Hopefully this is the right place to put this query regarding a couple of minor niggles on my new N900. I suspect the purely network related issue may have been answered before, so if someone could link me up... but more of that later. I'll start with the slightly unusual issue.

On my home network, I'm running several Linux PCs. I've been able to forward X over ssh successfully (Running OpenOffice.org from my desktop machine, for example.) but have hit a snag with Kontact on my KDE 3.5.10 SimplyMepis machine. I can start it up, but when it should prompt me for my password to open Kwallet to supply passwords to Kontact for my mail accounts, it hangs. I suspect it's because the password prompt window I usually get can't display properly/at all. I have been able to run Kontact remotely before on another Mepis laptop and indeed on a Windows laptop with Xming. Obviously if this is too obscure and not likely to be resolvable, that's cool. It's a 'would be nice to have' rather than really important!

The other thing is that it would seem that my N900 doesn't recognise host names of the other machines on my network until I put a manual entry in /etc/hosts. Again, this is not something I've had a problem with in the past. I make sure I add entries on my router as and when a new device is introduced & my other machines can see my N900 no problem using it's hostname. Again, not really a major issue as if needed I'll just apply my slightly dirty fix as required. TIA.

Well, I found another way around my hostnames on the lan issue which avoids any messing about that might break things. Basically, instead of just trying to ssh or ping the hostname, I've found (On my setup.) that if I put .home on the end of the hostname, it works!

I've often noticed the .home bit on my network but not thought much of it. What prompted me to try it was a bit of googling which brought up this old post and by comparing resolv.conf on my N900 and on my SimplyMepis desktop. My desktop's file contains: The domain home bit caught my eye and to my delight, hostname.home worked!

One question, do you have your N900 set up to use a static IP on your internal network or DHCP? (I ask to see if I can help resolve a bug I ran into.) Thanks.

My N900 isn't set to use the same address at all. My desktop machines are set to use the same address and any laptops seem to have been assigned a static address!

I haven't bothered doing anything other than telling my router my N900's host name & I did specifically set my desktop machines to use the same IP but I have no idea why laptops get assigned a static IP. I'm using a BT Home Hub, version 1.5 I think.

any further luck on this?