On the N810 it was possible to connect an SPP keyboard using a package called kbdd written/maintained by Frantisek Dufka <dufkaf@seznam.cz>. I have not (yet) tried to use that package on the N900 so I don't know if it will work or how much modification it would need. I will eventually because I have an Elektex cloth keyboard that uses SPP that I used to use on my N810 (I added support to kbdd for the Elektex keyboard) that I will someday try to get to work with the N900.

Here is a list of outstanding issues for bluetooth keyboards. Just to compile it in one place:

1. need to type a key on the internal keyboard for setxkbmap to take
effect
2. Enter on bluetooth keyboards not work when the slider is closed
even though it works when the slider is open and even though
it works in emacs when the slider is closed
3. double pressing shift sets caps lock even on bluetooth keyboard
4. it sometimes get caught in autorepeat loop
appears to be dependent on WiFi or WLAN
5. it sometimes drops the bluetooth connection
6. need to rerun setxkbmap when it drops and reestablishes the
bluetooth connection
7. shift sometimes get out of sync on either the bluetooth
keyboard, internal keyboard, or both
8. m-sh-C and m-sh-E don't work on Stowaway (but they do on IRXON)
(m-rsh-E works but m-lsh-E does not; both m-lsh-C and m-rsh-C do not work;
with caps lock, both m-c and m-e generate m-sh-C and m-sh-E)
9. c-m-b and c-m-t don't work on Stowaway (but they do on IRXON)

SPP connects with

rfcomm connect /dev/rfcomm0 XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX

and thanks to all, reading this thread and start thinking about the problem, helps me a lot in understandign the system.

Ok my first enthusiasm cooled off a bit, because my Stowaway only connects succesfully every 10th time or so. Between my attempts I get the same error above like technosopher.
What does that mean? And why it connects sometime and sometime not? I always have to go through the complete dbus command thing from JoHnY to setup a connection... bit annoying... is there a way to make a script for that or a one click shortcut or s.th. else?
This is my 3rd successful pair and I am writing this from the Stowaway Keyboard

jepp
get Root in Xterminal
just open vi and enter

then escape
:w myscript.sh
:q

then

chmod 667 myscript.sh


and you make your script

ok, I dont know how I have got this to work and what was different compared with my last attempt.

I have followed Johnys instructions but somehow it has worked this time and i am now in fact typing this out via the bluietooth keyboard.

Havent figured out how do do an apostrophe yet though and dont know if it will reconnect if I switch off and retry.

What should i need to do to reconnect from afresh.

Hi all,

Thanks for your help so far...

I can't get the ctrl key working for my dinovo mini. I have loaded an evdev mapping from ubuntu 9.10 and it doesn't work on this either.

How can I log my keystrokes and what is happening when I press ctrl?

When I run this:
setxkbmap -device 4 -I -I/usr/share/X11/xkb-ubuntu -rules base -model evdev -layout us -print|xkbcomp -i 4 - $DISPLAY

I get the following: (does not mention LCTRL or anything)

Warning: Key <I29> not found in evdev+aliases(qwerty) keycodes
Symbols ignored
Warning: Key <RO> not found in evdev+aliases(qwerty) keycodes
Symbols ignored
Warning: No symbols defined for <KPMU> (keycode 63)
Warning: No symbols defined for <KP7> (keycode 79)
Warning: No symbols defined for <KP8> (keycode 80)
Warning: No symbols defined for <KP9> (keycode 81)
Warning: No symbols defined for <KPSU> (keycode 82)
Warning: No symbols defined for <KP4> (keycode 83)
Warning: No symbols defined for <KP5> (keycode 84)
Warning: No symbols defined for <KP6> (keycode 85)
Warning: No symbols defined for <KPAD> (keycode 86)
Warning: No symbols defined for <KP1> (keycode 87)
Warning: No symbols defined for <KP2> (keycode 88)
Warning: No symbols defined for <KP3> (keycode 89)
Warning: No symbols defined for <KP0> (keycode 90)
Warning: No symbols defined for <KPDL> (keycode 91)
Warning: No symbols defined for <AB11> (keycode 97)
Warning: No symbols defined for <JPCM> (keycode 103)
Warning: No symbols defined for <KPDV> (keycode 106)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I120> (keycode 120)
Warning: No symbols defined for <KPEQ> (keycode 125)
Warning: No symbols defined for <AE13> (keycode 132)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I149> (keycode 149)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I154> (keycode 154)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I161> (keycode 161)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I168> (keycode 168)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I178> (keycode 178)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I183> (keycode 183)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I184> (keycode 184)
Warning: No symbols defined for <FK13> (keycode 191)
Warning: No symbols defined for <FK14> (keycode 192)
Warning: No symbols defined for <FK15> (keycode 193)
Warning: No symbols defined for <FK16> (keycode 194)
Warning: No symbols defined for <FK17> (keycode 195)
Warning: No symbols defined for <FK18> (keycode 196)
Warning: No symbols defined for <FK19> (keycode 197)
Warning: No symbols defined for <FK20> (keycode 198)
Warning: No symbols defined for <FK21> (keycode 199)
Warning: No symbols defined for <FK22> (keycode 200)
Warning: No symbols defined for <FK23> (keycode 201)
Warning: No symbols defined for <FK24> (keycode 202)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I217> (keycode 217)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I219> (keycode 219)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I221> (keycode 221)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I222> (keycode 222)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I224> (keycode 224)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I226> (keycode 226)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I228> (keycode 228)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I230> (keycode 230)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I244> (keycode 244)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I245> (keycode 245)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I246> (keycode 246)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I247> (keycode 247)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I248> (keycode 248)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I249> (keycode 249)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I250> (keycode 250)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I251> (keycode 251)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I252> (keycode 252)
Warning: No symbols defined for <I253> (keycode 253)

I get pretty much the same for xkb-chinook. I've also tried remapping the super key to CTRL, doesn't work either!

Thanks for the help

OK. My keyboard is working and pairing automatically when restarted. I have created a script 'qwerty.sh' and put the setxkbmap statement in.

How do i now add that shortcut to the desktop so that I can just click on it and so map my keyboard before using it?

ps

Big thanks to JoHny for helping us out here - and Qobi for his work as well.

Have now managed to put a shortcut on the desktop that maps the keyboard. Picked this trick up from another thread where I added a shortcut for an internet radio station, but the principle is the same.

Have to say that using the bluetooth keyboard is brilliant and the best mod I have used on the n900. How Nokia didn't think it important to have this working out of the box i'll never know.

Anyhow, thanks to everyone here who have contributed to finding a solution to this.

p.s typing on the bt keyboard now and I have typed this in less than half the time it normally would have taken.

Can you share a link to that? I'd love to get mine setup that way too, once I verify it works for me. I'm sure I could find it with a little searching, but the search feature here kind of sucks.