projects and Planet feeds, selecting the Pearl, approving Garage news to the home... something to start and build upon. He also got some tasks in the maemo.org February sprint, being one of the most important ones to come up with a plan for the community management of extras and extras-devel. Please discuss and work with him in these and other tasks.

Thanks Niels and best wishes in your new role!

Maemo Technology Overview training material

jarmo.tikka@nokia.com (Jarmo Tikka) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 10:47:27 +0000

Maemo team is happy to announce the availability of updated maemo 4.x Chinook training material package (new version published is 1.3). Maemo training material package includes now new material for maemo Technology Overview course. There are no changes to already published maemo training courses.

maemo Technology Overview
- introduction to the maemo technology and development environment
- can be used as independent training material and introduction to other maemo courses
- planned to be 1 day lecture type course
- course content as html is available from this link

The maemo training portfolio includes now following four courses:
- maemo Technology Overview
- maemo Getting Started
- maemo Application Development
- maemo Platform Development

Maemo training portfolio provides an efficient overview of the tools and methodologies needed when developing applications and platform services to the maemo platform. Using hands-on exercises and examples, the participant will be able to write simple GUI applications and platform services that will integrate into the maemo platform and the packaging framework.

More information about maemo training, maemo training material downloads and instructions how maemo community can give feedback and contribute to the training material creation can be found from official maemo training pages and maemo community training wiki pages.

Happy New Year 2008 from
Maemo Team

First official OS2008 update

juha.tukkinen@nokia.com (Juha Tukkinen) — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 10:02:58 +0000

Nokia has released the first OS2008 update for the N810 and N800 Internet tablets. The N810 image integrates minor optimizations and bugfixes, while the N800 image offers now full functionality and several bugfixes found after the developer beta release made last month. Now both images are in sync. The OS2008 User Site has a comprehensive list of features of the OS2008. You can also check the content comparison tables done at a package level:

RX-34_2007SE_4.2007.38-2 (latest OS2007) vs. current: content - changes
RX-34_2007SE_4.2007.44-4 (OS2008 developer beta) vs. current: content - changes

Maemo 4.x Chinook training material released

jarmo.tikka@nokia.com (Jarmo Tikka) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:48:41 +0000

Announcement of maemo 4.x Chinook training material. Maemo training courses provide an efficient overview of the tools and methodologies needed when developing applications and platform services to the maemo platform. Using hands-on exercises and examples, the participant will be able to write simple GUI applications and platform services that will integrate into the maemo platform and the packaging framework.

Maemo team is happy to announce the availability of maemo 4.x Chinook training material. Maemo training courses provide an efficient overview of the tools and methodologies needed when developing applications and platform services to the maemo platform. Using hands-on exercises and examples, the participant will be able to write simple GUI applications and platform services that will integrate into the maemo platform and the packaging framework.

More information about maemo training material, course material itself and instructions how maemo community can contribute to the training material creation can be found from official maemo training pages and maemo community wiki pages.

This time we announce the availability of following three maemo training courses for maemo 4.x Chinook:

maemo Getting Started
- introduction to the maemo platform and setting up environment
- can be used (if needed) at the beginning of Application and Platform
Development training sessions
- planned to be 1 day class room course
- course content as html is available here

maemo Application Development
- introduction to maemo application development on top of maemo platform
- maemo Getting Started as prerequisite
- can be used (together with Getting Started) as independent training material
- planned to be 3 day class room course
- course content as html is available here

maemo Platform Development
- introduction to maemo platform and service development
- maemo Getting Started and Application Development as prerequisite
- can be used (together with Getting Started) as independent training material
- planned to be 2 day class room course
- course content as html is available here

Revamped maemo Downloads

quim.gil@nokia.com (Quim Gil) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 06:54:02 +0000

Many of you already have noticed that maemo.org's Downloads has gone through major improvements to provide more and better visibility to the best and fresh software around. The current catalog offers specific results for each OS and gives the users editorial power, promoting those applications with better rates and more downloads. It also integrates screenshots everywhere, this way even newcomers can get a quick visual overview of what the maemo community has to offer.

We are selecting periodically The Pearl, an application we think it's outstanding and deserves top visibility in the maemo space. Currently we are doing this selection ourselves but we are open for suggestions to make the community decide. Some elements we are considering at the moment:

Stable software attractive for end users. Beta only if it's really worth. Alpha to be avoided systematically.
Screenshot almost required. It provides much more information to users and this way we help developers fighting laziness.
All the better if the application is also available in other OSs since then we can organize a week with the same app promoted on all OSs.
In case of doubt open&free software goes first, although closed source pearls will be also promoted.

