Howto: Get linux and the Maemo SDK w/ emulator running!

[MohammadAG]

I posted about the maemo SDK a month or two ago, but I really didn't post a tutorial on how to get it running, there is one on wiki.maemo.org but it's not for those who are new to linux. So here's a step by step tutorial on how to install linux with the SDK.

First of all, you need linux, there are many distributions of linux, most of which are free.
Linux is mostly based on two types:
-Debian (Maemo is based on this)
-RedHat-based (Fedora and the like, these use RPM packages for installs and are a bit more complicated, however they are the base of linux and debian would've never been what it is now)

For Desktops there are two major desktop managers:
Gnome and KDE.
Gnome is the best in my opinion but KDE provides a windows-like appearance at the expense of performance.

For this tutorial, you need to install a Debian based OS. Ubuntu is the easiest one to use (kUbuntu uses KDE but as I said it needs a higher spec-ed PC to run)
Ok, so installing an OS needs a partition, some of you might think of this as being complicated BUT Ubuntu now offers a one click install option, with WUBI (Windows Ubuntu Installer)
Wubi installs Ubuntu "inside" Windows, what this does is create a virtual hard disk in X:/Ubuntu (X being your Windows drive) and puts all the needed files there, what you need to do to run ubuntu is to restart your PC and select Ubuntu, to get back, just restart again and select your current OS.
To get wubi go to Wubi - Ubuntu Installer for Windows and hit download, it will ask you to input some things for the installation but once you've done that, it's all automated.
Here's a screenshot of wubi

It's the 8.04 version but it looks the same as the new 9.10 one. Select your language, the installation size, select Ubuntu as the desktop environment, input your username and pass (this can't be blank) and hit install.
It will download the 9.10 ISO, extract it to X:/Ubuntu and ask you to restart your PC.
Once you've done that, select Ubuntu and it will complete the installation. Your computer will restart again, select ubuntu again, hit enter and enter again, Ubuntu will now boot up

First of all, if you have ethernet, you're ready to go, if not then you have to connect to a wireless AP by clicking the icon next to the volume icon (or bluetooth if you have it) and selecting an AP.

Now to install the scratchbox and the SDK
Open Applications > Accessories > Terminal
Paste this code in it (note: to paste in terminal you have to press CTRL+SHIFT+V, extra shift there)

sudo apt-get install xserver-xephyr

Let me explain briefly the syntax of that command:
sudo gives you root privileges (much like Run as administrator in Vista/7)
apt-get is the application responsible for managing updates and application installs (Synaptics Package Manager)
install instructs apt-get to install the package following 'install'

Once you have typed the command into terminal, you will need to enter your password (to gain root priv.)
This will install the app that outputs the display of the Maemo5 emulator.

Now you will have to download the two scripts that will auto install the SDK
Type into terminal

wget http://repository.maemo.org/stable/5.0/maemo-scratchbox-install_5.0.sh http://repository.maemo.org/stable/5.0/maemo-sdk-install_5.0.sh

This will download the scripts to /home/*username*/

To allow the scripts to be executed, you need to change their attributes, to do that, just paste this into terminal

chmod a+x ./maemo-scratchbox-install_5.0.sh  ./maemo-sdk-install_5.0.sh

Now you will have to install scratchbox, which is a virtual environment for the SDK, this way if you do something wrong in the SDK nothing will happen to your system itself and you can reinstall the SDK (thought I doubt you'll do something that will ruin the SDK :) )

Type into terminal (Chagne the USER to your linux username, it doesn't actually have to be your linux username but I prefer you do that to reduce confusion)

sudo ./maemo-scratchbox-install_5.0.sh -u USER

"This will download about 420 MB of material from the web, which is not resumeable if interrupted."
This will take some time depending on your network connection, you might also see an error depending on how your system is set up.
If you see an error it will say something like type echo 0 > /proc/sys/vm/vdso_enabled as root
To do that, type

sudo su

Type your password, then type

echo 0 > /proc/sys/vm/vdso_enabled

exit

What that should look like

mohammad@mohammad-laptop:~$ sudo su
[sudo] password for mohammad:
root@mohammad-laptop:/home/mohammad# echo 0 > /proc/sys/vm/vdso_enabled
root@mohammad-laptop:/home/mohammad# exit
exit

Then rerun the previous command:sudo ./maemo-scratchbox-install_5.0.sh -u USER and don't forget to change the USER part.
Leave your PC for a while or explore Ubuntu, you can use it normally but you can't install other applications while scratchbox or any other app is installing (one APT instance at a time)

When scratchbox is done installing, type

newgrp sbox

Now to start installing the SDK itself
Type:

./maemo-sdk-install_5.0.sh

It will show you the license, just keep pressing enter till it starts, you only need the default options so as I said, just keep pressing enter till it starts.
It will use wget to download some files (this will take time) and it will install most of the SDK.
Leave your PC again for a while as this will take time.

