Most os2007 software I tried will not install on os2008. After some time playing with lib dependencies I tracked the problem to be an incompatibility between:
hildon-libs0 (what we use on os2007) and
osso-af (new in os2008).

osso-af is incompatible with the current version of hildon-libs0, which is 0.14.11-1.

Now, there are 2 possibilities:

1: all we need is a new version of hildon-libs0, and old applications will install. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a newer version of that lib, not even in the beta repository of chinook, which makes scenario 2 likely:

2: Nokia changed the framework and there will be no new version of hildon-libs0. This would mean, in turn, that most os2007 software will not install on os2008 without a recompile.

Does a meamo developper know which scenario is true?


PS: There also is a conflict between libhildonmime0 (os2007) and libossomime0 (os2008), but that one concerns fewer applications. Same question here.

The old applications need to be ported. This is all part of the break in Gtk to get us up to date with the upstream.

All is well, wait patiently and go about your business.

I don't like that. It imposes a burden on a community of developpers which is already rather small. Some applications were already never ported from the 770 to the N800 and Nokia breaks compatibility again? Whom do they think will do the job?

A long time ago, when linux changed from libc5 to libc6 I think, some kind of kludge was found so that old applications could access the old libs. Could that be possible here?

Like it or not, I don't think you really have enough information to make that determination. The API breaks mean we're up to date with upstream, so porting applications to maemo is going to be a lot easier and maintaining current stuff (once they're up to date) will be a simpler and cleaner. Porting current applications to the new API version isn't a particularly difficult task, it just has to be done. Give this time, you're using a leaked pre-release version of the OS, so expecting all of your old applications to magically have ports available is just a tad unreasonable.

For the record: I did not expect all my old applications to have ports available, I just expected Nokia not to break compatibility.

Anyway, I have the answer to my question: applications will need to be ported. Only time will tell what will happen now. All I can say is that os2008 is of no interest to me at present (even if browsing is improved) for lack of applications. But I will check in a month or so. And I will get the n810 a bit latter than I thought.

I'm surprised that you are so surprised, and that you discover these answers now. You barge in here, flaming away at Nokia because you've flashed first (an image that's not officially available fir the N800) and then find out some apps are missing. Have you been living under a rock or something ? This has been public knowledge for ages.

This time around Nokia and the maemo team have been *very* forthcoming and transparent about this issue, warning a long time in advance that Chinook would break API compatibility, explaining their motives and why it would be a good thing in the long run (which I believe is true). They also released the SDK in advance and reconfigured maemo.org so that third-party developers could port their apps in advance.

It was much worse when the 770 went from OS2005 to OS2006, with a *binary* compatibility break : *nothing* worked anymore. The community did catch up nicely though, and it'll be much easier this time around.

My suggestion is to reflash to os2007, which is the latest official release. Problem solved.

ah yes... i cant wait for the official release... or my new n810... what ever comes first

Arrived here searching how to resolve the dependency issues application manager keeps throwing up - to be honest as a non-techie (non-developer) user, when I went and bought my N810 I did kind of expect to be able to use at least the N800 apps that are out there and I can't (VNC viewer in this case).

Fair enough breaking compatibility with 770 apps, but if I'd known I'd have to wait for developers to port N800 versions of all the apps I've come to rely on (i.e. if N800 apps don't work, then there's going to be almost no third-party apps at launch right?), I'd have stuck with my 770 for a lot longer rather than pay a premium price for the N810 at launch

Perhaps it was unreasonable to expect, as someone on here seems to be saying - I guess it came from the marketing stuff/discussion here that position the N800 and N810 as same-series devices, rightly or wrongly I just assumed I could use all the N800 stuff from day one, not taking into account that there was to be an OS upgrade just before launch that breaks N800 apps on both devices!)

There already is a VNC viewer for Chinook,

https://garage.maemo.org/projects/vncviewer/

-Rip