I'm running an n800 with OS2007 (it shipped with the device, I have not reflashed it.) I have installed/uninstalled a few packages, but really not all that much.

I don't seem to be able to see all the packages that are supposed to be there, though. If I turn off all the repositories but the Nokia-supplied one that can't be disabled, I have about 6 or so applications available. Turning on the maemo bora repository only makes 3 more packages available for install - hello-world-app, maemo-games-startup, and maemo-games-startup-dev. I want to install some other package that claims to be in this repository, but I can't see it from the application manager.

When I first went through the process of trying to download applications, it was back when the repositories were messed up and I was getting failures so I was turning repositories off and on to get it working. But I'm not sure why it is not working now, and I don't know what I need to do to make it work. Checking the log for the application manager, it does not display any errors. Updating the application list after adding this repository displays a download message "downloading 100kb", which seems awfully large to contain only three packages.

I have osso-xterm installed, so I can run whatever I need from the commandline, and while I am not a stranger to Linux I don't know Debian's package system.

What do I need to do to track down and fix whatever is causing this problem?

I was suffering the same problem as you until I accidentally came across this information yesterday and so made a copy for further use. It does work.

ApplicationManagerRedPillMode

1. Activating Red Pill mode
1. Warning

The Application Manager has a special hidden mode that makes it more power user friendly and gives you access to features that are not yet considered to be ready for everybody. This mode used to be an easter egg, but I feel I have to give it away officially now since it is so useful.
Activating Red Pill mode

Go to "Tools > Application catalogue", click "New", enter "matrix" into the "Web Address" field, click "Cancel". Choosing the red pill will activate the red pill mode, obviously, and chosing the blue one will deactivate it.

Prior to version 4.29 of the osso-application-installer package, the following was different in red pill mode:

*

The AM would list all packages, not just the ones in section "user".
*

It would allow you to install every package with "Install from file", not just the ones in section "user".
*

It would list the dependencies of a package in the "Details" dialog.

Starting with version 4.29 (available in Sardine), red pill mode will put more options into the "Tools > Settings" dialog. They are described in https://stage.maemo.org/svn/maemo/pr...c/red-pill.txt
Warning

Some users on the Maemo mailing lists have reported problems when updating applications in "red pill" mode. You should probably be in "blue pill" mode unless you are installing one of the extra packages.

Bill MacINTYRE