[Announce] Set call redirections and other GSM Service Codes: starhash-enabler

[joerg_rw]

It's been a topic since very first N900s shipped, at least for those who want more from their cellphone than just simple placing and receiving calls: Service Codes and USSD.

While USSD (e.g. "*100#") has been fixed in genuine dialer with PR1.2, the Service Codes (e.g. "*#67#" : query if calls are redirected when busy) still don't work out `of the box' with most recent firmware, and not even with tools like USSD-widget.

starhash-enabler is a hack installing a 0 byte "application" and configuring the dialer so it will work with most if not all Service Codes. So you finally can do all the fancy stuff like mentioned there:
http://www.mobilemania.de/facts+infos/gsmcodes.php (Deutsch)
http://www.geckobeach.com/cellular/secrets/gsmcodes.php (English)
http://www.stereo.org.ua/2007/gsm-codes/ (English)
http://www.arib.or.jp/IMT-2000/V730J.../22030-340.pdf (the 3GPP specs)
- at least those that your carrier allows :-)
Also you'll not need any more USSD-xxxx application to do this, you can use the standard dialer as you'd expect from any other phone

site[updated 2011-06-09]: http://maemo.org/downloads/product/M...arhash-enabler
also in extras-devel

cheers
jOERG

comments, critics, and *thanks* welcome

[joerg_rw]

0.2 available via extras-testing now
adds a few words to description and fixes format
adds proper link to this thread for bugtracker
adds XB-Maemo-Upgrade-Description field (which is usually painfully missing in other pkgs, *hint hint*)
pretty name changed from "Starhash Enabler" to "*# Starhash Enabler"

No changes in functionality

to make it utterly clear: This is a kind of system extension. So installing it is all you can do, do not expect any application with associated icon to show up on your N900. Install=cute dialer, deinstall=dialer with limited functionality. This pkg will actually need no space in rootfs on your device, installation is utterly lightweight

if you just like it, hit thanks here
If you want to give a test thumb to it, here's the link:
http://maemo.org/packages/package_in...h-enabler/0.2/
/j

[joerg_rw]

gone to stable - means you can install from extras now
sorry for rendering like a bunch of rats on speed in several garage pages, it's the garage CSS and hidden machinery treating package descriptions like forum posts :-/

This one looks somewhat ok: http://maemo.org/packages/view/starhash-enabler/

Thanks to all the testers :-)

[debernardis]

FYI it works allright on the only code I know: *123# for residual credit (Wind IT).

[Dirty Harry]

This fix is something I've been waiting for so much, but unfortunately it doesn't quite work for me. Sending a #21**16# to my operator should divert my SMS's to another number/ SIM card, but it doesn't; it returns a bogus message "operation not compatible with current status". The code is correct, worked with my previous phone.

Oddly, *#21**16# works, I get a correct status message for the service in return (just as I should).

[joerg_rw]

Originally Posted by Dirty Harry

This fix is something I've been waiting for so much, but unfortunately it doesn't quite work for me. Sending a #21**16# to my operator should divert my SMS's to another number/ SIM card, but it doesn't; it returns a bogus message "operation not compatible with current status". The code is correct, worked with my previous phone.

Oddly, *#21**16# works, I get a correct status message for the service in return (just as I should).

Please make sure the code shouldn't start with *(star) instead of #(hash), as usually *(star) is for ENabling things while # is DISabling them, and *# is for query always. So "not compatible with current status" would make sense when you try to disable an already disabled service.

If confirmed and double-checked, please reopen and add a bug report to https://bugs.maemo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=8830, with exact description of the code, the brand/model of the working phone, and the exact error message you get from N900. It's not a bug in *#-ena, but if it was a bug really, then probably in modem firmware, so let's hope Nokia will eventually have a look into it, and fix it with PR1.3

Many thanks
jOERG

[Dirty Harry]

Allright, submitted, but I guess that Nokia will simply blame "*# Starhash Enabler"...

[joerg_rw]

Originally Posted by Dirty Harry

Sending a #21**16# to my operator should divert my SMS's to another number/ SIM card, but it doesn't; it returns a bogus message "operation not compatible with current status". The code is correct, worked with my previous phone.

Oddly, *#21**16# works, I get a correct status message for the service in return (just as I should).

I tested all variations of SSC 21 incl parameters. Given the fact my service plan doesn't allow for any SMS forwarding (=**16#), the results are just as expected ( "divert destination barred"). So the 'bogus' message "operation not compatible with current status" seems to be a valid response of the carrier network to a presumably valid well formed SSC sent by the N900.

There's a lot of reasons why carrier might consider a 21 SCC an "operation not compatible with current status", most obvious one of them being there's no destination number configured by SSC **21*<dest-nr>*16#. Other possible reasons for example may be "destination not reachable (not booked in)" and "Account balance doesn't allow chargeable services"

I do not think there is any problem in N900 that's causing the reported issue with SMS divert.

Nevertheless I found the dialer-UI sometimes locks up on a deadlock state in SSC/USSD communication with cellmodem, under certain timeout or race conditions where it waits for a reply to a SSC that may never come (at least that's my take on it). In that case a

killall -9 rtcom-call-ui

fixed things. This for sure *is* a bug somewhere in call-UI and/or libisi / cellmo FW, but I don't think it's related here.

cheers
jOERG

[joerg_rw]

HI , I'm a user Nokia N900 .I have problem with starhash software. I made clear device before 1 week , but when I wanted to use the codes I saw the program not work .so I tried to reinstall the program but it's write ( No file ! nothing to uninstall ) please can you help me

Sorry, there's a minimal flaw in starhash enabler, when dealing with exactly this situation. Deinstallation shouldn't abort but rather succeed anyway, so even when there's "nothing to uninstall" the package manager nevertheless would consider the starhash package to be removed successfully rather than keeping it.

Probably the easiest fix is you go to dialer menu -> screen rotation, then do some change there, and click "save". This should create the missing file, and uninstalling / reinstalling should work then.

If this doesn't work for you:
For a quick temporary fix to get things onto rail again, please open xterm and issue the following 3 commands:

echo -e "[supplementary]\nssc=1\n" >/home/user/.osso/call-ui.ini
root
killall -9 rtcom-call-ui

If you don't have rootsh package installed so the cmd `root` would fail with some error message, you alternatively can remove battery after first echo command, though that's something I definitely can not recommend.

Anyway after doing that, you should find starhash enabler functionality being re-established. No need to re-install the package, though of course you can do anytime.

If you want to avoid running into this trouble, you may uninstall starhash package prior to resetting / flashing / deleting the file call-ui.ini by any other means.
I'll eventually update the package to fix this problem.
Sorry for the inconvenience.

/jOERG

[eitama]

Hello Joerg,

I was wondering if you might be able to take a look here and maybe help me out solve a problem!

Thanks,
Eitam.