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Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

Stupid question time...
I really want to replace my Palm (TH55) device, but I've got to have a calendar that notifies me of upcoming appointments with an audible alert. I can find numerous threads bashing or lamenting about PIM apps, but I have yet to read about a calendar app that can make alarm sounds on a N810.

Suggestions?

Re: Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

Not sure what to tell you... I'm using GPE on an n810 and am having lots of problems with its alarm support. Alarms that were acknowledged 2 days ago will go off again at a random time. Other alarms just don't seem to go off. I don't trust it. I'm hopeful that KDEPIMPI will be what I've been waiting for, but it sounds like it still has GUI display issues on the n810.

Out of frustration I'm getting very close to diving into Gene Cash's apps to try and get them running on OS 2008:
http://home.cfl.rr.com/genecash/nokia/

Anyone else want to help?

Re: Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

you might look here and see most of the apps on the Gene Cash page have maybe been updated pretty regular and might work as found?

http://home.cfl.rr.com/genecash/updates.html

Re: Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

I'm using the Gene Cash calendar, for testing. I've got it running for a few months. But it seems to work very differently from my Palm, so I don't trust it for anything. I tried to set an alarm for a couple of weeks later, but there's no pop-up or notification anything like on my Palm. Besides, it seems to keep track of (or trying to keep track of) events by automatically starting itself every night at midnight, instead of scheduling the N800 alarm system. I'm very reluctant to use this instead of my trusted Palm. (I don't think the GPE stuff works any better btw.)

Re: Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

Has anyone tried Pimlico? - http://pimlico-project.org/
"Pimlico is a suite of lightweight Personal Information Management (PIM) applications designed primarily for handheld and mobile devices."
Their calendar app is called Dates. From the screenshot, I can't tell if it has an alarm. (I don't have a NIT)
There is a Maemo port off the main page.

Re: Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

Can't resolve the Pimlico Repo in my App Manager. Looks good though. Anyone know a working link please?

Re: Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

I tried the pimlico app, really nice interface. But no alarms. Also no way of putting info on home screen that I could see.

try www.gronmayer.com/it/ for repository

Re: Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

I've had similar frustrations with GPE Calendar: mostly re-reminding me after the fact about previous alarms. Sometimes as many as five at once covering alarms over the past day or two. So I just shut down GPE Calendar entirely when I want to be sure this doesn't happen (movie, etc.).

I don't think I've missed an alarm.

There are also a number of minor nits (e.g. advancing the time for setting an alarm doesn't automatically set the alarm 'on') and some too-small graphic elements.

But while I have been managing to get along okay with it for a couple of months now, I sure would like an update or something better. I thought I was over my separation grief from my long series of Palm devices (and they also had their frustrations), but I feel the lack of a really solid and easy-to-use calendar app.

Re: Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

Thanks for the advice everyone. I wish someone had been able to report better news of an app that worked better. :(

Why is the alarm handling so poor on o/s 2008? Is this a limitation of maemo or part of the unreleased code? Or is it just the calendar applications themselves? Surely other Linux based portable devices didn't have this issue (zaurus?), did they? I'm just trying to figure out where a fix is needed and how I can help.

Re: Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

GPE calendar doesn't use the maemo alarmd framework, which is supposed to "do the right thing". There is an open bug against alarmd, but at least standardizing on alarmd seems like a way forward. Gene Cash's python calendar app does use alarmd, but apparently has not been fully ported to OS 2008.

Maybe we should lay out some possibilities for improving things:

1. Fix GPE's built-in alarm code.
+ probably easiest way to get GPE working a bit better
- not integrated with rest of unit
- GPE not automatically started at boot (can probably be done via user configuration though)

2. Modify GPE to use alarmd
+ integrated functionality
+ alarmd maintainer can worry about that functionality
? uncertain if this would be easier or harder than fixing GPE's alarming

3. Modify Gene Cash's python calendar program for OS 2008
+ probably not too difficult
+ already uses alarmd
+ reports of it working pretty well on OS 2007
- may not support syncing

4. Get KDEPIMPI working
+ already in progress
? not sure how much more effort required

5. Fix up pimlico calendar
? I hardly used this because it seemed to have very limited features.

6. Start a new calendar project, preferably in python
+ iCalendar libs already exist in python
+ good python support in maemo
+ may be able to borrow code/ideas from Gene Cash's calendar and/or winzig
- large initial investment

Comments and additions welcome. :)

Re: Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

I too have been very disappointed with the current crop of calendars. I've kicked around the idea of building one around a R/O gCal calendar with automated download of changes and an outbox for "Quick Add" strings. In my mind it should not be too difficult, but the devils in the details.

Re: Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

This PIM functionality is such a pain. I still carry around my Treo 650 because the calendar app, while old, is simple as hell to use. I figured GPE, etc. would easily best it, but I couldn't have been more wrong.

