User FAQ
THIS PAGE IS CONTINUALLY UNDER DEVELOPMENT. NEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME!
Principles of FAQ
- No more than 2 page lengths per, well, page. (Okay, the front page breaks this rule in this structure. Sorry!)
- No more than 3 clicks from this page to get an answer
- Use links to maemo.org content where possible (including talk.maemo.org)
- Especially if the answer is more than a couple of sentences (one paragraph max) - in this case, make a wiki.maemo.org page if necessary and point to it.
- Continually update (needs a FAQ editor)
Open to suggestions...
Tips for finding answers
Please note, you can also use the search facilities:
Note that there is a separate FAQ for those interested in Development.
New to Maemo? There's a New Users page, Maemo basics -article and a Greeters Organization.
I can't read through this! I'm in big trouble... Need big help...
Are you sure? You might want to check below in the Troubleshooting section.
But... If all else fails, and you just can't see a way out, updating the tablet firmware is the last straw. It deletes all user data and reverts all settings to default.
Hardware
Note: device links will direct you to spesific hardware pages
N900
The N900 is a pocketable computer with plenty of power (speed and memory) for running many demanding applications.
(Older) Internet Tablets
Battery
Do I have to charge it fully before first use?
No. It will come with some battery charge so you can play. It is still suggested that you do couple of full discharge - recharge cycles with new battery to calibrate battery for optimal performance
Do I have to discharge it fully each time?
No, n900 has a LIon battery, which doesn't need this. Older NiCad batteries did.
Can I use the device while it’s charging?
Yes.
Is it safe to leave it charging overnight? Will it stop charging itself when it’s full?
Yes
Software and Usage
Operating System
The Nokia devices run on the Maemo Operating System, but there are alternatives.
Maemo
The N900 runs Maemo 5 out of the box. See the Maemo 5 Introductory pages for details, movies, and advice.
Maemo 5 is also known as Fremantle
Will Maemo 5 run on the Previous Internet Tablets?
Not officially but perhaps through the Mer community project. Maemo 5 is optimized for the OMAP3 architecture, the N810 and N800 are based in OMAP2 and the 770 in OMAP1 (discussion).
Earlier tablets ran earlier versions of Maemo. Links to details will be provided as time progresses.
- OS2008 / Maemo 4.1 / Diablo
What are the 'Alternatives' to Maemo
Games
Go to the N900 Games Page to find more about gaming with N900.
Other Applications
Where do I get Software (apps) from?
Open application manager and start searching for useful software. If you want to know more, see Downloading apps page.
How can I encode video files for playback on the device?
See video encoding for information on encoding media for playback (or streaming to) the Maemo device.
How do I get more memory to install applications?
Note: this shouldn't be needed with N900
See booting from a flash card to find out how to gain extra room by moving the system to a flash card.
How do I get root access?
See root access for information on how to get superuser permissions.
How can I monitor my disk usage and how much space I have left?
Via control panel. Or in terminal. More thorough info coming!
Can I edit Office files?
N900 comes with datavz's Office 'Office to Go' reader, so you can read office files.
Editing them is a slightly more interesting prospect, but has become a much more exciting one with KOffice from here.
Easy_Debian has OpenOffice installed and on the N810 (at least for this author) has been used very successfully to edit Office files.
Does n900 view pdf files?
There's a built in application for that.
Does n900 have a book reader? Will it run Kindle?
To be answered
Can I do email?
If you're using an N900, the N900 Email Options page can help.
What can I do with GPS?
Ovi Maps comes preinstalled to N900 and there are ways to go Geocaching with Maemo devices too.
How can I sync personal data?
Article Sync will tell you more.
Which music files can be played in Maemo?
mp3, m4a(without copy protection, OGG, etc...
Community
What is the difference between Maemo and maemo.org?
Maemo refers to the Open source software platform for mobile devices developed by Nokia in collaboration with the Maemo community and some of the best open source upstream projects. maemo.org is the home of the Maemo community, and is a gathering place for people interested in this platform and related software and devices (more).
