This it might be useful to share this info with people in my similar situaion (new N800 and no WiFi network around)

I just received a new N800 device so I proceeded to install xterm and SSH on it so that I can get root access.

However, my company prohibits WiFi, so I needed to download the packages into the internal flash memory, and then install the .deb files manually using Application Manager. For my N800, I figured the following sequence of .deb files should be installed (in the order listed below)

http://repository.maemo.org/pool/bor...sso1_armel.deb
http://repository.maemo.org/pool/bor...sso1_armel.deb
http://repository.maemo.org/pool/bor...3osso2_all.deb
http://repository.maemo.org/pool/bor...sso2_armel.deb
http://repository.maemo.org/pool/bor...0.13_armel.deb
http://repository.maemo.org/pool/bor...sso7_armel.deb

However, when I try to install any of these .deb files, Application Manager simply gives a cryptic error message: "Incompatible Package" and refuses to install it. After poking around for a while, I found the Log screen of the Application Manager shows the output of "dpkg -i xxx.deb", which says something like:

Package must have "Section: user/FOO" to be considered compatible.

Not sure why dpkg complains this way -- I have another N800 already configured by someone else, and if I log in as root, I can run "dpkg -i" to install these deb files without any issues. Probably it had something to do with the fact that on my "virgin" N800, I am running Application Manager not as root.

Anyway, I wrote a script to fix the .deb files:

#-------------------------------------------------
rm -rf tmp
mkdir tmp
cd tmp
ar x ../$1
mkdir con
cd con
tar zxf ../control.tar.gz
sed -e 's/Section: .*/Section: user\/Foo/g' < control > control.tmp
mv control.tmp control
tar zcf ../control.tar.gz .
cd ..
X=`echo $1 | sed -e 's/.deb/.fixed.deb/g'`
rm -f ../$X
ar cq ../$X debian-binary control.tar.gz data.tar.gz
cd ..
ls -l $1 $X
#--------------------------------------------------------------

Just save it as fix.sh and run "sh fix.sh foo.deb", and it will generate a file called foo.fixed.deb

After that, install the .fixed.deb files in the order specified about, then, launch xterm, and run

ssh root@localhost <-- password = rootme

Then you will have root!

Enjoy!

They could have been installed in red pill mode

They could. But it's still a useful script, as this problem has come up several times lately -- someone creates a new package but unfortunately with an incompatible Section:, and those wanting to test it can't get it installed. Now they can, if they adapt the script provided by tomei.ningen.

Most of the times it may be easiest to just sudo gainroot and install packages via 'dpkg -i package.deb' than messing with the packages. IMO it needs same skills (i.e. ability to open xterm and type commands) and is faster.

Well yeah, agreed. The script could still be used by lazy package makers to fix their own packages before (re-)sending them out to market though!

luca, thanks for the info about red pill mode.

I am wondering if any of the packages on the "bora" version of http://repository.maemo.org/ can be installed on a virgin N800 at all, without red pill mode, using the web browser. I didn't try that myself as I did not have a WiFi connection.

If not, maybe the folks at maemo.org should somehow make the information about red-pill mode more obvious? I wasted a few hours because of this ....