I know Linux on Nxx is free - but does it have to be a totally amateurish and frustrating experience? Take one simple example - I attempted to install GPE Calendar on my N800 (flashed to OS2008) - despite downloading from an 'official' site it won't install because some obscure package called libsoup is missing! Where the hell do I get libsoup - will it run under chinook, why wasn't it there in the first place? Then add another silly problem - things like Canola wouldn't even download because the base respositories were miss-spelled. This doesn't give the platform a professional image - I don't expect crap on OS X or even XP - why do we put up with it here?

You're blaming the N800 for a problem with someone elses software???

To find libraries and other programs (such as nano) I use:

http://www.gronmayer.com/it

And select OS2008 and use the search function.

Hope this helps.

No - I'm blaming the OS and poor developers rather than the hardware. Thank you for the link - but this is Mistral rather than chinook - how do I know in advance that after so much effort, it won't load because it is incompatible - we don't get these issues on OS X or even XP. If Linux is going to be more than a geeks OS, it needs a serious wake-up-call. As it stands (at least on the Nxx), it is unprofessional, amateurish, frustrating, weak, inept.

Are you my ex-girlfriend? Hard to say, but I do hear whining!

Time to take a deep breath. If you would go to the link given and *select os2008* and search for libsoup you would see it's out there.

http://gronmayer.com/it/index.php?la...ow_pck=124#124

in xp without security protection, your computer would crash within a week. Thats why i switched my computer to linux derivative. I was simply sick of buying a new hd every time my computer crashed. Now that i have linux on my computer, i dont have to worry about security at all. IMHO Having linux on the n800 is the best thing nokia has done for us tablet owners.

I agree the system is not perfect - the availability of the repositories over the last few weeks has been an issue - but that's the price you pay for having access to so many ported applications.

If Nokia had done like Apple and locked down the user ability to use this software we'd be left with a much smaller selection of applications (and on Nokia'sdevelopment team).

I'm amazed at the quality of some of the software available for free, but have also needed to learn more about Linux. I think this is a compromise I'm willing to accept.

I agree, if by "amazed" you mean "horrified".

Actually I do agree that there is plenty of great free software available, written and distributed by some great people who deserve our thanks. But in all honesty, far more of that great free software is written for Windows, and it's generally of much better quality than the equivalent Linux software. I'm not trying to make Linux what it isn't - I recognize its good points and I can overlook its faults in compensation. I'm just not sure if the Linux developer community has grown up enough to perceive those faults clearly.

I use a lot of free software on my PC, but you can't expect as much on the N8x0 hardware. Comparing the softare on the N8x0 to my Dell X50v, most of the software of comparable quality to FBReader or Maemo Mapper would cost money.

You do have to be very selective when installing software, as the usability of a large proportion of the softare is indeed questionable.

If you use this repo:

http://www.cobb.uk.net/apt/
bora | user

Clicky

You will get GPE for N800 that needs no additional files.

You should toss your N800 and get a pocketable Windows computer. Or better yet, send it to me.