Now, before the "it's a IT, not a PDA" crew shows up, yeah, I know, but seriously, it's basically a small laptop. It functions excellently as an IT, and thanks to the Canola guys, it's an excellent PMP as well. Why not take the next step and get a decent PIM kicking?

That being said, I'm not a programmer, so I have little room to talk, but why has no one written a simple palm calendar knock-off for maemo? I'm sure it's not as simple as I'm making it out to be, but I can't believe no one with any programming experience has thought to do this.

Oh, and I tried to use that palm emulator...no thanks.

Re: Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

EDIT: Sooooo, I took a look at this GeneCash site and apparently someone HAS done what I wanted. I'll have to wait until I get home to check it out.

Now I feel like a tool for complaining.

RE-EDIT: And I'm also a tool for typing the edit into the quick reply box.

Re: Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

Quote:

Originally Posted by micrometer (Post 168517)

Part of the issue as I see it, but I am coming over from 30-years of development on the WinTel MSDOS/Windows environment. This means I don't even know the file system well let alone understand the intrinsics of the OS and development language quirks & limitations.

That said, as I have spent more time looking deeper I see a few reasons things are slow. One is there has yet to be any standard library for things such as a database access. So all the developers seem to need to rely on custom indexing routines and file structures. That is like going back a good 10-15 years in development approach needed. BUT, I have run across that there is a new library out for accessing mysql databases as well as some called sqlite or something similar. But as soon as there is some sort of database standard ported to function within the ITOS environment many issues will fall away because things will not need to work from scratch or require the amount of debugging the 'roll your own' database structure needs.

And of course there are issues of the hardware and how good the system is at running background utilities such as a calendar stuff. It's gets to be all about threading, power management (how does the alarm/calendar portion keep running and even wake up the tablet when it's off or do you require users leave the tablet on in sleep mode 24/7 like the PDA's work by design.)

There are a LOT of other factors beyond these few. So when I am critical of developers I also know why these things are difficult. Yet at the same time I am used to being "the boss" and hearing from some coders that things are not possible. Well, they are if you have the right tools. Not all of the tools are there yet for the ITOS devices.

What they should be able to do is have something which at least works fine when the device is powered on. But also the database side is pretty primitive and needs to catchup. Given recent new over on the Maemo Garage site that seems to be happening.

I might be hard on the developers but what I wish they would do is communicate WHY and what the current roadblocks might be instead so simply lashing out when folks are critical of the state of ITOS app development.

I can say in just the last couple months since getting my N800 I have seen a big leap in capability for the developers which can only mean good stuff is not too far behind for us peon users. I do have appreciation for them right now, but at the same time, if they want to help grow the environment taking the path of least resistance and working on just stuff like multi-media apps really can lead to a lot of frustrated regular users who can only see what they want/need is just not there and anytime they ask they get smacked on the nose for even asking.

Obviously there must be more roadblocks then I have found, but I am betting no more then 6-mos for some pretty decent improvements on the PIM kinda app front.

Until then I guess a person could learn to run the maemo version of the linux/unix "cron" utility from the command line (ie xterm) and create our own alarms, at least it might make noise when you need it... ;) But there is a lot of learning to even get there...not something a busy person wants to deal with really.

Re: Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

Quote:

Originally Posted by micrometer (Post 168522)

naw, I been whining too but we never knew these other developers were out there working in annonymity. I get a sense that much of the Maemo developer community can be a tad clique-ish which could be due to how the sub-culture within Nokia works and makes it difficult for outsiders to join "the cool kids".

But at least these were found and offer another option.

Re: Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

Now that I've done a relook at Gene Cash's stuff, I believe his calendar and todo apps would meet my needs pretty well, assuming they are reasonably bug-free. So porting them to OS 2008 is the only thing standing in the way. The main thing they seem to lack is syncing. However, at least the calendar has import and export of iCalendar files, so that should lower the bar for trying it out. I still need to figure out how to get my data out of GPE though.

Re: Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

@brecklundin:

I think sqlite is the "maemo standard" database library. And GPE is using it. alarmd is the maemo standard alarming framework, which GPE is not using yet. I agree that it just takes a lot of time to get all these things working on the platform, and I'm sure that porting GPE to the level it's at right now already took quite a bit of effort. I also agree that within 6 months the PIM situation should be much better since there seems to be a groundswell of interest.

I think the PIM stuff is suffering due to a "gee whiz" opportunity cost. The NITs are a very attractive platform to do "sexy" projects on. As a NIT developer, you might be one of the first to get Android up and running. You might make a flashy multimedia player that takes full advantage of the extensive hardware capabilities of the NITs. You might write the next "crayon physics" game. Compared to that, PIM is pretty boring stuff. I myself have various "gee whiz" ideas I'd like to try with my NIT, but the PIM situation is painful enough that I'm considering putting them on hold.

