How to take the Red-Pill and install more apps on the N900
The N900 (and the Maemo platform) allows the user to, for lack of a better word, “turbo-charge” the Application Manager by opening up a variety of advanced features locked away by default. Enabling them requires taking the “Red-Pill” so to speak. you can always opt for the “Blue-Pill” but c’mon, you only live once. 
So, to enable this mode, open the Application Manager and select Catalogs from the drop-down. This will show a list of catalogs
Tap “New” and type the word matrix in the ‘Web address’ field.
Now tap on the blurry region above the Catalogs window. This will bring up the “big choice”
Taking the Blue-Pill will put you back where you started. Taking the Red-Pill will unlock the new world and the Application Catalog will display new buttons like ‘Settings’ and ‘Install from File’
The Application Manager will now update if an internet-connection is available and display a whole lot more packages. These packages are not only useful for development purposes but also for advanced use.
NOTE: Just a word of caution. Enable this mode only if you feel comfortable with managing the advanced features. The chances of getting your phone bricked are high if you don’t know what you are doing. If you are willing to take the risk, good luck!
Popularity: 25%
November 19, 2009 - 4:09 pm
This is a really bad idea to suggest to people.
If you are an advanced user, use “apt-get install” or “dpkg -i” to install advanced stuff from the root prompt. If you don’t know how to use those things (and you aren’t willing to do some searching and figuring-out), you probably shouldn’t be in red pill mode. And if you do know how to use those things, you don’t need red pill mode.
So my complaint is that you’re showing kids how to take off the child-proof cap on the medicine. Someone’s going to get hurt.
If you want to try another risky, advanced technique, enable the Extras-devel repository (that’s the advanced, risky part) and install “appinstaller”, an app that lets you install a package from a file. Disable the Extras-devel repo after that, however…
Anyway, after blogging about this, you should probably post about how to reflash your device, next
November 19, 2009 - 4:11 pm
point taken , thanks for the comment
!
November 24, 2009 - 6:02 am
Wow, how terribly irresponsible this post is. A great example of why someof the new attention Maemo is gathering is a bad thing. Random bloggers jumping on the bandwagon and tellinhg users to try things for “more apps” without knowing or explaining the risks involved.
Like giving a three year old a chainsaw to cut his bread with.
November 24, 2009 - 10:49 am
@zerojay, thanks for the comment. I think its not proper to exercise censorship on this when Nokia has clearly provided an option to turn-on a feature that has been a tradition of the Internet Tablets.
Of course, people playing around with deb files are not going to be chainsaw wielding 3-year olds. Some advanced users have appreciated the information provided here. Maemo needs all the attention it can get. This is not a “bad thing”.
Moreover, as you know, the Red-Pill mode does not stick. it resets when the App Manager is restarted.
I will update the cautionary note.
November 28, 2009 - 6:30 am
Telling people to use a mode that they can easily brick their device with and lose all their data is plain stupid. It’s not censorship… it’s common sense!
It’s pretty clear that the authors of this post clearly have no idea what red pill mode even does.
Unless you are willing to be responsible for your readers losing their data and bricking their tablets, I would suggest you remove the post, especially since you don’t even need to use red pill mode to install all those apps anyways!
That’s why the extra attention isn’t always good. Because the people blogging don’t even fully understand things themselves before suggesting them to their readership.
November 28, 2009 - 9:24 am
“It’s pretty clear that the authors of this post clearly have no idea what red pill mode even does.”
What makes you so sure?
“Unless you are willing to be responsible for your readers losing their data and bricking their tablets, I would suggest you remove the post, especially since you don’t even need to use red pill mode to install all those apps anyways!”
The post sufficiently warns of the potential harm that can be caused. Therefore, I don’t feel responsible for their misjudgement. Moreover, it was never suggested that taking the Red-Pill is “needed” to install the apps. Any power user would know that. The post merely demonstrates the fact that there IS a way without using the command-line.
“Because the people blogging don’t even fully understand things themselves before suggesting them to their readership.”
Perhaps it would be better if you stop underestimating the users that are coming to the platform.
The post is meant for the curious user who wants to push the device and is willing to take risks without the fear of breaking the law.
November 30, 2009 - 6:10 am
To have full control of the N900 is by far the biggest feature. If you dont want to take the responsibility and the consequences of this you should use a device that is controlled by the manufacturer.
December 2, 2009 - 6:43 am
Don’t let ‘em get to ya – I think this is very helpful. As #7 said, if you can’t or don’t want to take the consequences and responsibility of such modes, you shouldn’t be using such a device.
The N900 is clearly not a device meant for people who just use their phones to call and send text messages.
December 5, 2009 - 11:22 pm
Excellent write up!
Some people just want to keep all the knowledge to themselves; they are not happy that YOU posted the red-pill.
It is pompous to assert that informing people of the red pi;; are alike showing kids how to open a bottle of pills.
The warnings are clear.
Those who do not want to share what they know should not discourage the rest!
December 12, 2009 - 10:04 pm
The problem comes when a noob comes to the Maemo forums with a thread called “My N900 not working anymore…”.
December 14, 2009 - 3:36 pm
So is the risk worth to take? I have no erlier knowledge of linux or maemo, do i have any use of the red pill?
I meen , what can i get out of it, except for a broken phone =D
January 28, 2010 - 4:57 pm
This only works on pre-PR1.1 firmware. Because of the nature it has been removed from the later versions of the firmware. You now need to use gainroot and dpkg -i to install from the terminal to have similar functionality.
February 1, 2010 - 1:03 am
thank you for this long explanation of this as i have no idea the possible harm of the red pill.
all i want to do is install fmms
and no clear instructions and senseless people tend to get me irritated with playin rushin roulette with my brand new 550$ n900 when they dunno what they are doin.
i tried to use just the dpkg -i to install on xterminal but got the message requested
operation requires superuser privilege
so im assuming once i get gain root on here then i can do this?
please someone email me @
erkk@ovi.com so i know for sure.
February 1, 2010 - 1:04 am
on new firmware also for reference purpose on this issue. thanks
February 12, 2010 - 3:46 am
@Erkk, fMMS is in the extras-devel repository which should be used by advanced users only. It seems that you are not privy to the command line so I would highly recommend you don’t install it until it appears in Extras.
That being said, it seems you are trying to install a .deb file. Why? You can install the extras-devel repository and then click-install fMMS from the Application Manager. Proceed with caution otherwise you will find yourself reading up documentation on updating the firmware!
February 14, 2010 - 4:55 pm
i figured it out guess repositories was not in my catalog along with a few others i added for testing and what not. got it working on at&5 mms also. works great gotta manual connect but still lets me know before in push message.
February 14, 2010 - 4:56 pm
at&t not at&5 lol