Nokia Beta Labs

Also in the spirit of

Also in the spirit of symbian being open source, wouldn't a linux version only make sense? :)

Yes please.

Yes please.

And Nokia owns Trolltech

Since Nokia bought Trolltech, a qt based multi-platform application should be easy, right? You'd have Mac, Linux and Windows native versions with the same codebase!

I now realize I

I now realize I double-posted by making a suggestion. +1 for a Linux version, it is very much needed. Requiring Windows to get the most out of your phone just doesn't make sense.

Anyone tried Ovi Suite with wine yet?

I second the wish for Linux

I second the wish for Linux version. I mostly use Linux on desktop and laptop these days, so it would be great to have Ovi Suite there.

+1

it will be great to have linux version.

I changed this to a suggestion

As it quite clearly is one.

+1

I too would like a linux version of ovi suite. Nokia is still the only reason for me to have windows installed.

me too, please a linux version

Actually I would like a linux version of all nokia software, not only ovi.

Me too

as posted above by marko:

the only reason why i still use windows at all is nokia software.
i though it was reasonable not to expect GNU/linux versions of all the applications nokia had in the past, but now that they're moving to one single app (and this application is Qt-based), it should be easier to achieve.

also, given the recent investment nokia made in the GNU/linux ecosystem... and the plans announced yesterday to do so even more... i would consider it a matter of credibility to offer a version of the ovi suite for the GNU/linux desktop. really.

wine

@jwalck - the apps even cannot be installed under wine. At least, I couldn't install anything..
Also I don't think that Wine works fine with bluetooth stack.

Hi, Thanks for the feedback!

Hi,

Thanks for the feedback! Please also check this information:
http://betalabs.nokia.com/blog/2009/06/23/nokia-ovi-suite-20-the-one-and...

- Puumis

Comments

As you ask for our comments in the blog, here are mine. :) The features I'd like to see in a linux version would be kmail/kontact sync, followed by photos/digikam and then music/amarok sync. The dists I use are kubuntu 9.04 and mandriva 2009.1. So support for these would be welcome.

Features I would like to see in Linux Version

Ideally I would like to see all features as Windows version of OVI suite in Linux but if asked to list top 3.
1) Contacts Sync with Evolution
2) Photos Sync
3) Software Update

I use Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope.

Suyog

most wanted features for ovi suite linux

I would like contacts sync, calendar/todo sync and notes sync. You can always update your phone ota and install apps ota. Pictures can be transfered anyway.
I suppose debian and redhat would cover most distros, but source code would be the best.

My first ranking feature

My first ranking feature request for a Linux version would be software update, but because it requires specific drivers to access the phone I guess it would be one of the most difficult to implement.
Second would be internet connection through my phone.
Third would be phone backup. (Not just contacts/messages backup, but the regular backup that we are currently using.)

Software installation is important as well but it's not a big deal since I can copy the installer manually and run it from the phone.

About features and

About features and distributions:

Features:

The most important feature is the ability to upgrade firmware and to install software (that was downloaded from the net to the PC and is then transferred to the phone).

Reading/writing text messages is also something that can hardly be done with current S60 devices from a GNU/Linux desktop.

Contacts and file transfer are nice, but can easily be achieves by other means, so I wouldn't see them as top priority.

Distributions:

I hardly see the point of ruling out distributions. Talking about GNU/Linux support means having ways to compile the source for each and every system. That's the whole point. You wouldn't want to be left out because there's a binary that can be installed on 32bit Ubuntu but not on a 64bit gentoo or whatever... It's one thing to depend on certain libraries and versions, but I wouldn't think it's acceptable to only deliver binaries for a few major distributions.

Also, Nokia shouldn't only see this as a "We'll do it if there's enough demand from the market" thing. You guys were having a tough time fighting for credibility among FOSS developers when you built you Maemo community. Much of the distress of the early days is sorted out, but it will remain a fragile construct simply because you have a different agenda than the free software community. Necessarily so.

