How to get root password or R&D mode for the Nokia N800?
 

Hi,

I just got my Nokia N800 and I really like it. I got xterm running on it, but no root account access. Even a 'sudo su' a la Ubuntu does still ask for a password. And 'su' answers: 'this requiers root account'.

What is the root password on the N800? I read somewhere that in the research and development mode you have automatic root access. How do I start the device in this mode?

I also read that there is a way to install an application called something like 'rootme' or 'gimmeroot' via USB to then flash the device and get a root access. But surely there must be something simpler which the N800 developers created to get root?!

Many thanks,

VS

The easiest way I've found is to enable red pill mode, install ssh. You can then ssh into the machine as root (password 'rootme') and set the password to something secure.

I read about the red pill mode and it works fine, however, can I ssh from the N800 into itself, or do I need an external machine to do so?

How about the R&D mode? Can launch it at bootime?

You should be able to ssh to yourself - never tried on the N800, but there's no reason it shouldn't work.

I no longer have access to the N800, but I was under the impression that you have to re-flash to exit R&D mode.

ok. did it. here is, just to confirm, the simple solution:

1) install xterm
2) install dropbear (a ssh client and server)
3) do: and enter the password "rootme"

4) then do: and enter the new secure password.

HTH,

VS

FWIW OpenSSH also works nicely on the N800. BTW, if you haven't seen the N800 yet:

http://www.theinternetwalk.com/linuxquestions

--jeremy

Jeremy and macemoneta,

Have you ever succeeded in installing an ogg-capable player on the N800? If yes, which one and where did you get it?

Thanks,

V

I personally did not, but there are apparently multiple ways to get it working. You can try this player, more details here. There are also gstreamer plugins in development, which you can find via Google.

I've been 'round Linux before but I can't claim to be a well seasoned sys admin. I've been trying to install OpenSSH from the installer provided on maemo.org but it seems that the binaries are missing from their repository. I would love to install dropbear but I'll be damned if I can figure out how without using apt-get, which doesn't work because I don't have root access :scratch:

Would anyone care to help out a bit of a noob and give me a little hand holding. All my tricks I usually use on my "grown-up" Linux machines (rpm, apt-get, yum) don't work on this little fella so I'm at a loss.

Thanks in advance...

You should be able to install either of those from the application manager, once you add the appropriate repo.

--jeremy

Yup, I upgraded to the newest distro of the 2007 OS (I was still running the oldest version) and updated the repo list and there was dropbear, right in the App Manager. Installed the client and server and everything is working great. Now I just have to figure out how to shoehorn Asterisk and a decent non-Gizmo softphone on this thing ;-)

Problem un-packaging
 

I tried to install antiword, but the package I downloaded couldnt be upackage due to a different architecture program (anybody ever hear of armel? I thought it was supposed to be arm).

I followed the instructions aboce, logged into the Nokia n800 root, and tried to unpackage it there till I was told the above message.
Does anyone have an up to date location of antiword (and doc reader) where I can download? Once I get this working my n800 will be perfect.

Thanks and gig em!
-hunterlj

can anyone pls guide me to do the same in(root access) Motorola A1200.

Once you have SSHd in as root, you can then:

vi /etc/sudoers
Press i to insert
Add a new line: user ALL = NOPASSWD: /bin/ash
Press escape
Type :wq

Then when you are in the terminal as 'user', you can switch to root with 'sudo ash'

Actually it's as easy as this: