Playing around with MeeGo Touch

While the MeeGo Touch Python Bindings are still not packaged and released, I though I'd give the C++ library a try and have a look through the class hierarchy. After getting the basic "Hello World" app running, I decided to create an application that can load the list of subscriptions from gPodder's SQLite database:

This view uses MContentItem, which already provides an icon and two lines of text - correctly styled and ready to go. Menu and toolbar items are MAction objects that can either appear everywhere or only at specific places (e.g. only in the toolbar). The great thing is that this all works on your Desktop in a normal window, so testing applications on your computer will be much easier with MeeGo Touch than it is with Hildon (which does not really run without its own hildon-desktop session in Xephyr).

The screenshot above is from the prototype written in C++, and shows how a gPodder MeeGo UI could look like. The MeeGo Touch UI of gPodder will be implemented in Python once the bindings are ready - the framework seems to be fun to work with so far. If you would like to play around with it yourself: MeeGo Touch is available from the MeeGo PPA of Ville M. Vainio if you are on Ubuntu and don't want to build it yourself.

MaemoPad+ ported to Desktop Linux

Some weeks ago, a user of MaemoPad+ asked me if it was possible to port MaemoPad+ to the Desktop, so users of Tablet PCs can make use of it. Apart from that, this can also be useful for users of MaePad to copy their "memos.db" file from the N900 to their PC and edit the file (or just view the contents) on the big screen. The file format used by both MaemoPad+ and MaePad is the same, so users of the mobile versions can share their database files with the Desktop version (and vice versa), which by the way looks like this at the moment:

Most of the Maemo 4 libraries are readily available in Debian (hildon, libosso, hildon-icons, etc..), so the initial port has not been too difficult, even though proper Desktop integration obviously needs more work, and there are some ugly crashers still hidden inside the code ;)

I wonder if it's possible to also package Maemo 5 libraries (Hildon 2.2, etc..) for Debian and upload them to the Debian repositories - this should make it easier to port Maemo 5 applications to the Linux Desktop without having to re-write the whole UI layer. Another cool thing would be to have Hildon 2.2 for Diablo, which would allow us to "backport" Maemo 5 apps to Maemo 4 - again, without the work of having to re-write the UI.

Packages for Ubuntu are available from the MaemoPad+ PPA, and the source is available via Git. Please send backtraces of crashes or (even better!) patches against the "desktop" branch in the Git repo.

Settings For Airtel GPRS On Ubuntu Via Mobile

Enter this command in terminal

lsusb

It will give :-
mark@ubuntu:~$ lsusb
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 0951:1613 Kingston Technology
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 001 Device 007: ID 0421:04c4 Nokia Mobile Phones
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
than enter the following command :-