If you need to justify the costs of a full port of the Ovi Suite to the GNU//Linux ecosystem, take into account the credibility you buy with this in the community. - You don't expect people who develop for Maemo on their LFS-machines to boot Windows Vista only to sync their phones, do you? You want to have the brightest minds of this developer community to trust Nokia and work for your projects, don't you? If so, then this is part of the investment. They're not gonna buy the "Nokia's a GNU/Linux friendly company"-mantra if GNU/Linux will remain the only (!) operating system you don't support with your desktop products.

Just for the sake of

Just for the sake of testing, I tried to install Ovi suite using Wine on Ubuntu, but installation failed.

Re:Just for the sake of

@scaevus, Thanks for update, you saved my time :-)

Suyog

Linux

A version for Linux would be lovely. I have two computers, the weak energy efficient chat/browsing computer running Linux and the more powerful gaming computer running Windows. Guess which one I use the most?

I whole heartedly agree,

I whole heartedly agree, having a Linux version would be spectacular.

Linux

Ovi should continue pushing for Sync over Internet, but some features necessarily need to be on Linux;
* Phone Backup
* Software Updates
* Sync like Nokia Maps, that cannot be done over Internet (not yet..)

Every mayor Linux distro. Ubuntu, Suse, Debian...

Linux

I totally agree with "amendina" and in addition Sync with Evolution (mail and calendar) is a must!

Nokia atittude to Linux

Nokia atittude to Linux users is a joke!!! Linux deserves some respect!! Its about time Nokia support major Linux distros!! Im thinking about.. Open Suse , Fedora , Ubunto...
KDE 4 uses Trolltech SDK, the same "base" that "will" be used by OPEN SYMBIAN FOUNDATION at near future... Let´s see ... :(

The most wanted feature for ovi suite 2

I just sorted the suggestion topics by views, and guess which is the most viewed topic: -"Linux?" That should tell quite clearly what is the most wanted "feature". I hope lots of people come to this forum and give their voice for a version for linux, and convince the developers :-)

Reply to Samuli

I've read your announcement Samuli. Here are the answers you're looking for:

"We will be looking into these and are very interested to hear your comments about these and wishes. I would like to hear following comments:
- which features in Nokia Ovi Suite would be most important for you in Mac / Linux?
- which Linux distributions would be most useful?"

- I just want to be able to transfer my photographs, my SMS', my videos etc. And I want to be able to all this from a Nokia software.

- I think those would be enough, Ubuntu (one of the most popular distributions), Arch Linux (has a great user community that could able to make packages for other distributions. And maybe Pardus, this one may seem a bit emotive request but, you know that Nokia is on the top of Turkiye's mobile phone market :)

Thanks for you interest.
Oğuzhan.

OVI on linux

Iam having a Dell xps m1330n laptop which comes preinstalled with Ubuntu. Even though the Ubuntu detects the phone as a modem and be able to connect to internet, it is not possible to sync photos ,contacts ,and update phone software. What the features I want to be implemented in linux ovi suit are :
1 Ability to update phone software
2 sync contacts
3 connect to net with phone as modem
4 sync and manage photos , music,sms, videos
The linux distributions to be considered are :
1 Ubuntu (over 10 million users)
2 Opensuse
3 Mandriva
4 Fedora
If it is difficult to provide binaries for all distroes , a precompiled binary(not the source code) of *.bin is enough which can be used on all linux distributions.
I think the 30 million linux users is enough for the Nokia to port the app to linux.

Why should it be so complicated

Nokia products are hardware and online services. So what is the point of making the sync interface not available to third party application, like the Linux native sync programs.

If there is a business case in it indeed, then Nokia should create a Linux app itself, like Google does using Wine.
Because, not only Nokia leaves a lot of technically savvy (Linux) users outside its ecosystem, it also looks uncool.
And a uncool company pays double to hire talents.

Just expressing my support

I will be shifting to Ubuntu Linux in the near future, with the maemo OS already existing I am surprised that Nokia has not taken the next step in offering linux OVI support. I think the major feature I am seeking is application backups, media transfer and syncing with calendars (though the online ovi calendar is good it still needs more). I am not a programmer by any stretch, but isn't OSX based on unix which should not (in my mind) be that hard to transfer to a linux based system?

