Following with my last post, in the project I am collaborating with, we are interested in making VoIP calls using our libraries in the Nokia 770. We are going to explore the possibility of using Ekiga, a VoIP and videconferencing client for GNOME. Furthermore, as I will probably buy a N800 in the next days or weeks, I am getting ready to test videconferencing with Ekiga on the N800 .

My first impressions, it is going to be a little hard to have a fully functional Ekiga on the 770/N800, but so far sounds work, calls work also, and video hardware I think it will work.

Here you may find some screenshots of Ekiga running on the Maemo 2.1 environment.

These are the instructions to compile it. Pay attention to the options passed to the configure scripts, otherwise it will not compile. Follow strictly the order of my instructions to install all the libraries needed by Ekiga.

• Login on the scrathbox environment, and select the profile:
  • sbox-config -st SDK_PC (or SDK_ARMEL to cross-compile for ARM)
• Download LDAP sources
  • openldap-2.3.32.tgz
• tar zxvf openldap-2.3.32.tgz
• cd openldap-2.3.32
• ./configure –disable-backends –enable-shell
• make depend
• make
• make install
• Download Ekiga sources
  • ekiga-2.0.3.tar.gz
  • opal-2.2.3.tar.gz
  • pwlib-1.10.2.tar.gz
• tar zxvf pwlib-1.10.2.tar.gz
• cd pwlib-1.10.2
• ./configure && make && make install
• cd ..
• tar zxvf opal-2.2.3.tar.gz
• cd opal-2.2.3
• ./configure && make && make install
• cd ..
• tar zxvf ekiga-2.0.3.tar.gz
• cd ekiga-2.0.3
• ./configure –disable-doc –disable-gnome –disable-avahi –disable-sdl –with-pwlib-dir=/usr/local –with-opal-dir=/usr/local
• make
• make install

Now Ekiga is compiled and installed in the scratchbox. You can test it, by following these instructions:

• Launch Xephyr (follow the instructions given in this post if needed)
• af-sb-init.sh start
• run-standalone.sh ekiga

Ekiga will launch now the configuration wizard. Although it will not be properly working (very big fonts, the virtual keyboard interferes with the windows, etc), I think it could be adapted to work on the 770/N800.

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I can not link to the wiki page because it is internal to the group, and the tool that we are using does not allow to grant access only to one page. So I reproduce here the tutorial.

How to install the Maemo development environment

Maemo is the same sytem that the Nokia 770 runs, but intended to be executed in an usual computer. With this environment, you may test your programs before compiling them to the ARM architecture. It is exactly the same system that the Nokia 770 (except propietary applications such as the web browser), but compiled for i386.

• Download the installer.
• Execute it with root permissions (as root or with sudo)
• If you are lucky enough, it will work under your system. I am not, so I switched to the alternative method..
• The Debian packages seem not to work under Ubuntu Edgy, so I used the tar.gz files.
• Obtain the following files
  • scratchbox-core-0.9.8.8.tar.gz
  • scratchbox-devkit-debian-0.9.8.8.tar.gz
  • scratchbox-libs-0.9.8.8.tar.gz
  • scratchbox-toolchain-cs2005q3.2-glibc-arm-0.9.8.5-6.tar.gz
  • scratchbox-toolchain-cs2005q3.2-glibc-i386-0.9.8.5-6.tar.gz
• Untar all the files in ‘/’, in the above order
• Execute as root /scratchbox/run_me_first.sh, and then add your user with /scratchbox/sbin/sbox_adduser. Choose the same username than in your system, and reply to all the questions with the default answers.
• Restart your session, or execute su your_username
• Now you are able to login in the scratchbox environment with /scratchbox/login
• Create a .bash_profile with the following contents. You can use vi if you want.
  • unalias ls
  • export LANGUAGE=en_GB
  • export PAGER=less
  • export DISPLAY=:2
• Now that the scratchbox is set up, download the Maemo SDK
  • Maemo_Dev_Platform_v2.1_i386-rootstrap.tgz
• Follow the rest of instructions
• Now you have the environment set up to compile applications for the Nokia 770, but they will not run on the actual Nokia 770, because the architecture of the binaries will be i386. Let us set up also the environment to compile applications for the ARMEL architecture.
• Download the following file:
  • Maemo_Dev_Platform_v2.1_armel-rootstrap.tgz
• Follow these instructions
• Now you should have two different configurations in your scratchbox environment: SDK_PC and SDK_ARMEL
• To test an application in your computer, you should use the environment SDK_C. Select it with the following command:
  • sbox-config -st SDK_PC
• Once you are sure that your application is ready to be run on the Nokia 770, switch to the SDK_ARMEL configuration, and recompile
  • sbox-config -st SDK_ARMEL
• Thanks to QEMU, you may execute the ARMEL binaries in your computer before uploading them to the Nokia 770. Some features may not behave as in the actual 770 though.

