Nokia N800 /N810 "safe" mode

[Andyjenk]

It seems to me that if you could start up the N800 in a "safe" mode by a "button" combination so that only the applet selection and application removal programs ran, then any program which caused the tablet to "freeze" could easily be removed. This would remove a lot of the worry of newbies like me that I might easily turn my useful toy into an expensive brick (which I may have done with OMWeather!).
Is there such a thing already? Is there another way to remove a killer Application which has frozen the tablet?Failing that, is it possible and does anyone fancy having a go?

Andy

[BrentDC]

It seems to me that if you could start up the N800 in a "safe" mode by a "button" combination so that only the applet selection and application removal programs ran, then any program which caused the tablet to "freeze" could easily be removed. This would remove a lot of the worry of newbies like me that I might easily turn my useful toy into an expensive brick (which I may have done with OMWeather!).
Is there such a thing already? Is there another way to remove a killer Application which has frozen the tablet?Failing that, is it possible and does anyone fancy having a go?

Andy

I think when you're in a dire situation, you should try to reflash it.

[Andyjenk]

My point is that you shouln't need to re-flash just because an application is buggy. You should just need to stop that application running. A recent bug in OMWeather meant that it caused the tablet to freeze. Some owners had time before it started up to deselect it. Others, like me, find that there isn't quite enough time. If there was a mode where it didn't run, then we could deselect it at leisure. Re-flashing strikes me as using a sledgehammer to crack a nut in this instance.

[yorker]

There is a mode called Red Pill mode that allows installing and uninstalling. You can search it up on Internettablettalk.com. I heard it can be dangerous using Red Pill mode unless you know what you're doing.

[yorker]

Can the N800 start up at all?

[BrentDC]

My point is that you shouln't need to re-flash just because an application is buggy. You should just need to stop that application running. A recent bug in OMWeather meant that it caused the tablet to freeze. Some owners had time before it started up to deselect it. Others, like me, find that there isn't quite enough time. If there was a mode where it didn't run, then we could deselect it at leisure. Re-flashing strikes me as using a sledgehammer to crack a nut in this instance.

I agree 100%. I'm fairly new to these devices myself, so maybe there is a safe mode - I don't know. Whenever I've had issues with Hildon Desktop it has automatically reset itself, I don't know if there is a way to have it do that after a boot per your instruction, though.

[Antoine Wright]

There is not a "safe mode" per say, but there is the Red Pill Mode (will explain how to do this in a bit) and a console (for debuigging).

It is very, very, very rare to have an application that you can install on the IT that will take down the system. The way that Linux (Unix and a few other operating systems) is designed a bad application would have to do some very nasty things to the kernal, or system level software, before it can cause you a major issue. This is not to say that some software will not do this - for example, installing alpha or beta level software carries this risk - the risk is dimished because of the way the Maemo Linux OS is designed.

How to do Red/Blue Pill Mode*
- Open the Application Manager
- Click Menu > Tools > Application Catalog
- Click New
- in the field labeled "Web Address" type the word 'matrix' (w/o the single quotes)
- Choose Red Pill or
- Choose Blue Pill

Following along with the movie, the Red Pill puts you in a mode where additional repositories, and system level functionality is unveiled. Choosing the Blue Pill gives you the normal - its hard to break the OS - mode.

I recommend - strongly recommend - not using Red Pill mode unless
(1) you have an issue installing an applicaiton that should install normally (I had this issue with the Rapier Bible Reader application)
(2) you are comfortable with digging into Linux on levels that mere mortals just aren't ready for but you are because Morpheus trained you (pun but serious, its a safe mode of sorts and messing in Red Pill mode can put you in a positoin where you need to reflash the OS to your Internet Tablet to get rolling).

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