Please develop Ovi Desktop application for Linux

Linux Ovi support would be very helpful to me and the millions of other people using Linux OS and Nokia S60 phones. A Ubuntu client would be my personal preference. Thanks!

Ovi Suite for linux - VERY NEED

I really need the program.
I want to see in it the following functions:
1. backup contacts, messages, calendar;
2. update phone software

I use kubuntu9.04_64bit (used qt!). For E51 released a new firmware. Yesterday, I installed virtualbox with windows xp pro. And all just to flashing the phone. :(

Thank you.

Ideas on implementation

Obviously the use of QT makes the actual interface portable to Linux without any work.
The back-end (using Bluetooth and/or USB) should be fairly easy to implement using existing code. "libusb" provides direct access to the USB interfaces, letting you control it with basically the same code that the Windows version would use, and likewise the Bluez stack allows direct access to any interface the device advertises, so again it would just require changing the "middle-man" code.

Needless to say, I *strongly* support a Linux version of Ovi Suite :)

As for distributions, why not take an Opera style approach? Offer packages for the major distributions (Ubuntu, Debian, SuSE, Fedora, etc.) and then offer one installer for a static executable that would work for pretty much anything else.

back-end compatibility and portability

One obstacle might be the lack of professional support from these back-end (USB/Bluetooth) providers. Not being able to control the development of those, or to have no visibility to their evolution can be a limiting factor.

Other factor that I can think of is protected music. I don't suppose the world will ever see a Linux client decoding any digitally encrypted content. Legally that is. Let's hope Nokia get's rid of DRM soon.

I dunno, with some limited features, would Ovi Suite even be forgiven for some of it's early bugs if there would be a Linux version available?

I really need software for linux

At the moment the only reason that makes me have a wasted partition with WinXP on a laptop is the possibility to update phone firmware.
Up to now my interest is mainly for firmware upgrades, contacts and calendar syncing and Nokia Maps, but I would really appreciate a fully functional suite like the one that "windows people" have. As someone stated before, I think that an approach like Opera will be good.
Personally I use Gentoo Linux on a 64bit architecture.

Me too

+1 for whoever started this topic

I'm an OpenSuSE user (x64) (occasionally Ubuntu as well) and would like a proper way of connecting my phone to my PC (when will people learn that PC means Personal Computer, not Windows box).

My priorities would be
1) NSU
2) Backups
3) Sync (not just contacts & calendar)
4) DEVELOPER TOOLS!!!!!! - you're omitting one of the most innovative development communities out there by withholding the tools we need to make you guys REALLY big.
5) (although unrelated to OVI suite) Files on OVI - I can't believe it's windows only.

All of your software (including developer tools) is based on Linux applications (QT, Eclipse, GCC, etc), so why not? - is your dev team afraid to join the 21st century?

And if it's a USB driver you're needing - ask the Linux kernel developers, they have publicly stated that they will make any driver needed - FREE OF CHARGE (and they will operate under any NDAs required).

P.S. Syncing contacts and calendar can already be done with multisync, but my 5800XM seems to randomly move the SyncML channel around, so it needs some configuraton every time i use it.

Anyone wanting to know how

Anyone wanting to know how to set up multisync to sync their phone with evolution - look at http://betalabs.nokia.com/forum/topic/3565

Geotagged photos!

Distribution: Ubuntu.

Features: I like the online sync to Ovi. The ONLY reason I have windows installed is for Nokia apps. The main reason I need Nokia apps is the photos.

Not needed:
Calendar/contacts: Sync over the net, direct from phone to google (goosync) and ovi. I'd like it if I didn't have to use goosync, but the gmail/google calendar link is so easy and convenient
Music: 3rd party music manager is fine
App install: Should all be via ovi store, shouldn't it? That or you can just copy the file across and install from phone.

NEEDED:
Photos: The geotagging/commenting on photos is fantastic, and it's not realistic to sync them straight online. This is a key need!
Other: Of course you also need to be able to upgrade firmware and backup your phone.

Proprietary software fully supported in Ubuntu and Linux Mint

Probably the main reason for making software for Windows and Mac is that they contain proprietary software.
Linux systems use generally open source.
On Ubuntu the proprietary software feature can be enabled.
Linux Mint (ubuntu based) has is automatically enabled in main version.

