hey guys,


I have been combing the threads in search of some simple answers. as a new user ( tablet on its way in the mail ) I have all the basic questions pretty much answered but one has been a bit ambiguious from thread to thread unless you have a certain level of system knowledge already. I want to find out the best operating system for the n810, (I know most ppl will direct me to some wiki or say find a thread on it before you create a new one asking about it) . well I looked and didn't find the answer I was looking for and really dnt mean to be rude but just need a few responses that can help give a better idea since there are no updated videos on youtube to illustrate what the available OS's can do compared to the one that comes on the device. I know its really a personal preference as to which OS to chose but I figured with a few ppl saying which they use and what they use it for i would get a better idea then just reading a wiki on one and still not fully grasping what it does, because i already know what and operating system is per say but specifically ( Mer, Debian, ect...) is a bit different.


any help is much appreciated, Thanks

While you say you know what an Operating System (OS) is, I'm not convinced you understand the concept of a distribution (distro).

In basic terms from a Linux perspective (ignoring the technicalities of GNU + Linux kernel and/or each BSD has its own kernel and/or Android's java vm within a Linux scratchbox scenario) you have a collection of software maintained generally by more or less a certain group of people with certain architecture in mind typically and while any distro "can" technically be turned into another distro (this is rarely the case, tends to brick installs)...

Ok I lost you, showing not telling is key for this - particularly people who are used to the tunnel vision of Windows or OSX for that matter.

The entire [software] project around which the Nokia 770, N800, and N810 has been created is referred to as Maemo. The default OS on the tablet is Linux. The default distro on the Nokia N810 is "OS 2008". The default release is codenamed "Chinook". You are going to want to upgrade to the "Diablo" and the most recent kernel (and other stuff that comes with these "Software Security Updates"/SSU). This is designed with a touch screen in mind as well as the rest of the hardware associated with the "Internet Tablet"/tiny computer. There are quite a few repositories (you can kind of think of these as FTP servers containing program installers all in one place; note I am dumbing this down for people that haven't used Linux before - devs please along, no need to critique this post) and has "hildonized" applications, which ranges from applications ported to the platform that play nice with the window manager all the way to games like Bomberman with big finger-friendly buttons. It's a nice environment and you'll want to stay. But there are limitations...

Ok moving on...Debian...oh Debian...Debian is one of the main foundation Linux distros, known for its stability. Ubuntu, Knoppix and others have been derived from Debian (and continue to suck at its teet - can I say that?). Once upon a time "Maemo" more like OS 2006 was [loosely] derived from Debian. Or so they say. It has evolved into a beast of its own that's for sure. Now there are several proper Debian ports for the tablets, with .deb repos filled with the proper ARM packages - of course several of those projects are long-dead. There is always the option of "EasyDeb Turbo-charged" a virtual install that can be accessed if you want to get your Deb on real quick. You get Java support, Firefox (excuse me Iceweasel due to Debian's squabble with Mozilla) and OpenOffice. You also can move windows around - yes "Maemo" has multitasking support but each window is treated like it's in its own private virtual desktop. With Debian and even EasyDeb windows can be moved around and you can have multiple windows on screen simultaneously. Deblet might be worth it if you want to play around with keymaps and other usability configurations.

Codename Fremantle is the next release from Nokia for project Maemo. It's designed for OMAP3 hardware a.k.a. the successor to the N810 and can't be run on the N810 due to the difference in architecture. Mer is a project starting by the community to implement all the features from Fremantle (or most of them anyway) into our own "distro"/release for N800/N810 (perhaps 770 owners too? Haven't looked into that, maybe they'll get Mer Hacker Edition). Mer is a work in progress and its going to be awhile before everything gets ported.

Android as I'm sure you've heard is Google's foreway into a mobile OS. It is basically a custom Java virtual machine running in a Linux "scratchbox" - that is it runs on top of Linux. Applications are "Java"-based and thus should be architecture independent. There is a release for pre-1.0 Android virtual install for the N810 that has been completely unusable for me. There is also project NITdroid which is full Android (1.0 not 1.5/"cupcake") with work-in-progress custom drivers to get the touchscreen to work, keyboard to work, reverse-engineered wifi driver, etc. No gps, no bt, no audio atm. Oh and something that no one ever seems to point out.....gonna go bold for this nugget.

Kernels must be flashed to the device, there is no true multi-boot action going on. There is no Grub boot loader that loads the kernel of your choice. The kernel is flashed on the device as if it were a digital camera and not a friggen portable computer.

