A couple of months ago we started a project to create a Linux application similar to Nokia PC Suite, but for maemo devices. The application is built using Python and Qt. As a first application in the “suite”, it was developed a backup application, which has the same functionalities as the osso-backup application available in the device. But here the backup application runs in the desktop and stores the backups in the PC.
Tablet-Suite main screen
Tablet-Suite features implemented
- Show device status: power, device memory, flash memory
- Show device information: OS version and Model (N800, N810)
The backup application features implemented so far are:
- Create a new backup selecting categories and output path. The backup is stored in the PC, not in the device flash memory
- Manage backups: remove and rename existing backups
- Copy backups: copy backups from pc to device, and from device to pc
- Restore backups: it is able to restore a backup stored in both pc and device
Known Issues:
- Protected devices (password) are not supported
- Application is still not stable, some bug fixes and improvements are needed
The connection between the desktop and the device is done by IP network. The user just needs to know the device IP. The current implementation uses scp and ssh to transfer data and execute commands, so it is exchanging ssh keys between the pc and the device (root user), that is why the root password is required for this alpha release. There is already a daemon implementation which will do the job in the device side, so a specific tablet-suite password will be used in the future to hopefully avoid security problems.
Comments, suggestions and feature requests are really welcome. We will release a 0.2 version for the backup very soon.
The next applications to be implemented in the suite are: Flash the Device and Install Applications. The application sources and binaries can be downloaded from Garage:
https://garage.maemo.org/frs/?group_id=1013
Below some screenshots:
Backup Main Screen
New Backup Wizard
Restore Backup
Great job! I think for some users it will be useful. Not sure if N900 is going to be device for other people than geeks though.
Nice work! Can’t wait to try this out.
I hope the N900 will finally be supported in Nokia’s PC Suite too.
nice, any chance it will do sync in the future?
Looks great!
Would really like to see and use this. Maybe at last I could sync all my contacts to one system…
Great news and great job ! Looking forward to use it.
Great News!
My Feature Requests are:
- Please Support the coming N900
- File Transfer via TableSuite (PC) and the Device
- Contact Sync
- Tethering
thanks
Hi,
I like this idea, how difficult would it be to make this compatible with PC as well? I’d like a maemo 5 app. Also, I would love to contribute to the UI, can I help?
great! i’ve been hoping for something like this to emerge. with the arrival of the n900, it’ll be of great value to sync with a linux (debian) based distro!
looks really nice. Especially like that you have written it in python & QT.
Is it designed so that other people could work on other “modules” that could then be plugged in?
Awesome efforts! I’d definitely like to see this able to run on any PC, regardless of the OS. I would also like to see media synchronization, such as photos, videos, music, etc, and bookmark syncing, as well.
I’d love to see this combined with QTE in a mega mashup! Hope the developer reads my comment…
Hi, thanks all for the comments. We are already working in a Synchro application. Something like rhythmbox, but with some enhanced UI and for Images, Videos, Contacts, etc. We will add in our list also a “Remote File Manager”. We are moving the code to Garage, so everyone will be able to contribute to the project. Curretly there are about seven people envolved, and it will be very nice to exchange experience in both development and UI with other people.
There is no plugin support at the moment, but it is already planned. Maybe you (mike) could do that?
BR, Hallyson
If there was a way for existing synchronisation applications to hook in, that’d be lovely.
E.g if I already have Conduit working for syncing my contacts, calendar between evolution, thunderbird, google calendar etc., I would just need to hook into/write a dataprovider for Tablet-Suite to make the Nxxx-synchronisation work.
(live.gnome.org/Conduit)
my feature requests are:
- calendar sync! maybe this can be done already, i don’t know, but it would be nice to automatically sync calendar over bluetooth or usb to a compatible program on ubuntu. i don’t know what software that would be though. thunderbird? or could the same calendar application be installed as a standalone program on ubuntu?
- contacts syncing
- conversation syncing
Going along with .thomas. Calendar, contacts sync.
I can’t believe still the only way to sync GPE tools is with shell access.
Maybe you should think about integrating this functionality with at least one of existing OpenSource solutions (Gnokii, started by me Gammu/Gammu+ or other)…
Awesome app, I would suggest you build in a plugin engine so that people can easily extend it to their taste, for example someone might want a plugin which would allow the app to sync music or video/encode videos and sync just my 2 cents, great job.
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Nice idea, but don’t forget that the majority of Maemo device owners aren’t going to be running a Linux distro on their PCs. If you want a good number of people to use your software, you’re going to have to make it work on Windows and hopefully (for Mac users such as myself) OSX.
very good thank you
That’s exactly what I was waiting for. Will there also be the possibility to sync? Until now I use a Centro (PalmOS) with PalmDesktop to sync calendar, contacts, memos, todo with my PC (WinXP). I will not continue with the new Palm Pre (because they want me to sync on “cloud”) Therefore I ordered already a N900.
It would be great to have something similar to the PalmDesktop which is really a very well programmed app.
Я считаю, что Вы не правы. Я уверен. Давайте обсудим это. Пишите мне в PM, пообщаемся….
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Нада добавить еще пункт…
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