Ubuntu users, try Mint

Nokia should support Linux.

Nokia should support Linux.

yes! linux version please!

nokia should support linux, or i will switch android..

+1 for Linux support

This goes for all Ovi services including Ovi Maps!

+1 Need a linux support.

+1 Need a linux support.

I also need Linux Support !

Thanks for reading, i would love you to support Ubuntu Linux

Plz do it quickly i hate Windows Vista !

Linux version is needed

I need Linux support for Debian and Ubuntu (I use 32bit and 64bit x86 versions).

edit:

Needed features for me are:
* Software update for phones
* Data backup (contacts, calendar, tasks, notes, user files etc.)

Extra features I would probably use:
* Synchronicing calendar, contacts, tasks etc. between phone and e.g. Evolution
* Tool for photo and video management and ovi.com connectivity
* Maps tool for map downloading etc
* Music tool for Nokia Music store

Linux support should be high priority

Obviously a lot of Linux users have purchased your phones, and it seems wrong to ignore them. Not to mention the fact that such a port would be fairly straight-forward, you wouldn't even actually need a USB driver, the application could use direct access through things like libusb, which would make it possible to reuse a lot of the code from the Windows version for talking to the device, and the Bluetooth interface *is* standardized at this point, and backward compatibility would be available if it ever did change too much. Having looked at a lot of the code, and directly worked with some of it, it's not difficult to write for. And the interface wouldn't be difficult using either the WINE libraries or Qt. Please do at least give Linux users some hope that this will be worked on.

Just recompilation so hard??????????

OVI suite is made using QT framework which is now owned by Nokia.
The main advantage of QT framework is cross platform development.
Why recompilation for Linux is so hard.
Who will use QT framework If owners themselves don't believe in it??????

Qt is great

Hi varunmagical, we don't have any problems in combiling Nokia Ovi Suite UI into Mac or Linux versions. BUT: underlaying connectivity solution (database sw, drivers, sync adapters etc), which we use for connecting Nokia Ovi Suite UI into phone, is not made with Qt and as such, aren't portable into LInux straight away.

This prevents us from just making Nokia Ovi Suite work in Linux.
--
Samuli

Linux Ovi suite

I would love to have a fast, lightweight, client to sync my N97 with my linux computer. If the Ovi client/suite is as bloated and buggy as the beta windows version, I don't think I want it.

The Ovi suite is very pretty, I don't care about pretty, I care about speed and stability. Ovi doesn't have either.

Also, it shouldn't require a 1GHz box with 2GB ram to run Ovi smoothly.

Saylinen - regarding your

Saylinen - regarding your statement "underlaying connectivity solution (database sw, drivers, sync adapters etc), which we use for connecting Nokia Ovi Suite UI into phone, is not made with Qt and as such, aren't portable into LInux straight away."

Ok, i think i've mentioned this before, but the drivers issue isn't actually an issue - read this: http://www.kerneltrap.org/node/7636 - basically, the Linux driver people will do it for free (and it'll be properly done and stable).

Sync adapters isn't much of an issue either - there's multisync (http://multisync.sourceforge.net) and kitchensync - i don't know about kitchensync, but multisync is stable and works for contacts/calendar syncing over bluetooth (if there were USB drivers, then it'd do that as well).

Database sw - I'd assume you're using am XML based database as that seems to be the current standard - look at http://xerces.apache.org/xerces-c/ for the XML parser.

Please don't become a creative labs and try (I'll say try, even though creative failed miserably) to make your own drivers - you'll probably find you've wasted (up to) a couple of years development time developing a driver that causes a kernel panic after about 30 seconds and is impossible to fix (a la creative's X-Fi drivers), then pass the buck to someone else (who in creative's case created a driver from bad GPL'ed code - without the use of hardware and datasheets).

BTW: If you're looking for a developer with Linux experience - I'm looking for work.

OVI Linux

Ok, as we see, the number of people interested in OVI for GNU/Linux platform is growing. Many people I know decide not to buy Nokia smartphones only because there is no proper support on GNU/Linux. However even this fact won't stop these people from standing in line for the new n900 or which you call it, Maemo tablet. The main reason they want this phone is that they would be able to do anything they want with the software on it.