Yes there is dual-boot support. You can have Chinook on a SD card and Diablo on the internal flash memory but you can't have Android on an SD card. No. You can chainload some distros perhaps, rig that to work, but for the time being Android and other radically different OSes, no - have to flash the device. And in doing so (unlike flashing to get screen rotate working) Diablo/Chinook won't boot. Have to re-flash to get them to boot again. Frustrating is what it is. There are all kind of little frustrations associated with the device but there are more positives to it than negatives at least for me.

Garnet VM is a Palm emulator, it runs within "Maemo" much like the Gameboy emulator does. It can't run every Palm app because of hardware limitations but it can run quite a few and perhaps not use all functions but hey it's something.

VMware - vmware is not currently available on the device (though virtual machines of the device are). And no technically this isn't true. VMware quite awhile ago showed off a demo of Windows CE and Android running side by side on the device booted from some custom VMware environment - and no we can't get our hands on it, cause VMware is holding out on us. Teasing us.

I guess there is yet another group of things, applications with plugins, full-screen, virtual Window Manager types - Canola, Carman, Mediabox, etc. Which act kinda of like XBMC, essentially overlayed KIOSK-esque environments to do things such as play media.

I'd also like that I've never understood the fascination behind screenshots and videos comparing Linux releases - the real differences are behind the scenes, the only features shown in a screenshot are the wallpaper, window manager and theme. Hands-on (plus perhaps a feature list or changelog) really has no substitute here.

If someone would like expand on the above rather than redirect to a broken page or unrelated thread please do so.

Since you haven't yet received your tablet, it's a bit early for you to even ask this question. When you get your tablet, just update what you've already gotten on the tablet with the most current version, using the Nokia updater.

None of the other stuff is worth doing yet, in my opinion. You could add some Debian stuff, but you shouldn't even do that in the early stages. You can be perfectly happy without it -- I have the extra Qole stuff on my tablets, and I never use it.

well thank you @linuxeventually for giving me the fundamentals of OS's(other than windows), I wasnt thinking about it at the time but you pretty much nailed it when you said I had tunnel vision from using (windows OS) for so long that its no wonder i have the slightest clue about an open platform like Linux. It was a bit to process as an intermediate NIT user but you did a great job breaking it down from the level you are to mine so kudos to you and thanks.

@ geneven, it is very early to ask those type of question and if you only knew how much I look up all types of info on the n810 to figure out what this or that does and what program I'll need to do something, you'd know I'm a little overzealous and really would like to be an active participant of this community but from the the reply i can see it was like trying to find a spot at the dinner table and getting redirected to the children's table lol, so as much as i would love to learn (once i get it) it will be a very long time. no worries though, I appreciate all help even constructive criticism knowing its in good taste. I guess i have no choice but to wait until i get it and do the proper updates and if i have any further queries I'll ask...

Thanks guys,

@jalladin:

stick with maemo (diablo).

I've tried a bunch of them, and diablo is definitely the least buggy / most user friendly.

However, if you want to get adventurous, install Easy-Debian from qole's repository. it not only allows you to run open-office (among other things) inside diablo, but you can also load the Debian desktop.

I myself am only running diablo atm. after trying everything i could figure out how to set up, i resolved that diablo was all i needed. maybe i will install easy-deb again, but for the meantime, i am content. (waiting for Mer )


and whats with all the windoze hatin' on here? i love windoze. i'm runnin vista home prem. sp2 64 bit right now. it runs all my games great (my consoles: ps2 and my pc ).

okay thanks,

mer did look nice, what are your main uses for the tablet that make you want to use "Mer"...

I have windows Vista home edition as well 32bit and a PS3 ( which i never play). I really cant say vista has ever done much to make me hate it, but it gets such a bad connotation from other peoples experiences ( "vista business edition" from what I here) but personally I have nothing bad to say, but I am not a very "heavy" user either.

Once it's out of beta, and is ready to go, Mer should be the logical upgrade from diablo. I don't know many of the specifics, but if some of the things that are Fixed in Fremantle [*drinks* (juice, it's only 3pm!)] are fixed in Mer, that would be saweet. (working flash, for instance).

I use the tablet for basic things, light browsing, heavy mp3 playage, very light video watching. I also like boxar... it lets me make zelda-like music! I also, on occasion, get down on some iNes and Doom (like when I'm waiting somewhere).

@JayOnThaBeat:

"I use the tablet for basic things, light browsing, heavy mp3 playage, very light video watching. "...

any ideas why none of the mp3 players have an EQ? Is this a tough thing to do or are Linux minds just not in need of this functionality?

Curious because on every other platform, Palm OS included, it is a standard feature.

thanks

want EQ: XMMS

no idea. i'm not a programmer, just a hardcore end-user

i've never had any eq problems. stuff always sounds good thru my earphones, and if i run it out to my stereo, it has its own eq, so i've never needed an onboard one.