I have finally finished my contract with my N900 and got an upgrade. I can finally stop using this god awful phone...and discover it's true potential as a mobile linux machine. Up until now I was too afraid of bricking it but now I wouldn't be too bothered and would love to see what linux distros I can get on this device. I am an intermediate linux user on the pc and am a software developer so I am technically minded. However I don't really know where to start with getting it running on a mobile device. So if anyone has any tips for hacking this device I would love to hear them. There's so much info on this forums so pointing me in the direction of somewhere to start would be great Ideally I would like to be able to connect the device to monitors or a tv and use it as a mobile PC, not sure this is possible yet though?

http://wiki.maemo.org/Main_Page <- Good place to start.

Off-topic - to be honest, I can't imagine how someone having N900 and average "tech" knowledge, can wait such long time, before starting to mess with it. Also, there is - most of the times - no way of "bricking" it. Bringing it to state of not being able to reflash - without physically damage it - would require more than moderate knowledge itself

Believe me - the most incompetent people, flashing custom kernels and installing -devel stuff without even basic knowledge, are still here "alive", bugging honest folks So using common sense and brain (overall), you'll be fine.

Well to be honest until recently I was a poor student and if I had managed to break it I would have been stuck without a smartphone, that's why I resisted the temptation to do anything too complex until now. I did overclock it and regularly use it to write bits of code that come to me when I'm away from my computer but loading another OS seemed like a bit of a risk. It's no bother as I no longer need it as a phone and I'm sure the hardware will keep running for ages so I don't feel too bad about being late to the party (seriously this thing is like a 3310, I've dropped it so many times and it's still working)

well if its distro your after you have plenty of choices nitdroid(android) meego kubuntu backtrax. if your into retro gaming it's probably one of the best devices for that. Hacking o'plenty

funny you mentioned dropping it so many times, i work in construction and i cant believe what i've put this phone through it has spoiled me.

My $0.02: unless you're doing this for your amusement, the N900 doesn't have the connectivity or the screen resolution to compete as a mobile PC. The TV out is fine for movies (if supported by your desired OS) but it's fundamentally painful for Internet or console use. I personally wouldn't have many uses for an N900 without paying for mobile data - so unless you propose to buy another SIM for it, you'll want to think about how mobile it really is with just WiFi.

Not trying to pee on your bonfire - an N900 minus contract would doubtless make a great WiFi SIP phone or DivX/MP3 player... you could connect it permanently to the TV and use it as a set top box, remotely controlled over SSH or x11vnc.

As a mobile computer? I have my doubts, but best of luck...

I've connected it through a 42 inch tv and the resolution is actually ok for browsing internet. The set top box idea sounds really cool though if it is possible to stream from the internet. Whenever I have tried with the n900 with Maemo the framerate of the video is really poor. Anyway I think I'll start off with installing Kubuntu. Is it possible to get a wireless or bluetooth keyboard and mouse working with the device?

And is it possible to completely replace maemo rather than booting off an SD card?

You'll find lots of great ideas and - possibly more importantly - motivation by first of all looking here at the Alternatives forum:

http://talk.maemo.org/forumdisplay.php?f=36

Although, first thing you should do is install KP49 ; Maemo, when used in anger, is probably still one of the best thing about the N900. Also, seek out Mer as this is probably the final hurrah for the N900.

Nitdroid is interesting (if you fancy dabbling in Android - the novelty wears off quickly though).

I agree with you on the N900's video-out. Despite composite output, my LCD telly does a nice job of smoothing out the image. I sometimes leave BBC Sports Football updates page on my bigscreen telly when I'm pottering about, with music streaming in the background via media player sourcing from my Serviio DLNA server. The N900 multitasks like a boss.

Unique piece of kit. I'll be sorry when my unit pegs it ... and then I'll get another from ebay

At work I managed to find an LCD monitor destined for the skip whihc had analogue video in - The N900 is now hooked up to that all day on my desk with Twimgo running - works and looks great! Install the TV Out widget to be able to adjust and optimise the display!

I would stick with Maemo...

Install the CSSU, Open Media Player, and Kernel Power 49, and you can then overclock it to boost the speed and make the device smoother, at the same time as fixing several bugs, and adding enchancements.

What ever else depends on what you want to do, but this forum's search is you're friend, and unless it is seriously left field, someone's probably already had a go..

100% agree with suggestion to keep using Maemo. Properly configured, modified etc, it rox. also, remember about Easy Debian (chroot under Maemo).

Digression:
I can't understand people claiming that 800x480 3.5'' screen (= awesome pixel per square inch ratio - tell me name of device, that got better?) isn't "good" for mobile computing. Some basic optics knowledge (perspective, parallax) tell us that, in properly prepared room (where viewer can't count distance by looking @ walls, objects etc), viewer would not be able to distinguish between N900 screen (close to viewer eyes) and ~42'' screen (far from viewers eyes, so it's got perceived "same size" as N900 screen). Well, it's all about pixels per square inch...

While I use it with full-fledged Iceweasel (via Easy Debian), I change settings to down-scale webpages - result is, that even pages for 1024x768 don't require horizontal scrolling, and everything is as sharp as it should.

I can agree, that miniHDMI would just rox (I also use tv-out on LCD TV's, from time to time, and it's really pity, that we can't have miniHDMI), but other than that, N900 is just perfect as true pocket full-fledged computer.

/Estel