The revamped maemo Downloads is also useful for Nokia, detecting what are the applications to follow and promote. Nokia's OS2008 User Site follows maemo Downloads to recommend third party applications to the Internet Tablet owners. The benefits of being in the top ranks include getting more awareness from a testing, marketing and customer care perspective.

OS2008 beta release for Nokia N800 and Chinook development

quim.gil@nokia.com (Quim Gil) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 13:38:56 +0000

Nokia has released a beta version of the OS2008 for the Nokia N800, mainly targeted to developers working on maemo 4.0 Chinook. Porting and developing applications for Chinook was already possible with the beta and final releases of the maemo SDK. This image allow developers to fine tune testing and performance on their Nokia N800 and get software virtually ready for the new Nokia N810 as well.

The OS2008 final release for the N800 is expected to come on mid December. It will include several improvements based on N800 specific testing and the earliest feedback received from the usage of the N810 in real circumstances.

A known issue relevant to Navicore N800 Navikit users: the Navikit service is not enabled in this beta. The final release will include the functionality to upgrade the service to OS2008.

New OS2007 HE for the Nokia 770 with Mozilla engine and memory corruption bugfix

quim.gil@nokia.com (Quim Gil) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 23:55:12 +0000

A new version of the Internet Tablet OS 2007 Hacker Edition for the Nokia 770 is now available for download. There are two improvements in this released compared to the previous one:

The Mozilla browser engine developed by Nokia is now available in addition to the Opera engine.
A critical bug causing memory corruption under certain wlan conditions has been fixed.

Both improvements carry a remarkable degree of user contributions, big thank you!

The development to bring the Hacker Edition to Chinook levels is ongoing. It's not being easy to make the OS2008 fit in the 770 hardware. We are keeping the plan to offer you a new HE release though, hopefully before the end of the year.

Remember: the OS2007 Hacker Edition is not an end-user ready release and it is not officially supported by Nokia.

The 500 fortunate applicants to the N810 maemo device program

quim.gil@nokia.com (Quim Gil) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:27:09 +0000

Here you have the list of 500 contributors accepted to the N810 maemo device program. We got around 900 applications full of great ideas and commitment. We are sending today a confirmation email to everybody, accepted (including the discount code) and non-accepted. We will send further emails to the winners notifying them the dates when the Nokia N810 will be available in the online shop corresponding to the country selected.

A comment to the non-accepted participants: your proposals are valid! Most of them don't need the latest hardware to be pushed forward. Keep learning and contributing to maemo - your chances will grow next time (if there is a next time, of course).

Thank you everybody!

maemo 4.0 Chinook released, Nokia N810 landing

quim.gil@nokia.com (Quim Gil) — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 12:51:18 +0000

The Nokia N810 Internet Tablet is going through the distribution channels as we speak and it will be progressively available in different countries in the next weeks. We will also make a progressive release and publication of software and documentation, starting with the materials relevant to developers.

Today we are releasing the final version of the maemo 4.0 Chinook SDK, containing the full set of OS2008 APIs and some bugfixes from the beta version released on September. As announced previously, Chinook and OS2008 are both fully compatible with the Nokia N810 and N800. Developers should follow the release notes and installation instructions as usual. Check also the content comparison between maemo 3.2 Bora and Chinook.

Most of the developer documentation has been already published in previous weeks in order to assist in the porting of maemo 3.x Bora applications to Chinook. Now developers can have access to the updated maemo tutorial and porting guide, the best complement to the already published maemo Quickstart Guide for newcomers to this platform.

Developers are encouraged to upload product pages of their beta or final Chinook software to the revamped Downloads catalog.

New OS2008 site in nokia.com

quim.gil@nokia.com (Quim Gil) — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 20:36:28 +0000

nokia.com/OS2008 has been released today offering information and novelties about the operating system of the Nokia N800 and N810 Internet Tablets, related services and compatible applications. The site is warming up with a basic introduction to the OS and its main features, plus a selection of recommended software. The site will grow in few weeks, when the Nokia N810 sales start and the OS2008 is made available for N800 users.

The new web space is complemented by tableteer.nokia.com, the site exclusive for Nokia Internet Tablet users that has been offering news, tips and updates until now. This way the content of Tableteer will be accessible to all Internet users in the OS2008 site.

nokia.com/OS2008 is also a channel for promotion of the best applications developed by the maemo community. The most popular and reliable software featured in downloads.maemo.org will be recommended through these pages with a Nokia stamp. The selection criteria is based on quality, popularity in the maemo community and Nokia's editors picks. More about this next week, when we plan to release a set of improvements to Downloads and start (in fact continue) the discussion about an extras repository governed by the maemo comunity.