When the SDK is done installing, you will get the message "Happy Hacking" (this made me lol :p)

Now type

/scratchbox/login

If you get permission denied then type (again)

newgrp sbox

Then do the login part again

You have to install some files which Maemo depends on (the homescreen, themes, the basic apps which the N900 has, etc...)
To do that, you HAVE to accept the EULA, I can't give you a direct link as every person gets a unique link
EULA link: Maemo 5.0 (Fremantle) SDK EULA

Linux newbs, outside scratchbox means you will not see
[sbox-FREMANTLE_X86: ~] >
in terminal, inside scratchbox means you will see it
Inside the scratchbox type

nano /etc/apt/sources.list

You will see 4 lines of repositories. Add the link (including the deb word of course) under them
Be sure to have the terminal window maximized when you do this as it might split the line into two lines.
Press CTRL+O, then hit enter to save, and click CTRL+X to exit
Now type inside scratchbox

apt-get update

Once that's done type

fakeroot apt-get install nokia-binaries nokia-apps

This will install the basic apps I mentioned before.
It will download about ~40MBs of files and install them.
You are now ready to run the SDK
For programmers you have to run one more step since all of the above was run in X86 mode, and the N900 itself is an ARMEL device.
so type (I included what you see in terminal, you have to type what's after the >, I have also bolded what you have to paste)

[sbox-FREMANTLE_X86: ~] > sb-conf select FREMANTLE_ARMEL
[sbox-FREMANTLE_ARMEL: ~] > nano /etc/apt/sources.list

Add the line as done before, make sure it's maximized again

[sbox-FREMANTLE_ARMEL: ~] > apt-get update
[sbox-FREMANTLE_ARMEL: ~] > fakeroot apt-get install nokia-binaries nokia-apps

It will install once again the same apps but in the ARMEL environment.
Type

sb-conf select FREMANTLE_X86

to get back to the X86 environment.
Type

logout

and close the terminal window

Congratulations, if you're reading this then you have installed the SDK, if not, well, I guess something went wrong :p

To start the SDK, open another terminal window and type

Xephyr :2 -host-cursor -screen 800x480x16 -dpi 96 -ac -kb &

It will open up a black window.
While it's showing you some stuff about the status, start typing

/scratchbox/login

Set the SDK to output to screen 2 (the Xephyr one)

export DISPLAY=:2

Then start the emulator

af-sb-init.sh start

To stop the SDK (do you even want to do that :p) type

af-sb-init.sh stop

To restart it type

af-sb-init.sh restart

Everytime you restart your computer, you have to do this again

mohammad@mohammad-laptop:~$ sudo su
[sudo] password for mohammad:
root@mohammad-laptop:/home/mohammad# echo 0 > /proc/sys/vm/vdso_enabled
root@mohammad-laptop:/home/mohammad# exit
exit

Although you can add this value to GRUB to make it do it automatically, I prefer you don't because one mistake can make your system not bootable.
Grub2 is installed by wubi and ubuntu.com warn..

DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE This is the main Grub 2 file. It "replaces" Grub Legacy's /boot/grub/menu.lst. This file contains the Grub menu instructions. Unlike Grub Legacy's menu.lst file, grub.cfg is NOT MEANT TO BE EDITED!!!

So again I prefer you do it manually unless you have the old grub

I hope this tutorial helps you install the SDK w/ the emulator so that you get to know the software of the N900 :)

[spyda]

Jeez, not for the faint hearted then? ;-)

Cracking guide, thanks for that. There's hope for those of us not likely to see our N900's for some time yet!

[MohammadAG]

Originally Posted by spyda

Jeez, not for the faint hearted then? ;-)

Cracking guide, thanks for that. There's hope for those of us not likely to see our N900's for some time yet!

Heh, follow the exact instructions and I guarantee you'll have no heart attacks :p
It's actually a bit useful, I've been trying to get Xchat on it but libc6 is old, but XChat is working on the N900 (seen it on the RDA device)
If you have any problems, just shout out :)

[boomer4you]

Thanks a lot for this! :) I'm a total noob with linux and desperate to learn it.

[Sp00k]

Ye Gods! What was Linux like to use before it was 'simplified' ?

By comparison, DIY trepanning seems considerably less painful !

[MohammadAG]

Originally Posted by Sp00k

Ye Gods! What was Linux like to use before it was 'simplified' ?

By comparison, DIY trepanning seems considerably less painful !

Something like this lol

[Rich_enduro]

i'm just trying to follow this guide and i'm having problems when i get to

Type your password, then type
Code:

echo 0 > /proc/sys/vm/vdso_enabled

i get a message the command isn't recognised? any idea what i'm doing wrong?

PS, i'm far from a expert in linux!!
thanks

[gavinguinness]

Originally Posted by Sp00k

Ye Gods! What was Linux like to use before it was 'simplified' ?

By comparison, DIY trepanning seems considerably less painful !

Ha ha. You don't have to get involved with all the command line stuff just to use Linux (anymore) - I've seem much more complex and confusing Windows tutorials - truth be told!

But I have to add that having the explainations for each command is very useful and should be commended - I've followed similar tutorials minus the explainations in years gone by not fully understanding what I've actually done. LOL

So thumbs up TWICE from me!

[Venomrush]

I finished the installation.
Having some problems getting the SDK to start!

venomrush@ubuntu:~$ Xephyr :2 -host-cursor -screen 800x480x16 -dpi 96 -ac -kb &
[1] 25193
venomrush@ubuntu:~$
Fatal server error:
Could not create server lock file: /tmp/.X2-lock

[MohammadAG]

Try using display no. 4 for it

Xephyr :4 -host-cursor -screen 800x480x16 -dpi 96 -ac -kb &

Log into scratchbox

export DISPLAY=:4

af-sb-init.sh start