03.18.07
Installing Applications: The Applications Manager
This is the first of what will be a two part piece…
Probably the number one thing people will do after initially exploring what’s on their tablet is think about what else might be able to run on the unit. Initially, the best way was to surf the wiki on the Maemo site and simply scroll down to find things of interest. While this still works for some things today, the Wiki is actually no longer as up to date as sources (Downloads and Garage) which have come to replace it. Before I go into detail on these new sites I should cover a few basics.
Like most platforms, Maemo applications come with a standard file format (.deb) which is actually a carryover from their roots in Debian Linux. Many apps will install as simply by tapping a web link to download the file but quite a few actually have dependencies, or additional libraries that are required to get things working. The Nokia team has done an admirable job making things easier since the N800 launch in January and the Downloads site has quite a few one-click install links which can automatically handle adding dependencies as you install things. Previously, you would have to manually add a repository (file library) or two for an application that was not automatically able to be found by your device through the Applications Manager and this this actually applied to most things…
This post will mainly cover the Applications Manager since that is actually built into the device and can serve as a simple way to install and keep applications current. The downloads and garage sites will come in Part 2 as they are external and really should only be player with after you’ve got a bit of knowledge on how things work.
A Tour of the Applications Manager
Starting at the top… Let’s open the Applications Manager and have a look around. Tap your Applications Menu and then head down to Tools. Application Manager is the first option.
Once you’ve got this open, you’ll see three main options (more from the menu…) which are Show Installed Applications, Browse Installable Applications and Check for Updates.
When you click Show Installed Applications, you’ll get a long list of all the files currently loaded that are either actual applications or the library dependencies I mentioned earlier. Here’s what mine looks like:
If you tap the cookie crumb text link for Main View, we’ll be back at that first screen and can then choose to Browse Installable Applications. When you do this, depending on your set-up, you might see a prompt to Refresh Package List.
I suggest you select OK, which will then update the known (via the web) application versions with what you currently have installed. Mine looks like this:
You can choose to view by any type here including all, but unless you really know what you’re doing or need a very specific file, I suggest clicking on Applications to see what’s there. Mine again looks like this:
Heading back now to the Main View of the Applications Manager, we can select the final option which is Check For Updates. You will likely be prompted here again to refresh which again I would suggest tapping OK, since that’s the very point of checking this one out…
As you can see I have one app which is both installed and updateable — according to the repository from which I installed it initially. There are actually quite a few repositories on my N800 and viewing installable apps by All (not just applications like I previously showed) reveals quite a few things that are available to update or even ready to be installed for the first time.
Before we move on, let’s take a quick peek in the Menu system here so we fully understand what’s happening within this part of the device. If you tap the Menu hardware button (the indented middle one in the column of three), you can then navigate the menus…
Within the Application menu, you can choose: Install which will install the selected app in the main screen (same as that nice big install button at the bottom of the screen); Install from File which will let you browse your device or memory card(s) for a previously saved file; and Details which will give you more info about the application, developer and possible dependencies (also available by tapping the blue i button at the bottom of your screen).
The View menu option should be pretty self-explanatory. You can sort the view, go fullscreen and show or hide the toolbar.
Tools is where some of the more advanced options lie. You can manually refresh the view which will update as we’ve seen previously here if that had not happened for you. Settings will let you control how frequently your device refreshes the local library against the online information. Applications Catalog is where you can view, edit and add new repositories (not covered here). Search does what you would expect and searches the application manager library for an application or library. This is good if you think something is there, but just can’t seem to find it. Log will show you a history of activity and is something most people won’t need to review.
Let’s actually install something
Now that you’ve got a pretty good feel for what’s around in the Applications Manager, let’s use it to install something. If you recall from the Check for Updates view, FBReader (an ebook reader) has an update available.
I just tried to use the updater and ran into an error on install, so instead I’ve chosen to uninstall the application and start fresh. I’m not trying to confuse anyone, but things can run amok pretty quickly when you least expect it. In my case, I am unable to update, and after an uninstall, I did not see FBReader in my ˆ view from within View Installable Applications. Instead I had to choose All. Regardless, the process from here is pretty standard:
OK gets the process started…
Fair Warning from Nokia about installing 3rd party apps.
Extras is the default for most new apps, but you can easily pick another folder, or even create a new one. You can also move things later on if you want…
Once you see this message, it’s all good and you can browse to where you’ve installed your new application.
In Part 2, I’ll walk through both the Downloads and Garage sites which are great resources for finding new applications to explore.
Technorati Tags: Internet Tablet, Maemo, N-Series, N770, N800, Nokia
