Testing this on my Pre2 running #webOS 2.2.4 and works fine, so far :)

See the forum thread here, check out the #1 post, then follow the detail steps below:
1. Download luna.conf.patch for webOS 2.x from Arthur Thornton (on that #1 post)
3. Download VKB-1.1.4.zip (also on that #1 post, depending on your webOS version)
4. Install luna.conf.patch to your Pre 2 using webOS Quick Install



5. Unzip VKB-1.1.4.zip, you've got VKB.sh and send that file to your Pre 2 (e.g to /media/internal)



6. Accessing linux in your Pre 2 using webOS Quick Install or novaterm through Windows Command Prompt / Linux Terminal
7. Go to /media/internal directory: # cd /media/internal
8. Run this command: # VKB.sh -patch
9. Your Pre 2 will boot automatically
10. You've got the Virtual Keyboard by swiping up from gesture area

You can see the source of this blogpost here. I just re-write on my blogpost according to my own experience, trials and errors :)

I assume that you already have all requirement to connect to your TouchPad (Palm SDK, Linux Access, etc.)

Here's what you have to do:
1. Check the actual space used by /media/internal, write down or take screenshot

# df -h | grep internal

 2. Disconnect cryptofs

# pkill -SIGUSR1 cryptofs

3. Unmount /media/internal

# umount /media/internal

4. Verifying you have clean filesystem, before resizing (in my case, there are differences between boot sector and its backup, but I just choose 'no action' )

# /usr/sbin/fsck.vfat /dev/mapper/store-media

5. Verify how much space used by /media/internal

# lvscan | grep media

6. Decide and take space allocated for ext3fs partition (I took 2GB ext3fs partition for DebianChroot, so I resize /dev/mapper/store-media became 10.64G, from 12.64G)

# resizefat /dev/mapper/store-media 10.64G

8. Use free 2G partition to make ext3fs partition

# lvcreate -l 100%FREE -n ext3fs store

9. Format the partition with ext3 filesystem

# mkfs.ext3 /dev/mapper/store-ext3fs

10. Make the filesystem writable

# mount -o remount,rw /

11. Make mount directory

# mkdir /media/ext3fs

12. Add a line in /etc/fstab to automount ext3fs partition on boot up

# echo "/dev/mapper/store-ext3fs /media/ext3fs auto noatime 0 0" >> /etc/fstab

13. Make the filesystem back to read-only

# mount -o remount,ro /

14. Reboot

# reboot

That's it! And I'm pretty sure that you can apply this to any webOS devices :)

Recently I've got a problem with SSL certificate for outgoing mail server on my Palm Pre. Here's what the error look like:


I looked around in the internet to find a solutions, then I found this page (forgot about the link, but I'm certain that was Palm Support page) that says mail server's certificate should be in X.509 (CER) file format:


Already asked System Administrator to send me the file, but it takes too long. So initiatively I look another way to provide the certificate file myself, and I can do it using openssl command in Ubuntu Linux (You can use openssl in Windows as well). First, I create a script that generate the certificate I need from mail server, name the file any name you want (you can see in the script I used retrieve-cert.sh):

#!/bin/sh
#
# usage: retrieve-cert.sh remote.host.name [port]
#
REMHOST=$1
REMPORT=${2:-443}

echo |\
openssl s_client -connect ${REMHOST}:${REMPORT} 2>&1 |\
sed -ne '/-BEGIN CERTIFICATE-/,/-END CERTIFICATE-/p'

Add execute (+x) on file properties, then run the files:

$ chmod + retrieve-cert.sh
$ ./retrieve-cert.sh mail.server.hostname 465 >> coid.cer

As you can see, I'm adding '>> mycert.cer' to save the results directly to mycert.cer file, at the command above. Sure I can add this to the script, but this way I can generate any file name I want :)

Then, you must convert that .cer file into X.509 format:

$ openssl x509 -in coid.cer -out coidx509.cer

And you're finish. You can send coidx509.cer file via email that already setup on your Pre, or you can transfer it via USB mode and open it using Internalz.

When you tap on that file, Certificates Manager window will open and ask what do you want to do with it:


Just tap on 'Trust Certificate'. If you want to see it later, open 'Device Info' on your launcher, then tap drop-down menu on top left, tap on 'Certificate Manager...'


That's it. I setup my mail account once again, and sure it can sent email without any error :)

Once, I had a difficulty to put my Pre in USB Update Mode. The usual way to turn off the device then turn it on again by holding down volume up button and power button didn't work. So I search the internet for any clue, and I found it here.

These what you need to do:
a. Connect the USB cable to the AC charger, then into a working outlet
b. Turn off your webOS device
c. Remove and reinsert the battery
d. Press and hold volume up button, and connect your USB cable (which already connected to AC charger and working outlet) to the device

Note: You can press and hold R key as an alternative to volume up button

e. Release the volume up button (or R key),  when the screen showing large USB icon







f. run webOS Doctor

I've tried this and it works. Hope this works for you, as well :)

If you haven't know yet, there's an update for Google Maps on your webOS smartphone (Pre, Pixi, Veer), not to another version, but to BingMaps, which is the Maps apps pre-installed in TouchPad.

