Click here to learn
about this Sponsor:
Home  |  News  |  Articles  |  Polls  |  Forum

Keywords: Match:
Tutorial sounds alarm for Nokia tablets
Aug. 27, 2008

IBM's DeveloperWorks has published another tutorial by author Peter Seebach on developing for Linux-based Nokia Internet Tablets. The latest tutorial offers a command line program and related tips to ease the process of setting alarms on the Nokia N810 (pictured at left).

Seebach's article, "Linux on board: Developing for the Nokia N810; Put the alarm API to work," follows up on his previous Nokia Internet Tablet tutorials, including his January post on setting up a webcam application for the N800. The alarm tutorial examines the C-language API to the alarm interface, and offers an interface to make the API available to shell scripts or programs in other languages.

Peter Seebach

Introduced for the N800 in Maemo 3.0, the alarm API presents a set of calls to interact with the alarm daemon, thereby configuring the behavior of a scheduled notification. The three main types of alarm tasks include displaying messages, running programs, and sending messages over the D-Bus to other applications. This tutorial, however, skips over the more complex D-Bus part of the interface.

Alarms are stored as XML in the "moderately human-readable" /var/lib/alarmd/alarm_queue.xml files, writes Seebach. "You can get a lot of insight into the components of alarm event structures by creating events using other applications, then reading the XML stored in this file," he adds.

Each alarm has an initial time, a setting for how often it should recur, and a number of times to recur, he explains. Alarms are reported as sounds, pictures, or text messages. Although he finds the API "very flexible," it cannot handle complex tasks such as factoring in Daylight Savings Time shifts for a weekly meeting.

Seebach then shows how to control alarm behavior with simple boolean flags, and also supplies code for letting users time their wakeup alarms prior to an event. He shows how to use the getopt() function for handling most command-line arguments, and then describes how to parse both the time specifier and an optional message, which includes any remaining arguments. After the event structure is filled in, a few lines of code are supplied to hand the structure off to the alarm API.

Working around the "quirks"

Seebach then goes into the API's various quirks, offering workarounds for each. For example, he shows how to avoid problems with using the default title, as well as another one involving a flag "to not display a dialog for the event." He also provides workarounds for sound file and command execution quirks.

Seebach concludes with a strong recommendation that developers make use of the API and not try to reinvent the wheel. "Some applications for the N810 (and N800) do their own alarm management; this seems like a poor choice," he writes. "Take the few minutes to learn the alarm API and use it. It will save you time, and integrate better with other programs that need to set alarms."

Peter Seebach's full IBM DeveloperWorks tutorial, "Linux on board: Developing for the Nokia N810; Put the alarm API to work," should be available here.



Related Stories:


(Click here for further information)


FUEL Database on MontaVista Linux
Whether building a mobile handset, a car navigation system, a package tracking device, or a home entertainment console, developers need capable software systems, including an operating system, development tools, and supporting libraries, to gain maximum benefit from their hardware platform and to meet aggressive time-to-market goals.

Breaking New Ground: The Evolution of Linux Clustering
With a platform comprising a complete Linux distribution, enhanced for clustering, and tailored for HPC, Penguin Computing¿s Scyld Software provides the building blocks for organizations from enterprises to workgroups to deploy, manage, and maintain Linux clusters, regardless of their size.

Data Monitoring with NightStar LX
Unlike ordinary debuggers, NightStar LX doesn¿t leave you stranded in the dark. It¿s more than just a debugger, it¿s a whole suite of integrated diagnostic tools designed for time-critical Linux applications to reduce test time, increase productivity and lower costs. You can debug, monitor, analyze and tune with minimal intrusion, so you see real execution behavior. And that¿s positively illuminating.

Virtualizing Service Provider Networks with Vyatta
This paper highlights Vyatta's unique ability to virtualize networking functions using Vyatta's secure routing software in service provider environments.

High Availability Messaging Solution Using AXIGEN, Heartbeat and DRBD
This white paper discusses a high-availability messaging solution relying on the AXIGEN Mail Server, Heartbeat and DRBD. Solution architecture and implementation, as well as benefits of using AXIGEN for this setup are all presented in detail.