Installing a X server for the Maemo environment

• There is a X server preinstalled with the Maemo development environment. To use it, create, outside the scratchbox, a file with the following contents
  
#!/bin/sh -e
prefix=/scratchbox/users/${LOGNAME}/targets/SDK_PC/usr
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${prefix}/lib; export LD_LIBRARY_PATH
exec ${prefix}/bin/Xephyr :2 -host-cursor -screen 800x480x16 -dpi 96 -ac

• You may call it start-xephyr.sh
• To use this X server with the Maemo development environment, run the file, outside the scratchbox. The X server will be up and running, on the display number 2. This display appears as a window in your desktop.
• To launch the Maemo desktop environment, inside the scratchbox, execute the following:
  • af-sb-init.sh start
• The Maemo desktop should appear in the window corresponding to the Xephyr X server.
• Only a small set of applications is installed in the Maemo environment, and it lacks all the propietary applications from Nokia (such as the web browser). It is intended to test your applications rather than to be used as a substitute of the Nokia 770.
• Once you get bored with the Maemo desktop, stop it with the following command
  • af-sb-init.sh stop

sources.list for the Maemo environment

The scratchbox is like just another system within your Linux system. The two configurations (SDK_PC and SDK_ARMEL) are based on Debian, and so they use APT to manage software packages. You must set up the proper repositories to be used inside the scratchbox environment. Be careful and do not use the following repositories in your computer, only within the strachbox environment.

Go and edit /etc/apt/sources.list, and the following repositories. Remove any repository already included in the file. Remember, edit the file once you have login in the scratchbox. Do not edit the sources.list in your system.

deb http://catalogue.tableteer.nokia.com/certified/ mistral user
deb http://catalogue.tableteer.nokia.com/non-certified/ mistral user
deb http://repository.maemo.org/extras/ mistral free non-free
deb-src http://repository.maemo.org/extras/ mistral free non-free
deb http://repository.maemo.org/ scirocco free non-free
deb-src http://repository.maemo.org/ scirocco free non-free


Execute apt-get update after editing the file.

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The design has been also improved. The N800 is lighter than the 770 (about 90 grams). The width is greater and the height lower, and the position of the buttons and headphones plugs is now more ergonomical.

It does not have an integrated keyboard.

Here it is the product page at nokia.com. It costs 399 Euro when buying from Spain (about 50 more Euro than the 770).

Here you can find some photos of the new device, including some comparison of dimensions with the 770.

Some other links of blogs talking about the new gadget:

• Ari Jaaksi’s blog
• Karoliina Salminen’s blog
• Teemu Harju, arguing that Skype is coming for the new N800

And now the one million dollar question: is it worthy to buy the new N800 if you already own a 770? The new N800 is a better device than the 770. With a faster CPU and more memory it is expected to be way faster than the 770. This should influence the multimedia capabilities; for instance, video playing should be much better in the N800. Another strong point is that you can use two memory cards, and that the format is SD. The memory cards can be up to 2 GB, so you may have up to 4 extra GB, which is quite a lot for movies, music, etc. With that capacity, the N800 is a real multimedia device. For instance, I have a 512 MB card in my 770, and every time I copy a movie to the card I have to remove all the music and the maps of Maemo Mapper. With 4 GB I could store a movie, my favourite music and the maps of Maemo Mapper (I have Madrid and surroundings stored in my card, and it is quite useful when I get lost in the city, that happens quite often ). The rest of features are pretty much the same than in the 770, except the new webcam, which I do not think I would use too much.

