If someone cross compiles an app, does he have to port it also? because cross compiling deals with suitability to the CPU, but the input mathod (touch screen), for example, also need to be changed.
sorry for my ignorance.

I think you're pretty much looking for this page:

http://wiki.maemo.org/Documentation/...eveloper_Guide

and perhaps, in particular, this one:

http://wiki.maemo.org/Documentation/...ion_to_Maemo_5

(that's an example of porting a GTK - Gnome - application to Maemo, simple examples of what may need to be done to get something to run)

Look at those pages to get a feel for what's involved in getting your software to run on Maemo. Like I said, not for normal users. This is for developers.

I've been using Linux on the desktop and server for many years now, and I don't feel any interest in even trying this, I know that I don't have the skills to make changes to the UI etc. to make a desktop program more suitable for these devices. And even compiling a program on Ubuntu can sometimes be a royal pain with wrong library versions and missing dependencies, so I don't see myself even bothering trying it for Maemo because of the extra hassle involved. I have, however, posted here about a program I would like ported (grecipes) and that lead to somebody being interested and starting developing a python-based recipe program. That's just as an example of what can happen.

But to each their own, if you have some programming skills and feel like studying something , I'm sure the community will appreciate one more developer and can help you get started. But no, it's most likely hardly ever as simple as typing "./configure && make && sudo make install". Not a "user thing" to do, especially with a quite ambitious example like you gave, OpenOffice OpenOffice is, no doubt, interesting to many, so somebody must be working on it already (I think there was a video about it somewhere, I forget).

Hope this helps.

Cross-compiling refers to using a compiler on one platform to create a binary for another platform, e.g. using an x86 version of gcc to produce arm binaries. If you're running the compiler on the N900, and using it to produce binaries for the N900, it's not cross-compilation anymore, and is generally pretty straightforward.

As to how much porting is needed, that depends on the particular app, and on your standards of usability. Generally, most GTK apps should run "ok" with no special work, but won't be anything like smooth enough to consider releasing. Definitely check BatPenguin's links for more on what probably ought to be done.

thanks you guys for answering!
it's not that I don't know to program, I have a background in developing and programming, I'm not versed enough in cross-compiling and maemo, I just wanted to learn more about it.

I took a look at the alternatives forum and I found a package called "Easy Debian". and this text was writen:
were the OpenOffice, AbiWord, Firefox etc cross-compiled?

on which applications we are talking? for ARM? X86?

Please answer

That would be for the ARM architecture. Debian supports ARM. You can browse packages.debian.org and see what packages they have (there's more than 20 thousand of them, I hear) and if these packages are available for the ARM arcitecture.

Note that those quotes you found are about previous tablets. I don't know if debian will be installable on the n900 from the start.

Thanks for the posts and explanations in this thread. They answered a lot of my questions.

I realize this may not be a very answerable question, but I'm wondering, does anyone have a sense of how much developer interest there is in porting a lot of the Debian packages to Maemo? Especially a lot of the mainstays of the Linux world like mplayer, audacity, gimp? I see there's a version of mplayer for OS2008, but not Maemo. And there appears to be no version of VLC. Or there's vim, but no nano. It seems a little meager and hodge-podge right now. I'm just wondering how much the idea of the N900 being like a little Linux distribution will in your pocket will really play out. Or if the ARM processor just isn't up to it. And if it's more likely to be mostly apps specialized to Maemo (a la the iPhone, Android).

Also, as far as EasyDebian goes, I realize that it works on previous devices like the N810, but isn't it supposed to be pretty slow and not very usable for practical everyday purposes?

Also do you think I could run XP in VirtualBox? Just kidding. (But the other questions were real.)

As far as I can tell, there's work being done getting VLC for the n900, but it's not in a very usable state yet:
http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=31802

I'm sure you understand this, but for the benefit of others: However far maemo 5 will end up from being like a general linux distro in your pocket, it will be closer than the iphone (obviusly) and even android (due to the java-ish layer upon which to develop on android (as far as i understand it)).

The way I understand it, is that all it takes is popularity. The more users the n900 gets, the more apps will be ported. And popularity seems to be going pretty well. Soon enough there will be more development for the n900 than for any previous tablet and I'm sure maemo 5 will shortly surpass "general linuxiness" compared to previous versions.

In other words: I'm pretty confident and exited.

OS2008 is Maemo 4, and I believe mplayer will be available for Maemo 5 too, as will VLC. Audacity and GIMP would need a lot of UI work, and I haven't heard if anyone is working on those.

Do all debian software packages for the ARM architecture work on the easy debian? It's realy a lot!

And another question: does the n900 run n8x0 applications?