Understanding the Financial Benefits of Open Source
Will open source pay off? Open source is becoming standard within enterprises, often because of cost savings. Find out how much of a financial impact it can have on your organization. Get this methodology and calculator now, compliments of JBoss.

Embedded Hardware and OS Technology Empower PC-Based Platforms
The modern embedded computer is the jack of all trades appearing in many forms.

Data Management for Real-Time Distributed Systems
This paper provides an overview of the network-centric computing model, data distribution services, and distributed data management. It then describes how the SkyBoard integration and synchronization service, coupled with an implementation of the OMG¿s Data Distribution Service (DDS) standard, can be used to create an efficient data distribution, storage, and retrieval system.

7 Advantages of D2D Backup
For decades, tape has been the backup medium of choice. But, now, disk-to-disk (D2D) backup is gaining in favor. Learn why you should make the move in this whitepaper.

 


Got a HOT tip?   please tell us!
Free weekly newsletter
Enter your email...
Click here for a profile of each sponsor:
PLATINUM SPONSORS
(Become a sponsor)

ADVERTISEMENT
(Advertise here)

Check out the latest Linux powered...

Mobile phones!

MIDs, UMPCs
& tablets

Mobile devices

Other cool
gadgets



BREAKING NEWS

• Nokia alludes to Linux phone plans
• Linux music phone boasts stereo mini-jack
• Nokia spins open Linux home automation gateway
• Qseven module sports Atom
• Open source phone gains "fat" distro
• Android phone launches in China
• Microsoft to bake own phone?
• Tux cashes in on paint
• Linux ported to iPhone
• Blockbuster box runs Linux
• Palm Pilot VM for Linux updated
• Linux-focused smartphone vendor announces cuts
• GCC for kernel hackers
• Linux powers free-to-air (FTA) satellite box
• Linux services firm hires MontaVista exec


Most popular stories -- past 90 days:
• Open source phone goes mass-market
• Tinest Linux system, yet?
• Garmin Nav devices run Gnome Linux
• ARM9 board boots Debian in 0.69 seconds
• Low-cost laptop runs Linpus Linux
• Linux-friendly Beagle fetches $150
• Mini Linux PC breaks $100 barrier
• Open source camera records geotagged video to SATA HDD
• Open set-top box ships
• First $100 laptop runs Linux


DesktopLinux headlines:
• Linux gains FPS
• Ubuntu tops on desktop, but not servers
• Browser swallows OS
• Tutorial reveals desktop Linux security tips
• Fedora 10 first impressions
• 8,000 TuxTop models and counting
• "Moonlight" ready to shine
• Adobe unleashes 64-bit Flash
• Debian Lenny installer arrives
• Ubuntu announces ARM port


Also visit our sister site:


Sign up for LinuxDevices.com's...

news feed

Home  |  News  |  Articles  |  Polls  |  Forum  |  About  |  Contact
 

Ziff Davis Enterprise Home | Contact Us | Advertise | Link to Us | Reprints | Magazine Subscriptions | Newsletters
Tech RSS Feeds | White Papers | ROI Calculators | Tech Podcasts | Tech Video | VARs | Channel News

Baseline | Careers | Channel Insider | CIO Insight | DesktopLinux | DeviceForge | DevSource | eSeminars |
eWEEK | Enterprise Network Security | LinuxDevices | Linux Watch | Microsoft Watch | Mid-market | Networking | PDF Zone |
Publish | Security IT Hub | Strategic Partner | Web Buyer's Guide | Windows for Devices

Developer Shed | Dev Shed | ASP Free | Dev Articles | Dev Hardware | SEO Chat | Tutorialized | Scripts |
Code Walkers | Web Hosters | Dev Mechanic | Dev Archives | igrep

Use of this site is governed by our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Except where otherwise specified, the contents of this site are copyright © 1999-2008 Ziff Davis Enterprise Holdings Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Ziff Davis Enterprise is prohibited. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.