Why don't you go open source with OVI suite? I guess the experience with Maemo proves, that things get faster, as soon as a large community of skillful people is gathered. There certainly are a lot of people, who are able to contribute to the project. No doubt those people are willing to help with all the underlying solutions. And I am one of those people.

Guys, please, do your homework or simply go open source! It's 21-st century out there...

--Best regards
teo.montekki

Ovi linux

I am totally agree with a previous post. Can't see why we have no support for linux if windows and mac exists, and all Qt stuff.

Ovi Linux

I am a Ubuntu Remix user and would love Nokia to start developing Linux versions of important tools such as Ovi suite and yes Maps too. As Nokia has entered into the Netbook arena and Remix is a solid contender for desktop OS, we need to pull our heads out of our 4th point of contact and see what the rest of the world has seen. Open Source!!

+1 to Linux version

+1

please take linux support seriously

I also would like to add for support for linux. Windows has grown too resource hungry just for the os. My current ubuntu runs fine using up only 400 mb of ram. My xp with 3g of ram wasn't enough. I've gone full linux ubuntu and have no windows pc running. ↲↲The most important things required as a typical user right now would be 1. Software upgrade/backup 2. Contacts sync. 3. Maps uploader. ↲↲
There are plenty of music and photo programs to manage itself.There will be a great growth of linux users due to the cost of windows software and the cost of resources it requires eg ram space cpu supporting hardware.↲Thanks and lets hope you do support linux as i've been a nokia user and fan for the last 9 years. Thankfully now my 5800 can do fota Updates and online ovi sync if not i'd probably need to borrow someone's windows pc to update. ↲Cheers

With Linux as a primary

Nokia has adopted Linux for it's high end platform (N900 and future Meamo devices), so it's a real shame to see lack of Linux support in Ovi Suite 2.0.

As far as I'm aware, phonet driver has been in Linux kernel for a while, so there's nothing stopping you from developing Linux connectivity components (and frankly it must be already done - otherwise N900 wouldn't be able to connect to Windows client right?).

So personally I think it's more political than technological problem here (maybe Nokia has some kind of deal with Microsoft not to support other platforms?).

If you don't want to develop Linux/Mac clients, please open up Ovi Suite 2.0 API and community members develop all needed components for you (see projects like gnokii), so all you would have to do, is to recompile your lovely QT app (hey, no excuses here :)) to work on all platforms.

I think the difficulties

I think the difficulties will be in the system near software parts as "internet connectivity" as linux distributions are not very consistent in this topics.

But, anyway, there HAS to be a linux version supporting the phones from a company that will be a modern internet-oriented service provier.

+1 for Linux support

another one waiting for Linux Support.

Linux support

For a company raising a new product based on Linux and not denieing this, there HAS TO BE also linux pc-software.

the linux users have waited long enough for a pc-software fully supporting all features of recent nokia-phones.

we need all the features the windows-version has.

especiallay we need pim (adressbook, calender,...) sync with linux pim-applications like gnome's "evolution" und kde's "kontact".

i would buy the new n900 if it had linux-software-support.

and technically there shouldn't be too much problems because QT comes from linux!

and there should be enough and good linux-developers at nokia, who else could have done the maemo-based N900????

so PLEASE make a Nokia Ovi Suite linux version!

i whould like a version for openSUSE (64Bit AND 32Bit), because this is what i use.

One more +1 ...

I choosed N97 as the only "somewhat compact" terminal wich could support an handy remote terminal for sysadmin tasks (ie: with the keyboard outside of the screen), a lot of admins like me do like it for the same reason, and a bunch of them only run Linux on their WS. This shows a typical professional need for Linux support.
Moreover, we used to find here or there some usefull applications such as gnokii or gammu, wich where (third party) coded *for* Nokia symbian phones, and "almost should have work" for some other symbian based phones ... these worked perfectly with my previous Sony Ericsson W810i, but no way to use them with my N97 :/
If support for linux is not in the direct path, could Nokia release some informations about the protocols changes, in order for the free software comunity to implement it in already released software ?