User FAQ
THIS PAGE IS CONTINUALLY UNDER DEVELOPMENT. NEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME!
For development topics, please see the Developer frequently asked questions.
Principles of frequently asked questions
- 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 specific hardware pages
N900
The N900 is a pocketable computer with plenty of power (speed and memory) for running many demanding applications. Take a look at N900 Accessories if you are in a need of screen protector, carrying case or similar.
(Older) Internet Tablets
Battery
Do I have to charge it fully before first use?
No. It will comes with about 50% of the full battery charge so you can tinker around and set your initial preferences out of the box.
Do I have to discharge it fully each time?
No, the N900 has a Li-Ion (Lithium-Ion) battery, which doesn't need this. Older NiCad (Nickel-Cadmium) batteries did.
Can I use the device while it’s charging?
Yes. Your files stored in 'MyDocs' (also known as the folder 'Nokia N900') will not be available in 'Mass Storage mode' or 'PC Suite mode' when connected to the computer. Clicking outside the prompt when connecting to a computer leaves it in 'Charging mode' and leaves your files accessible from the device.
Is it safe to leave it charging overnight? Will it stop charging itself when it’s full?
Yes. By default, the notification light (when the screen is off) glows Yellow to indicate 'Charging', and is a steady green to indicate 'Battery Full'.
Software and Usage
Operating System
The Nokia devices run on the Maemo Operating System, but there are alternatives (see alternatives below).
Maemo
The N900 runs Maemo 5 out of the box. See the Maemo 5 Introductory pages for details, movies, and advice.
Fremantle is the codename of Maemo 5, which is the current version of Maemo.
Maemo 4, also known as OS2008, was the operating system used on the Nokia N800, N810, and N810 WiMAX Edition. The original, version 4.0, release was codenamed "Chinook". A later, version 4.1, upgrade was codenamed "Diablo".
Maemo 5 Revision History
Maemo 5 has gone through 4 updates as of February 2010.
See the individual change-logs for more information.
1.2009.42-11, the N900's original (for production units) firmware.
1.2009.44-1, aka PR1.0.1, was a preparatory release for PR1.1. It was only released Over-The-Air (meaning the flasher was not updated) to devices with the original firmware.
2.2009.51-1, aka PR1.1, was the first major firmware revision for Maemo 5.
3.2010.02-8, aka PR1.1.1, is the current revision of Maemo 5, and is the preparatory release for PR1.2
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
General Usage
How do I lock and unlock the touchscreen?
A nice overview of locking and unlocking is available on this MaemoUI Team video.
Are there shortcuts for the keyboard and gestures?
Yes. See this page for a full list of N900 shortcuts and gestures.
Can I do email?
Yes, the N900 has an integrated e-mail client (Modest). See N900 Email Options for more help.
Can I send sms to more than one person at once?
Yes. See this page on how to send sms to multiple contacts using n900.
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, aac, eaac and wav.
Can I install and use new themes?
Yes, look at Themes article.
How can I find files from my home directory with terminal?
Article MyDocs folder describes the locations.
How do I take a screenshot?
- Open the keyboard.
- Make sure the screen you wish to capture is the screen showing.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + P
- Open the Photos Application.
- The screen shot is the last picture taken.
How do I get to the dashboard using the the keyboard?
Press Ctrl + backspace.
How do I use the Video Camera?
See the article on basic use of the Video camera.
TV Out
Make sure that you check Settings/TV Out and change the video format to PAL or NTSC for your local TV system, prior to connecting it to the TV.
Why doesn't X forwarding over ssh work?
See the article on X forwarding over ssh. The short answer is that you need to install the PC Connectivity package.
Games
Go to the Games page to find more about gaming with N900.
Customization
Go to the Customizing Maemo page to find more about customization in the N900.
Other Applications
Where do I get Software (apps) from?
Open application manager and start searching for useful software. You can learn more about downloading applications and installing applications.
You can browse Extras and Ovi applications online with Maemo Select
Apps fall into one of several categories.
- Extras - stable and tested applications suitable for anyone to install
- Extras-testing - possibly unstable apps, which are undergoing a quality assurance process before being moved to extras. Generally should be installed by the more experienced user as they can cause issues with your N900.
- Extras-devel - beta or even alpha level software. Should only be installed by very experienced or suicidal users, who know what to do if software breaks their device
Can I edit Office files?
N900 comes with datavz's Office 'Office to Go' reader, so you can read office files. It is only a 30-day trial, and must be purchased after the promotional period.
Editing them is a slightly more interesting prospect, but has become a much more exciting one with KOffice.
Easy Debian, which also provides a LXDE desktop environment, has OpenOffice.org Writer (Word Processor), Impress (Presentation Editor), and Calc (Spreadsheet Editor) installed. It is available for Maemo 5, as well as OS2008.
Does n900 view pdf files?
There's a built in application for that.
Does Maemo 5 have a book reader? Will it run Kindle?
FBReader is available. Although it cannot read DRM-encrypted ebooks (like Kindle), it can read nearly any un-encrypted ebook format.
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
Read instructions from page Help testing software. Please read the disclaimer first.
Troubleshooting and Optimization
Note: all short answers to tables!
The most important part: read the article General precautions to stay out of troubles. Hope you read this before all hope is gone!
Troubleshooting
| Trouble | Solution |
|---|---|
| My system is unstable and applications crash a lot. What's wrong? | See Troubleshooting |
| My tablet is slow and unresponsive. What can I do? | |
| I installed something and now my N900 isn’t working right. | |
| I installed something and now my N900 isn’t working at all. | |
| I have run out of disk space. How can I add more? | See Booting from a flash card |
| I have trouble connecting to the internet over wifi | See Network settings |
Optimization
| Trouble | Solution |
|---|---|
| There’s a light flashing on my N900 | See Maemo5 101 |
| How can I encode video files for playback on the device? | See video encoding |
| How can I improve battery life? | See How To Make Your Battery Last Longer |
| How do I get root access? | See root access |
| I have run out of disk space. How can I add more? | See Booting from a flash card |
| I have trouble connecting to the internet over wifi | See Network settings |
How can I monitor my disk usage and how much space I have left?
Via control panel. Or in terminal do df -h for all in fstab or do du -hs <dir> for a certain folder.
The applications 'Disk Usage' and 'Storage Usage' also provide different methods of measuring usage.
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 network rather than your data plan.
Future
What is MeeGo / Maemo 6 / Harmattan?
Maemo 6 is the next incarnation of the Maemo operating system.
Originally, it was simply to be more open-sourced, and the official transition from GTK to Qt (GUI styles).
But with the announcement of the Intel Moblin and Nokia Maemo merge to form MeeGo, Maemo 6 is now the "stepping stone" for the merge.
Will Harmattan work on my N900?
The "official" answer from Nokia as of 2010 is "We don't Know."