Hey guys, i just got an N800 finally from buy.com about an hour ago, and whenever i try to install many applications...it says "Can't Install" Missing: for example: libsdl-ttf2.0-0
libsdl-ttf2.0-0
libncurses (>=4.-1)
libreadline4 (>=4.3-1)

.....so where can i get these?

Install the repositories here: http://www.gronmayer.com/it/

repatories?...what are they? Which one do i install?

Hi, everybody, I'm new here.

I'm considering buying a tablet for my wife, but this sort of thing really worries me. It seems like the tablet is fairly stripped-down (no PIM, bad email, poor mapping software, etc.) and to make a purchase worthwhile you need to install 3rd-party software.

The good news is that there seems to be some good software out there.

The bad news is that you apparently need to know about things like Linux repositories to get much of it to work.

My wife has never used Linux and might not appreciate a gift that she can't really use, even if I'm willing to help. Would I be insane to buy her a tablet?

Repositories are places where you can get files. At that site you can search for the filenames you need and determine which repository has it, then use the "Click to install" icon to add that repository to your tablet. Do the same for any other filenames you need.

After doing that, you should be able to complete the install of the application you wanted.

If you're comfortable that you could set it up for her, then she really doesn't need to know Linux just use the applications you have loaded.

Thanks, that's what I was thinking of doing. My concern is that it would make the tablet less valuable for her. I know she likes to set up her laptop herself, and she would likely feel bad about repeatedly asking me for help.

How far is Maemo from making the installation of 3rd party apps as easy as installing Firefox extensions (or even Windows applications?)

It is essentially marketed as a handheld web client, with chat and mail clients already in place. Arguably, mail power users (like myself) do claim that the integrated mail client sucks - but it will absolutely do the job for people with one POP mail address, or even two or three of them.

Everything beyond that is hacking the device - but the same goes for everything smaller than a laptop, whether Palm (a portable calendar by design) or WinME devices (portable Outlook clients), and compared to them, it is easily expandable beyond its intended tasks.

Right.

"Linux repositories" are indeed a automatic way of installing software which is much easier than Windows installations. The download pages at www.Maemo.org will add the repositories required for the one-click installable software as you go, without needing any intervention, and http://www.gronmayer.com/it/ allows you to add most known repositories you might need beyond that.

No. Besides the fact that it will do its advertised task right out of the box, expanding it is not really hard - most end user ready stuff installs with one click at a web site. Don't let this forum scare you, the more verbose people here are tablet hackers that do very advanced stuff with their tablets. If she stays within more sane limits she'll never encounter the problems discussed here - and if she gets into hacking it, well, you have given her a new hobby besides a new computer...

I must admit that at first, I had the same frustation, like Tamadrums888 with the repos, libs, python etc etc...But after search, reading, getting help here, and a lot of trial and error, now I am a little bit more confident. Anyway, I have suggested that maybe somebody could do a sort of "Maemo for dummies". I have started reading about debian, but I consider that some more simple and more specific for the N8XX OS could be very very helpful. I also think that Internet tabletschool is a great idea, specially for non-techie users.

FWIW, I've had missing lib files, searched for them, found the proper repositories and installed them only to find that I still can't install the lib files (libnoki3 for example). When I search for them on the N800, they don't return any results, however when I go online with my PC and search the repository directories, it shows them available.

It's frustrating and kept me from installing several apps so far.