Re: Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbrewer123 (Post 168502)

3. Modify Gene Cash's python calendar program for OS 2008
+ probably not too difficult

Have you read Gene's site? Have you seen the part where he says:

Quote:

I tried OS2008/Chinook FOUR TIMES and it really doesn't seem ready for prime-time.

and then goes on to list in detail what's broken in the OS?

Re: Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

Quote:

Originally Posted by dubwise (Post 168851)

Have you read Gene's site?

Sure I have. I suppose this is still the newbie forum, so I'll ask the question... can I flash OS 2007 on my n810? I don't know the answer, but I've been assuming that I can't. Not having used OS 2007, I don't feel the sense of loss that Gene does when I run OS 2008. Right now Gene's apps are the only reason I have to roll back to OS 2007, which would be a significant hassle for me and possibly prevent me from trying newer apps that are on the way like KDEPIMPI.

None of the issues Gene lists against OS 2008 sound like they are blocking a port of his apps to OS 2008. They are simply blocking him from moving to OS 2008. He's happy with his OS 2007 setup and is unwilling to put up with those issues in OS 2008. Therefore he has no motivation to spend effort porting his apps.

If the compatibility issues aren't too large, it's probably not out of the question to modify his apps to support both OS versions. That would seem to please everyone.

Re: Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbrewer123 (Post 168881)

None of the issues Gene lists against OS 2008 sound like they are blocking a port of his apps to OS 2008.

In fact, some of his complaints don't seem to be problems for other users. For example, Gene talks about MicroB crashing all the time. I'm not trying to do what he was, but MicroB never crashes on me anymore (since employing some brontide and Benson tweaks).

Quote:

If the compatibility issues aren't too large, it's probably not out of the question to modify his apps to support both OS versions. That would seem to please everyone.

It sure would please me!

Re: Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

It's not possible to flash the OS2007 onto an n810. And even if it did work, you'd lose functionality.

Re: Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

I have a calendar app (full PIM suite, actually) that I use all the time on my N810 and I definately have alarms with sounds that are reliable. All you need is KDE installed and use it as your desktop environment. KOrganizer is included in the KDE install.

Re: Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

Here are some patches that get Gene's to_do app to work on OS 2008. They should retain backwards compatibility with OS 2007 but I have no way to test that myself. I know that we really want to see calend working, but it's more complicated and I decided to start small. I figured I would post this now to possibly entice someone into helping on calend once they see that the changes aren't that bad.

I haven't made any attempt to repackage this into .debs. I just downloaded the individual source code links from his site and put them in a directory. I run it with "python to_do" to see that it works correctly.

Thanks to mbfrog's post in this thread for some tips on getting started:
http://www.internettablettalk.com/fo...=calend&page=2

nokia_utilities:

Code:

--- nokia_utilities.orig/nokia_utilities.py     2008-04-11 19:03:12.000000000 -0400

+++ nokia_utilities/nokia_utilities.py  2008-04-13 12:31:48.000000000 -0400

@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@

 except:

     nokia=False

 

+

+GTK_VERSION_OS2008 = 2,10,12

+

+

 def set_version_short(v):

     global version_short

 

@@ -108,6 +112,8 @@

     d.set_authors(['Gene Cash <gene.cashgmail.com>'])

     d.set_license(license)

     d.set_website('http://home.cfl.rr.com/genecash/nokia/index.html')

+    if not gtk.check_version(*GTK_VERSION_OS2008):

+        d.connect('response', lambda d, r: d.destroy())

     d.run()

 

 # put up a timed information banner

to_do:

Code:

--- to_do.orig/to_do    2008-04-11 19:01:57.000000000 -0400

+++ to_do/to_do 2008-04-13 12:34:39.000000000 -0400

@@ -603,8 +603,8 @@

 view=gtk.TreeView()

 sw.add(view)

 view.set_headers_visible(True)

-if nokia:

-    # fix buglet that messes with setting the checkboxes

+if nokia and gtk.check_version(*GTK_VERSION_OS2008):

+    # fix buglet in OS 2007 that messes with setting the checkboxes

     view.set_property('allow-checkbox-mode', False)

 view.connect('row-activated', row_select)

 view.set_property('hover-selection', True)

Re: Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

Quote:

Originally Posted by PinCushionQueen (Post 169101)

I'll have to check that out... didn't realize the KOrganizer stuff was running ok already.

Re: Calendar app for N810 that can make an alarm sound

I've put packages with Gene Cash's to_do and calend programs here:
http://brewer123.home.comcast.net/debs

They run on my n810. Let me know how they work for you. Download the debs in order and the dependencies should be satisfied correctly.