mark@ubuntu:~$ sudo /sbin/modprobe usbserial vendor=0×421 product=0×4c4
[[ Create your wvdial.conf by running the following
sudo wvdialconf /etc/wvdial.conf ]] or …
mark@ubuntu:~$ wvdialconf create
Scanning your serial ports for a modem.
ttyS0<*1>: ATQ0 V1 E1 — failed with 2400 baud, next try: 9600 baud
ttyS0<*1>: ATQ0 V1 E1 — failed with 9600 baud, next try: 115200 baud
ttyS0<*1>: ATQ0 V1 E1 — and failed too at 115200, giving up.
Modem Port Scan<*1>: S1 S2 S3
WvModem<*1>: Cannot get information for serial port.
ttyACM0<*1>: ATQ0 V1 E1 — OK
ttyACM0<*1>: ATQ0 V1 E1 Z — OK
ttyACM0<*1>: ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 — OK
ttyACM0<*1>: ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 — OK
ttyACM0<*1>: ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 — OK
ttyACM0<*1>: ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0 — OK
ttyACM0<*1>: Modem Identifier: ATI — Nokia
ttyACM0<*1>: Speed 4800: AT — OK
ttyACM0<*1>: Speed 9600: AT — OK
ttyACM0<*1>: Speed 19200: AT — OK
ttyACM0<*1>: Speed 38400: AT — OK
ttyACM0<*1>: Speed 57600: AT — OK
ttyACM0<*1>: Speed 115200: AT — OK
ttyACM0<*1>: Speed 230400: AT — OK
ttyACM0<*1>: Speed 460800: AT — OK
ttyACM0<*1>: Max speed is 460800; that should be safe.
ttyACM0<*1>: ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0 — OK
Found an USB modem on /dev/ttyACM0.
Modem configuration written to create.
ttyACM0: Speed 460800; init “ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0″
than edit Wvdial file :-
mark@ubuntu:~$ sudo gedit /etc/wvdial.conf
[Dialer Defaults]
Init1 = ATZ
Init2 = ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
Init3 = AT+CGDCONT=1,”IP”,”airtelgprs.com”
Modem Type = USB Modem
Baud = 460800
New PPPD = yes
Modem = /dev/ttyACM0
ISDN = 0
Phone = *99#
Password = airtel
Username = airtel
Stupid Mode = 1
Save and exit
To connect to internet type the following command :-
siddhartha@ubuntu:~$ wvdial
than this will appear
–> WvDial: Internet dialer version 1.60
–> Cannot get information for serial port.
–> Initializing modem.
–> Sending: ATZ
ATZ
OK
–> Sending: ATQ0 V1 E1 s0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
ATQ0 V1 E1 s0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
OK
–> Modem initialized.
–> Sending: ATDT*99#
–> Waiting for carrier.
ATDT*99#
CONNECT
~[7f]}#@!}!} } }2}#}$@#}!}$}%\}”}&} }*} } g}%~
–> Carrier detected. Starting PPP immediately.
–> Starting pppd at Sun Jun 15 05:17:27 2008
–> Warning: Could not modify /etc/ppp/pap-secrets: Permission denied
–> –> PAP (Password Authentication Protocol) may be flaky.
–> Warning: Could not modify /etc/ppp/chap-secrets: Permission denied
–> –> CHAP (Challenge Handshake) may be flaky.
–> Pid of pppd: 6401
–> Using interface ppp0
–> pppd: x?[06][08]
–> pppd: x?[06][08]
–> pppd: x?[06][08]
–> pppd: x?[06][08]
–> local IP address 117.98.4.246
–> pppd: x?[06][08]
–> remote IP address 10.6.6.6
–> pppd: x?[06][08]
–> primary DNS address 202.56.230.5
–> pppd: x?[06][08]
–> secondary DNS address 202.56.240.5
–> pppd: x?[06][08]
Connection successful.

Press Ctrl+c to disconnect .

HOWTO: Stable Xephyr on Ubuntu 9.04 for Fremantle SDK

As stated in the Fremantle SDK Installation Notes, Xephyr on Ubuntu 9.04 crashes when clicking on a text field in the Fremantle Beta SDK. It also says that the Intrepid (Ubuntu 8.10) version works better. Here is how you can compile and install Intrepid's Xephyr version:

sudo apt-get build-dep xserver-xephyr
sudo apt-get install build-essential devscripts
dget http://at.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/x/xorg-server/xorg-server_1.5.2-2ubuntu3.dsc
dpkg-source -x xorg-server_1.5.2-2ubuntu3.dsc
cd xorg-server-1.5.2/
debuild
cd ..
sudo dpkg -i xserver-xephyr_1.5.2-2ubuntu3_i386.deb
Xephyr :2 -host-cursor -screen 800x480x16 -dpi 96 -ac &

Now you can start the Fremantle Beta SDK and run it without crashing all the time :) You can delete the rest of the .deb packages created - they are not needed for Xephyr. If you want to go back (well... "forward" really) to Jaunty's Xephyr package, you can simply use sudo aptitude install xserver-xephyr to upgrade it.

Ubuntu releases its 7.10 beta version

Ubuntu a community developed operating system that is perfect for laptops, desktops and servers. Whether you use it at home, at school or at work Ubuntu contains all the applications you'll ever need, from word processing and email applications, to web server software and programming tools.

Ubuntu is a complete Linux-based operating system, freely available with both community and professional support. It works on laptops, desktops and servers. Whether one use it at home, at school or at work Ubuntu contains all the applications you'll ever need, from word processing and email applications, to web server software and programming tools. Recently Ubuntu has released its 7.10 beta version, which brings a host of excellent new features.

But the beta label implies a bit more stability as well as a few new enhancements. Here are new features in this latest version of Ubuntu

Desktop 3D effects
Compiz Fusion is enabled by default and will bring 3D desktop visual effects that improve the usability and visual appeal of the system. Ubuntu 7.10 automatically detects whether the hardware is capable of running compiz; if not, it falls back to normal desktop.

Fast user switching
It is now possible to easily switch between user sessions without the inconvenience of entering your username or password numerous times, a time-saver on computers shared by multiple users.

Fully automatic printer installation
Printers are now automatically configured by merely plugging them in and turning them on. Printer setup cannot get any easier!

You can download Ubuntu 7.10 as a LiveCD from here..