I'm curious how y'all use your N900s, in this day and age? And do y'all still run Maemo 5 on them?

My own answer is that at this point, my N900s are basically pocket linux CLI computers.

I gave up on using the N900 as a phone back around 2016, when the T-Mobile cell towers in the US were transitioning in ways that were leaving me with no signal in several places.

I gave up on using the N900 for web browsing around the same year, because once I accepted having another phone, it was almost always easier to just browse on that other phone - vastly faster and most webpages actually worked.

But I continue to use the N900 regularly - it's just that the only windows I have open are X-Term. Sometimes I launch Emacs, mostly for the aesthetic, but then I close it again and go back to the `vi` that comes with busybox in an X-Term when I want to get real work done.

I've compiled new versions of the things I actually need - libressl, openssh, curl, git, etc. So I don't get TLS errors or whatever.

Point is, I barely care that what's running on my N900 is "Maemo 5" or remotely like it anymore.

In fact, I envision my future eventually looks like me booting into just framebuffer consoles, just as soon as I figure out how to do all the tricky and fancy stuff like "connecting to wifi" and "getting battery status" and "adaptive brightness" and "battery charging" on my own. Maybe when I need graphics I'll boot into a minimal X environment, perhaps with Emacs+EXWM as the window manager.

I mean in an ideal world I'd still have a modern web browser and chat/email clients on a device like the N900, but the world's moved on in a way that makes that harder to do on a device with the specs of an N900, so I've largely accepted the "pocket CLI box" role for the N900 in my life.

And having accepted this, I just want the N900 to be the best pocket linux computer with wifi for mostly CLI use that it can be.

Hi,

my answer is this: i use my n900 for running some of my python apps that are useful for me (mostly database apps such as tracking my water and electricity meters etc); run kali moto in chroot and use the camera to take raw images and then edit them in lightroom (i like the way the camera takes pictures). That is all... sadly... Sometimes i use it download and convert files but since i have a rooted phone with Termux; PyDroid3 and Tasker it is far enough for me at the moment...

I run Maemo 5 and I like it more than Meego or Sailfish or any another mobile OS. But I wait Maemo Leste to be good enough for everyday use.

N900 still can:
CLI for SSH, Maebble for managing Pebble smart watch, OMC music over FM transmitter(for older rental cars), sony MH750 (using OMTP->CITA adapter) or mh755 with collar clip Jumbl BSR36 bluetooth, or bluetooth speaker tube; music managed with fwd/rev/pause/vol from Pebble watch, telephony, SMS(also bridged to watch), MMS, audio books.
HeySMS to bridge SMS via wifi/Pidgin to my laptop is still huge and without a replacement.

No longer:
No more browsing, email is pretty hosed, gps nav is wonky, rtl-sdr was always a niche use with the N900, finding web radio is not something I worry about, FM rx was never a big deal, I am not playing the old Palm Pre games though they are still as good as anything on android, I am just done with mobile games I think,

Tablet bridge:
If I need I bring either a Nexus7(flo) or a cellular-neutered S4mini (software disabled and disconnected antenna) running a cleaned up LineageOS with microG for web browsing, nav, Kodi streaming, and other mobile computer stuff like managing my NFC transit card. I bluetooth tether these devices to my N900 for internet access.

Future:
I am waiting for my Pinephone and then this N900 will either join my other 8-10 broken ones or go to a kid; that is once the Pine is ready to replace ALL of the N900 functions including heySMS and become my everyday phone. Until then I have a mirror SIM waiting for my Pine so they can both run on the same phone number. Hoping for all of the good stuff to work on Leste-4-Pine.

biketool, I could never get heysms to work reliably so good on you. Have you looked at kde connect? Seems like it could fit in well with a pinephone move.

x

Heists?
I have used KDE connect but it was not terribly useful on android, I use SCRCPY for android or VNC for the n900 and probably the pinephone with forwarded audio.

Funny, I guess I'm lucky or just have tons of penitence since I still use mine as my main phone daily.

No Longer:
Webbrowser: can still make something happen but it's really a crap shoot and not dependable. but now I need, the built in browser, opera, fennec to get to what little sites work. Mentalist Traceur, would love a set by set on how to compile openssl on the device .

Skype: was sad to see the protocol eventually change and they kick most of the old one off the network. Especially since the n900 was one if not the first to use that platform on a mobile device.

Media player: I do watch something when needed, but it's usually to slow or choppy to view 720+ type videos anymore. I remember watching full movies on this thing ... crazy. So just short video sometime that ppl send.

VNC: I used to use this every day to remote into my home machine was so great. But once I got a Hires display the n900 can't keep up . Miss that one, was very convenient if I needed something off a machine.

Camera: I still use it when needed. But I need like 3 minute for it to get to the point of being able to shoot. Sllloooww. So not really spontaneous shooting anymore, only when absolutely needed. But it can still take a good pic with some effort.

pidgin: after AIM such down little use for it anymore keep it for hoping to get heysmsm running well and emergency.

Still:
Daily driver still with built in apps are Phone calls, txt, music (community), viewing images, pdf reader, alarms, terminal, contacts, calendar (community). Still using, maps work good enough when needed. Also for streaming music I just can copy and edit the config list with channels I find and play on the desktop.

Apps that make it still useful and use on a regular in no order: Convert is awesome, evince when needed, cowboy, coney, xournal, fm radio is great when your in a new place, leafpad as my goto editor, MyPaint, omweather (on it's last db), password manager, Angelmeter, firebox, mBarcode reader, VU meter, VN call history, TimeWorkshop, mobile hotspot, SMS (fmms), HXMTracker & eCoach (heart rate), vlcremote, Open media player, xchat IRC, sync evolution, owncloud, pebble watch with maebble, truecrypt.

It's can be annoying sometimes, mostly from speed slow downs. But Still love this device, especially the size ... it's just not in your way even though it's thick. Also random config corrupts can sometime be annoying if you didn't back up properly.

I think I can last a few more years pending it still works on US network in 2021 . But we are in a great state of development currently with all the distress of mobile linux now.

So I would see myself going over to maemo-leste, mobian, sailfish, maybe ubports eventually. The great part is with sailfish you could running anything in a vm it looks like. I think the linux phone future is looking bright.

Now if only fx would make a smaller version of there pro1, maybe called pro1s (s for small, sexy, special )

x

HAHA, auto correct to the rescue, I mean down fall.

x

Hell yes, running latest cssu-testing. Waiting for stable maemo Leste though. But meanwhile, its been running:
Well
1. Telegram-cli
2. Prboom - don't know when i'll be bored
3. And the best thing is THIS

This beast is irreplaceable!