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OffTopic > Nokia Communicator 9300, Series 80 Hacking/Programming?

#141359 - NorQue - Mon Sep 24, 2007 3:28 pm

Hello GBADev community,

I am currently considering buying a Nokia Communicator 9300i cellphone. It's quite cheap (goes for 150-200 EUR at Ebay) but still has most of the functionality of a decent Smartphone I want (minus UMTS, but at least it has WLAN).

Now, since this is a Handheld device I thought, why not ask the knowledgeable folks at GBADev if anyone knows if there's a somewhat similar community for this device? Are there any websites dedicated to programming software for it? Any documentation Wikis? Toolchain projects like Devkitpro?

Because on my own search I couldn't find anything really helpful, except some kind of Basic clone and a few freeware sites that looked more like generic linkdumps than software ressources. And from what I gathered at this Review it desperately needs a better media player, for example.

Any hints (even google searches ;) ) welcome, as the lack of a homebrew community would be a serious letdown for me. I've found a Doom source port, so there has to exist at least a C Compiler somewhere.

#141361 - keldon - Mon Sep 24, 2007 5:21 pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbian_OS

Unless I'm getting it wrong, phones with that OS are easy to develop for; I'm sure my P800 was on the same OS.

#141373 - NorQue - Mon Sep 24, 2007 8:18 pm

Especially the "Developing on Symbian OS" section of that Article was extremely helpful, thank you very much! :D

Nokia seems to provide everything (documentation, tools) via the Carbide Homepage. Its forums seem to be very prolific and helpful on the first look.

#141380 - tepples - Mon Sep 24, 2007 8:57 pm

But you may want to check with your network operator to see what restrictions it places on the phone, and check with the seller to see what restrictions the seller's network operator placed on the phone. Some phones are configured to require that all applications be signed by someone who has paid $200 per year to a certificate authority. There is a special process for freeware, but I don't know whether such a process is compatible with some of the requirements of some copyleft licenses, such as the "Installation Information" requirement of the GNU GPL.
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#141382 - gauauu - Mon Sep 24, 2007 9:05 pm

tepples wrote:
.... but I don't know whether such a process is compatible with some of the requirements of some copyleft licenses, such as the "Installation Information" requirement of the GNU GPL.


Not sure about that particular requirement, but the page you linked to about the process for freeware specifically mentions that GPL applications can be included.

#141388 - NorQue - Mon Sep 24, 2007 9:56 pm

Wow, that PDF about the signing process was ridiculously long! 56 pages just to explain how to get your application signed.

Couldn't find any information on the page itself which versions of SymbianOS this applies to, but according to Wikipedia it is SymbianOS 9.x only. Nokia 9300/i utilizes 8.1, so I hope I'm on the safe side.

German network operators usually don't simlock cellphones when you get them together with a contract, with Vodafone being the exception from the rule. As long as I stay away from the Vodafone brand everything should work out fine.

#141409 - tepples - Tue Sep 25, 2007 2:24 am

NorQue wrote:
German network operators usually don't simlock cellphones when you get them together with a contract

An operator can subsidy-lock phones to a network or to an individual SIM. It can also cripple features of the phone, such as which sources of audio files may play as ringtones, or which things an unsigned program is allowed to do and which root certificates it may accept. It can do one without the other.

Quote:
with Vodafone being the exception from the rule. As long as I stay away from the Vodafone brand everything should work out fine.

Unless you live or work in a geographic area where Vodafone has the best coverage. In the United States, Verizon Wireless has the best coverage, but it's also the most lock-happy and cripple-happy operator, especially because its phones are "CDMA" (IS-95 or IS-2000) and a lot of them run BREW OS.
_________________
-- Where is he?
-- Who?
-- You know, the human.
-- I think he moved to Tilwick.