So, summarizing, if you don’t own a 770 and are thinking of buying it, forget it and go for the N800. It is worthy to spend 50 more Euro. If you already own the 770, it does not make sense to have both devices. Try to sell your 770 before buying the new N800. The other option is to cross your fingers and get a discount from the Developer Device Program. Personally, right now I am trying to sell my 770, and I am crossing my fingers .

Regarding the operating system, I expect the new releases of Maemo (3.0, codename Bora) and the Internet Table system (IT 2007) to be compatible with the current system. Also, the already available packages should be compatible with this new system, or at least, easily recompilable to make them binary-compatible with the new system. The releases page says that the compatibilty among Maemo 2.1 and 3.0 is rather good. Here you may find some details about the compatibility issues.

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The only condition is that both persons have to be Gizmo users, and they have to add their landline and mobile numbers to their profile. So if you add your mobile and/or landline numbers, you are in one of the free destinations, your contact add their numbers as well and he is also in a free destination, both of you will be able to call to any of the numbers for free.

It is a bit limited, because they do not allow to call to any number, but is better than nothing.

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The first thing I have tested is the web browser. It is still Opera-based. This new version seems to be faster, and less memory consuming. It has got two (at least) new features: password wallet (it asks you to store the password each time you fill a new form with a password field) and history autocompletion (it shows you a list of previous visited websites). I have tested three web browser windows at once time, at the same time than the audio player was playing the radio, and with the control panel open, and everything was right and smooth. It includes now links to Google Search, Gmail and News.

Another new feature is the desktop. Now you can modify the layout, and place the applets wherever you want. You can also configure what applets want to see, as in the previous version, but this time there are more applets available. For example, there is a Google Search applet and a speed access to selected contacts.

Regarding the audio player, it looks like the same than in the previous version. The same with the video player (this is, it is as fast/slow as before). It comes with two songs and a new video (Discovery Channel commercial).

The file manager is the same, but it seems to have a bug. With the previous version, I was able to browse my Motorola L6 mobile phone using Bluetooth. This new version, however, claims that my phone has not that feature.

The PDF reader is much faster. Moreover, as it is loading the page, it is showing it, so you have not to wait until it is fully loaded to begin to read.

The main menu is now better organized, and can be also customized.

And now the really good new features. First of all, in the Memory applet in the Control Panel there is a new option, called “Virtual Memory”. You can add and modify swap to your MMC card, to make the system faster. If you need the space in your car and you previously configured a big size, you can with just one click modify the size of the swap.

It includes a Jabber client, with VoIP capabilities. I have not tested the VoIP thing, but the Jabber client is pretty good. It can manage many accounts (with a profile for Google Talk accounts to make easy to add your account), the chat windows, in spite of the tiny size of the device, are good and usable, and it can enter in chat rooms. For example, there are clients that when entering in rooms with big logs, crash, or terribly slow down. This one however manage well rooms with big logs.

The contacts application can automatically load your contacts from your Jabber/Google Talk accounts, and you can use it to send emails, start chats, or start phone calls. However, it seems there is not a “callout” service, to call to phones outside the Internet.

The email application is now also much faster. It opens the messages in a really short time.

I have though experienced two or three crashes. However, in the opposite to the previous version, these crashes did not reboot the device, but only close suddenly the application. The system gave me the proper feedback, with an “Sorry, an error occurred and the application was suddenly closed”. But this was in something like three hours testing everything.

The other two drawbacks are that you cant no restore a backup from a previous version, so you will need to add again your network profiles and so on, and that binaries from previous versions are not compatible with this version, so all the applications that were available for the old version are not yet ready for the new version.

So the overall impression is quite good. This new system has many more features, and it is much faster than the previous. I suggest you not to wait until the final version is ready, move to the new version now!.

