How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

Is there any alternate GUI Application Manager for the N810 ?

Anything that allows you to select multiple applications for install, and just installing them at once, like you can do in Linux on the desktop - not one after another, with lengthy refreshes between each and every app ?

Reinstall after a flashing is becoming utterly unbearable... takes 2-3 hours to install all my applications one by one, and i don't know the package names of all applications to just use apt-get from console...

Re: How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

When re-flashing if you have a backup the programs list will be reinstalled (with exceptions for apps not available in the application manager). Unfortunately you still have to confirm/redirect some applications during this process.

Re: How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

I second this plea. I don't care how hard it is to use synaptic app manager on a tiny screen, it beats the 5hit out of waiting 10 minutes to install two apps.

Until then, there is always apt-get.

Re: How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

I know this doesn't answer your question, but I just unticked the box in settings in red pill mode to download packages to the mmc. Looks like it was enabled by default for those running off the internal memory. The app manager seems a bit more responsive now I've stopped it from doing that, but it cold just be like the effects from a placebo... I'm not sure.

Re: How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

Why in the world are you running in Red Pill? That'd be one way to explain slowness.

Anyway, if you need to install a bunch of stuff at the same time, try apt-get.

Re: How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

Ok, so by this you mean that it's possible to use Synaptic on the N810 ?

Is there a version already made to work for the N810, or do i have to build it myself (don't think i have the skills, i would appreciate all the help i can get) ?

Re: How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

Not only it doesn't answer my question, i don't even understand what you are talking about...

Which "settings", some program's or general tablet settings ? ; what "red pill mode", do you mean RD or something else ?

Re: How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

Thank you. Not what i asked, however, so not really helping.

[Edit] - Sorry, on second look that sounded a bit too harsh - the "Thank you" wasn't sarcastic at all, i meant it, i will use the backup utility in the future if there is no other option.

Re: How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

Sigh... I mean, seriously - It was right there, in the first post...

Let me repeat myself :
I need to know if there's any alternate GUI - as in Graphical User Interface, not terminal app, that can do multiple installs like Synaptic does on the desktop.

I considered apt-get initially, but i need to install a lot of applications, and i don't know the package names of all of them - that is why i need a click-click-done graphical app manager, not apt-get.

Common people, it's not really difficult - i'm not requesting that someone code an app manager for me, resolve complex engineering problems, or do house calls - just tell me if you heard of something like this or not, and that is it, i'll leave you alone to your business.

4 replies, 3 out of them from senior members of the forum, and only 1 of them even at least hinted to something like what was asked for in the original post, albeit not going into details (thanks Thesandlord).

I just need a 'yay' or a 'nay', and if 'yay', a quick 'what?', 'where?', and 'how?'.

Re: How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

By telling you to use apt-get, there was an implied "No, such a GUI option does not exist".

Beggars can't be choosers, and abusing people that are trying to help you isn't a good way to have them continue helping you in the future.

Re: How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

Sorry, i do not, and never did read minds - there is no way in which what you said was the only interpretation possible - nor the shortest.
The shortest would have been a NO.

It's just that, it wasn't helping. In no reply did i see a "yes there is" or "no there isn't" - i'm sorry, but that would have been help.

What i said was in no way abusive, i just stated the facts... there were 4 replies were there not ? 3 of them were written by senior members, right ? And only one reply actually mentioned something close to what i asked in my first post... where's the abuse ?

Sorry for being so abrasive, but i'm coming from a loooong day of dealing with exactly this kind of stuff - i work in Linux development, and i'm perfectly used with the bloody weird way a lot of my colleagues understand the concept of "help" or "clear answer", and usually the only solution when face-to-face cannot be done is to be brusque and to the point, and wake them from dreaming around so that you and them can go back and continue working.

Re: How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

No, I do not believe there is an alternate package manager available for the tablets.

That said, I believe one of the members here tried porting Synaptic, but without a lot of success; a search of synaptic should give more information.

In addition, many maemo packages invoke a few programs that require user-interaction (select menu location, on-screen dialogs, etc) so I believe it is not even possible to do as you ask.

Re: How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

Oh, no. I Wish there was. What I am saying is that a common excuse for why Nokia did not simply port synaptic is because it would not be usable on the tablet. It is perfectly usable with Easy Debian... In fact, it is easier than the App Manager. Simply tick what I want, and click install.

I don't know of any GUI app for apps. apt-get is the only choice.

Re: How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

"Common excuse"? I didn't realize that "simply porting Synaptic" was a proposed solution that had ever received a response.

The obvious reasons, though, are because it doesn't meet Nokia's requirements for a package manager, and because its UI and resource usage isn't remotely appropriate for a touchscreen device at less than 1024x768.

Re: How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

It is a common excuse. I never said it was a bad excuse. I realize Nokia was trying to keep a constant GUI (not really, but...), and Synaptic is very cluttered. But at least for advanced users or something. Something better than what we have now. Maybe for N900...

And about the UI and resource, I am no where near being and expert, but synaptic runs perfectly on debian, as I said before.

Re: How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

Aaaaaaaahhhhh, why it is such a common occurence that new members ask interessting questions - at least for me - and then refuse to think about what was proposed? They rather bite the helping hand because its not covered in candy.

After reading the answers proposing apt-get I wonder if it is enough to install an application w/o additional packges? Maybe there is a way to extract the needed program information from the backup file?

Thanks for the help in advance.
icke

(writing this question with tear)

Re: How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

IMO, synaptic really doesn't bode well on the device.

http://qwerty12.maemobox.org/synaptic.png

If you move that scrollbar down a little, you'll be moved from a to z straight away. And you can't resize that "No package is selected" despite it having a thing to resize it - it doesn't work. This isn't a chroot BTW.

Re: How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

Thank you.

Well, can't say i'm surprised, the entire tablet OS is full of horribly bad decisions. I'll get to using apt-get and the backup utility. Bloody Maemo.

Re: How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

The requirement for a constant UI doesn't exclude a simple ticker next to a package.

No, i believe it was just a simple stupid decision, based either on lack of time or interest in making something better for a product that really few people would use, or on some obtuse UI designer / architect / developer / management material (there are plenty of them there, trust me on this one).

Ah well, too late to complain now - just wish i was in Maemo back when they were working with the app manager and when they were designing the N810 to have the OS and all applications on the smallest flash memory available.

Re: How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

I'm not, but it's the only way to access the settings.

Re: How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

A looong time ago I tried to port things to have aptitude working but failed.
Anybody tried ?

Re: How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

For the records, https://bugs.maemo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=601 is the request about being able to install several packages at once.
Please vote for this bug (Log in, Click "Vote for this bug", set your cross and confirm again) if you want it to have a higher priority.

Re: How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

https://garage.maemo.org/projects/aptitude - but only for DIABLO_X86... I tried building for ARMEL, but failed. Maybe I'll do it on device, as aptitude is something I do wish to have on a tablet (unlike synaptic).

Re: How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

Well, there's the question about the logs. IIRC (and no debian around here to check), aptitude puts a lot of history in /var/log
Actually I like it to track problems, you know what was last updated...
I've done a simple script to grep through it

Displays nice colors :)

Re: How to install multiple apps at once ?
 

Built aptitude: http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php...348#post292348