Where should I report problems?
Software problems are reported as bugs - please be gentle with the Bugsquad team. Contact Nokia Support for serious problems with your device during the warranty period. In case of doubt use the Talk forum.
What is the Community Council?
The Community Council is a team of volunteers representing the community and interfacing with Nokia.
Troubleshooting and Optimization
How can I get root access?
See root access for information on how to get superuser permissions.
How can I improve battery life?
Read article How To Make Your Battery Last Longer.
My tablet is slow and unresponsive. What can I do?
Look at the Troubleshooting page for help.
I have run out of disk space. How can I add more?
My system is unstable and applications crash a lot. What's wrong?
Look at the Troubleshooting page for help.
I have trouble connecting to the internet over wifi
Article Network settings has a troubleshoot -section at the bottom.
I installed something and now my n900 isn’t working right.
I installed something and now my n900 isn’t working at all.
To be answered
There’s a light flashing on my n900
Look at Maemo5 101 for further info about what different colour and blinking means
How often do I need to update? And why?
N900 is 'updatable software', so it will go on getting better. Your device will check for updates once a day, and tell you when it needs to update by putting a little yellow icon on the screen. Then it will walk you through the update process. You can wait to update when you are somewhere where it's beter to download - for example your using your home netwrk rather than your data plan.
Old FAQ
...is being merged to main article right now...
Hardware
Software and Usage
Operating System
Maemo
How can I monitor my disk usage and how much space I have left?
To be answered
Can I edit Office files?
N900 comes with datavz's Office 'Office to Go' reader, so you can read office files.
Editing them is a slightly more interesting prospect, but has become a much more exciting one with KOffice from here.
Easy_Debian has OpenOffice installed and on the N810 (at least for this author) has been used very successfully to edit Office files.
Does n900 view pdf files?
There's a built in application for that.
Does n900 have a book reader? Will it run Kindle?
To be answered
Can I do email?
If you're using an N900, the N900_Email_Options page can help.
Community
What is the difference between Maemo and maemo.org?
Maemo refers to the Open source software platform for mobile devices developed by Nokia in collaboration with the Maemo community and some of the best open source upstream projects. maemo.org is the home of the Maemo community, and is a gathering place for people interested in this platform and related software and devices (more).
Where should I report problems?
Software problems are reported as bugs - please be gentle with the Bugsquad team. Contact Nokia Support for serious problems with your device during the warranty period. In case of doubt use the Talk forum.
What is the Community Council?
The Community Council is a team of volunteers representing the community and interfacing with Nokia.
How can I help with software development?
To be answered
Troubleshooting and Optimization
Very first thing: read an article that describes how to stay away from troubles. It is called General precautions
Troubleshooting
My tablet is slow and unresponsive. What can I do?
Look at the Troubleshooting page for help.
I have run out of disk space. How can I add more?
To be answered
My system is unstable and applications crash a lot. What's wrong?
Look at the Troubleshooting page for help.
I have trouble connecting to the internet over wifi
To be answered
I installed something and now my n900 isn’t working right.
To be answered
I installed something and now my n900 isn’t working at all.
To be answered
I have trouble connecting to the internet over wifi
To be answered
There’s a light flashing on my n900
Look at Maemo5 101 for further info about what different colour and blinking means
Optimization
How can I get root access?
See root access for information on how to get superuser permissions.
How can I improve battery life?
Read article How To Make Your Battery Last Longer.
How often do I need to update? And why?
N900 is 'updatable software', so it will go on getting better. Your device will check for updates once a day, and tell you when it needs to update by putting a little yellow icon on the screen. Then it will walk you through the update process. You can wait to update when you are somewhere where it's beter to download - for example your using your home netwrk rather than your data plan.
Future
What is Maemo 5 / Fremantle?
Fremantle is the codename of Maemo 5, which is the next major release after OS2008 / Maemo 4.1 / Diablo
What is Maemo 6 / Harmattan?
To be answered