The maemo visibility increases overall in the Nokia consumer context since now the OS2008 is defined as maemo Linux based. All this is happening in a big part thanks to the prolific and innovative maemo community. Kudos to all of you!

N810 maemo device program open for submissions

quim.gil@nokia.com (Quim Gil) — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 12:01:19 +0000

*** PLEASE STOP REQUESTING DEVICES IN THE COMMENTS ***

*** READ THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW ***

Keeping the good tradition, we want to offer the new Nokia N810 Internet Tablet to the most active contributors of the maemo community, as soon as possible and as affordably as possible. The N810 maemo device program starts *now* with 500 discount codes entitling their fortunate owners to get a device for 99€ (or equivalent price in other currencies).

The call is addressed not only to open source programmers, but also to designers, documentation writers, community supporters, maemo evangelists, bloggers… In order to apply go to your maemo profile (same login as the so-called Garage account) and make your request there. Please read carefully the instructions, terms and conditions.

Some time next week we will provide more details about the selection process, but this is the basic you need to know:

Contributors apply themselves through their maemo profiles. No invitation is needed. Please don't send us extra emails, they won't help you.
Nokia & related professionals stay out. In case of doubt don’t ask: apply.
Open contributions & community involvement are the main rules to select the winners, but newcomers can get merits by proposing creative ideas requiring such device (open source and non-profit are a must).
The 500 discount codes will be distributed the same day the N810 is available for purchase in the online Nokia shops.

PS: We will develop more functionality around these profiles, as detailed in the maemo CRM requirements. Stay tuned.

Nokia N810 Internet Tablet unveiled

quim.gil@nokia.com (Quim Gil) — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 16:05:31 +0000

The Nokia N810 Internet Tablet has just been announced! More pictures and details available at nseries.com/n810. The main novelties are a slide keyboard, integrated GPS and smaller size. The device ships with the OS2008 based on maemo 4.0 Chinook, fully compatible with the Nokia N800. The new operating system includes official Mozilla based browser and SIP calls, optimized Flash video, Windows Media support, Maps application and a catchy UI better adapted to be in your hands. Nokia will provide more details about the new OS features later this week.

The Nokia N810 will be in the shops on mid November. As soon as sales start, N800 users will be able to upgrade to the OS2008 as well. We encourage all developers to have their software ported to Chinook as soon as possible, since we expect users doing a fast move to OS2008. Both devices run exactly the same operating system: packages tested and working in a Nokia N800 with OS 2008 should work just as well in a N810. We will publish tomorrow the details of the N810 maemo device program.

This device also marks a new phase of maemo in the Nokia context. Forum Nokia offers now maemo support to professional developers, with a special focus on developers new to this platform and Linux development in general. The maemo support pack in Forum Nokia includes presence and promotion in events, training courses, cooperation with universities and processes for software companies specializing in maemo to stablish relations with Nokia.

There is more maemo progress in Nokia, but let’s talk about it later this week. In the meantime, enjoy the news!

maemo 4 Quick Start Guide published

juha.tukkinen@nokia.com (Juha Tukkinen) — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 14:40:31 +0000

Nokia has released the maemo 4 Quick Start Guide for the upcoming maemo 4.0 Chinook. Please send your feedback to documentation@maemo.org.

New Internet Tablet OS 2007 edition version with memory card fix

quim.gil@nokia.com (Quim Gil) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 12:29:43 +0000

Nokia has released a new version of the Internet Tablet OS 2007 edition, available now for download. This new release (version number 4.2007.38-2) provides a software fix for a bug which may have appeared while copying large amount of data over-the-air or from external SDHC memory card to internal memory or vice versa. In some cases the downloaded data may have corrupted.

This new release fixes also a bug which drops in some cases voltage from memory card, though cards should manage this kind of situations without corruption.

You can update the software on your Nokia N800 Internet Tablet using your compatible Windows PC (see also the instructions for Linux). Hook up your Nokia N800 Internet Tablet to your computer and launch the Internet Tablet Software Update wizard. The wizard will automatically update your device with the latest software release. If you have not yet installed the Internet Tablet Software update wizard onto your computer, please see instructions at the N800 support pages.

New maemo 4.0 Chinook documentation released

juha.tukkinen@nokia.com (Juha Tukkinen) — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 12:27:13 +0000

Nokia has released new documentation for the upcoming maemo 4.0 Chinook. A new architecture document describes the maemo Chinook architecture in detail.

Also, a set of 14 other how-tos have been updated to Chinook. More are coming up in the near future.

The table of contents of the upcoming maemo 4 Quick Start Guide is also now available waiting feedback that you can send to documentation@maemo.org.