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By the way, the title of this post comes from one of the funniest books I have ever read.

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Set the Trust options to everything, so you will be able to use the certificate both with the browser and the e-mail application.

I first tested the browser, and I could not identify with the certificate. I only obtained a Unable to complete secure transaction:

I tested the same certificate with Mozilla Firefox in GNU/Linux, and it worked without problems; so it seems the browser can not work properly with user certificates.

Then I tried the e-mail application. I created a new message, and set up the Digitally sign option:

When sending the message, a pop up appears and asks you for the certificate password:

Then I checked that the message can be correctly read when downloaded using the same e-mail application:

So the conclusions are clear. Certificates are not properly supported in the web browser (it is a known and reported bug), and correctly supported in the e-mail application.

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My last try did not manage to get a proper look and feel in the Maemo environment. But this time I copied the files from /usr/share/themes from my Nokia 770 to the scratchbox environment on my computer (just click here if you are wondering what the hell is a scratchbox), and added this to .gtkrc-2.0 to my home directory

include '/usr/share/themes/default/gtk-2.0/gtkrc'

After that, without recompiling the libraries, all the applications got the Hildon look and feel, as the following screenshots evidence:

The Minimal sample (wxWidgets)

A sample showing the wxGrid widget (wxWidgets)

The menubar is not yet integrated with the Hildon look and feel (wxWidgets)

A sample showing some buttons and a tooltip (wxPython)

The different kind of buttons available in wxWidgets (wxPython)

As the GNU/Linux version of wxWidgets is developed with GTK, it seems that the applications are very well integrated. For example, they are responsing to maximize to full screen events (with the hardware button). There are still some minor issues, as the menu bar, which is a window placed over the main window. Instead, it should use the Hildon functions for menu bars. Also the virtual keyboard annonyingly appears each time you click in the bottom part of the screen. I don’t know yet why.

So I think as soon I have a couple of days, I will manage to port these libraries to Maemo. And so applications will be to able to be developed in C++ and Python for the Nokia 770.

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I downloaded the sources, and followed these instructions, with two minor exceptions:

I used these configure options for wxWidgets:

../configure --without-opengl --disable-debug --enable-sound --with-gtk --enable-unicode

and these options for setup.py for wxPython:

python2.3 setup.py build_ext --inplace UNICODE=1 BUILD_GLCANVAS=0 BUILD_STC=0 BUILD_GIZMOS=0 BUILD_ANIMATE=0

This is the look and feel of wxPython running on Maemo

The look and feel is still a bit ugly, because I did not make any change to the original code. I will try to hildonize wxWidgets. I hope it won’t be too dificult.

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Do the next steps as root in your Nokia 770 (hint, execute sudo gainroot).

I have added some files to /var/lib/install/etc/others-menu/extra_applications. The file btkbd.desktop contains

[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Name=Turn on/off BT keyboard
Exec=/root/btkbd_user
X-HildonDesk-ShowInToolbar=true
X-Osso-Type=application/x-executable

Next sshd.desktop, it contains

[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Name=SSH server
Exec=/root/sshd_user
X-HildonDesk-ShowInToolbar=true
X-Osso-Type=application/x-executable

I added the following lines to /etc/sudoers to allow that users could execute the scripts from the menu

user ALL = NOPASSWD: /root/kbdd/btkbd
user ALL = NOPASSWD: /root/sshd

Then, I wrote the /root/sshd script

#!/bin/sh
/var/lib/install/etc/init.d/dropbear-server start

And finally I wrote the user scripts. The /root/sshd_user script contains only sudo /root/sshd. The /root/btkbd_user contains only sudo /root/kbdd/btkbd. The file /root/sshd contanis:

#!/bin/sh
/var/lib/install/etc/init.d/dropbear-server start

After these steps you will have some new options in your applications menu. For example, take a look at my applications menu 1 2. I have added the applications marked with a red cross.

Maybe you want to know how to add the swap options, set up your bluetooth keyboard, or install the SSH server and set up an ad-hoc network between your computer and the Nokia 770.

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