Rotation
Rotation allows you to change the screen orientation between landscape and portrait to all 4 cardinal directions. You may wish to do this to better view a long page of text, allow for easier left-handed operation, for easier reading of certain websites, or a variety of other purposes.
Unfortunately, rotation support isn't bundled with Maemo even though the tablets support hardware screen rotation. Fortunately, installing the necessary packages for rotation support is a relatively easy process.
Contents |
Installing
First, make sure you know what you're doing! Although the steps outlined here are easy to follow and mostly safe, you are working with important system files, and a careless misstep could leaving you in need of a reflash.
These instructions only work for Diablo, and specifically version 5.2008.43-7, so make sure your system is completely up-to-date, and make sure Extras is enabled. You'll be installing the Advanced Backlight utility, which contains the rotation control. To begin, you will need to get root access, open XTerm and become root. (To enable root access, install root from here: http://maemo.org/downloads/product/OS2008/rootsh/ After that, in XTerm just type "sudo gainroot" without the parantheses to get root access.)
There are three slightly different sets of packages for the N800, N810 and N810 WiMax Edition, so follow the appropriate steps for your device.
N800
Run this command in XTerm as root:
apt-get install advanced-backlight osso-software-version-rx34-unlocked
N810
Run this command in XTerm as root:
apt-get install advanced-backlight osso-software-version-rx44-unlocked
N810W
Successfully tested on n810 WM with 5.2008.43-7.
Run this command in XTerm as root:
apt-get install advanced-backlight osso-software-version-rx48-unlocked
For all devices
Successfully tested on n810 WM with 5.2008.43-7.
After following the appropriate steps for your device, continue and run:
maemo-mini-curl -o kernel-diablo-flasher_2.6.21-200842maemo1rotationfast_all.deb http://outpo.st/rotate/kernel-diablo-flasher_2.6.21-200842maemo1rotationfast_all.deb maemo-mini-curl -o xserver-xomap_1.3.99.0~git20070321-0osso20083801rotation_armel.deb http://outpo.st/rotate/xserver-xomap_1.3.99.0~git20070321-0osso20083801rotation_armel.deb dpkg -i kernel-diablo-flasher_2.6.21-200842maemo1rotationfast_all.deb xserver-xomap_1.3.99.0~git20070321-0osso20083801rotation_armel.deb
Once it finishes loading (it will take a minute), press enter to complete the proccess. Reboot, make sure Advanced Backlight is enabled (Control panel -> Panels -> Status bar) and rotate using the selection in Advanced Backlight from your status bar.