Like the HP Palm Blog says, you just open App Catalog and download Maps apps from there in order to update your Google Maps.

I did that myself, and not too long after that I decided to get my old Google Maps back. So I open up webOS doctor file and look for Maps application. With the help from #webos-internals on freenode, I found it under /usr/palm/applications in com.palm.app.maps folder. So I re-package it using IPK Packager from Jason Robbitaile.

After deleting Maps apps, I installing this file using webOS Quick Install (wOSQI), again from Jason, and I've got my Google Maps back :)

I don't really like the HP logo on my Pre 2, so I decided to change it back to original Palm logo (anyway, the touchstone backcover still have "palm" in it, so it will suite well :D ).

Here's what I did:
1. Download the Meta-Doctor file for Pre 2 from here
2. Choose version 2.1.0 (according to my recent webOS version on my device
3. Copying the file on downloads folder under meta-doctor directory
4. From meta-doctor directory, I did this command:

# make DEVICE=pre2 CARRIER=wr VERSION=2.1.0 DISABLE_UPLOAD_DAEMON=1 CUSTOM_BOOTLOGO=scripts/WebOS-Internals.tga EXT3FS_PARTITION_SIZE=4GB clobber all

I think it's obvious: Pre2 as my device, carrier is world ready (wr), version 2.1.0, disabling uploading any log to HP/Palm server, I already put my "palm" image for BootLogo and CUSTOM_BOOTLOGO parameter retrieve it, and last but not least, I'm making 4GB dedicated EXT3FS partition.




That's it, for placing Luna boot logo parts.. I'll write another blogpost :)

I just quote this post from here, you can also take a look my previous blogpost about backup/ restore #webOS device:

"In webOS 2.0, the App Launcher was totally rewritten.  As a result, the locations of your application icons may not be reloaded correctly upon upgrading your profile to webOS 2.0.  While the Save/Restore Launcher script is compatible with webOS 2.0, it will not be able to restore the launcher data if it was originally saved from webOS 1.x.  While you will manually have to rearrange your launcher icons, this process may be made easier if you made screenshots of your App Launcher or you still have your original webOS 1.x device in Airplane mode. Also, when rearranging large numbers of icons, it may also be helpful to use the new Rearrange Launcher Pages functionality in webOS 2.0 to prevent the need to move across multiple launcher pages"

Note that once you update to webOS 2.0 or higher, your profile will no longer be able to be loaded onto a webOS 1.x device.

Once again @webosinternals has something incredibly amazing. With the tools called Impostah, installed from Preware, it is possible to activating brand new unlocked GSM Pre 2 (actually this is also works for other #webOS device like Veer and Pre 3) to have Global App Catalog Access. This such an extraordinary, especially for someone like me who live outside HP/Palm official country partner. I already tried this myself, with my brand new Pre 2 UK version activated to have access to US App Catalog.

This is the warning from Rod Whitby from @webosinternals:
"You have to note that this procedure is performed at your own risk. The worst that can happen is that you don't get paid app catalog access. If Palm changes anything on the app catalog servers, this procedure may be invalidated without warning. They have done so before, and could do so again"

Here's what you have to do:
1. Take the device out of the box, turn it on WITHOUT inserting any SIM card
2. When the screen show a notification to insert a SIM card, just ignore it
3. Type #*, wait a second, and then when phone dial pad appear you can continue to type the rest of #*3386633# and hit the green phone key
4. The "Developer Mode" app will open, turn it ON, then your device will reboot
5. Once booted, you presented with launcher screen.
6. Connect your device to PC and installing Preware (you can download newest stable version here)
7. Open up Preware, update feeds, then install Impostah
8. Open Impostah, tap on "Activation" menu
9. Select your desired activation country and language
10. Create a new profile (different from your real one, if you already have one before), then hit "Login To Profile" and confirm your request
11. Go to http://palm.com/palmprofile and confirm that your device has been correctly registered
12. Open the App Catalog and confirm that you have paid app catalog access. You can test this by purchasing teh Preware Homebrew Documentation app. A 5 star rating is also a good way to show your thanks.
13. To make sure everything has been initialized correctly, you should do full erase (You can also run the webOS Doctor, if you'd like) and go through the normal official sign-in process. Don't forget to insert a SIM card :)
14. Since your device has been pre-activated with Impostah, you will retain your app catalog country settings.
15. Donate to WebOS Internals

Recently I just managed partitioning my Pre to make it possible running UbuntuChroot in it. Yes, you've got it right, UbuntuChroot running on my Pre. You can see here for the Wiki. The hard thing is the first part, because you have to Meta-Doctor-ing your Pre, so it will have separate ext3fs partition. I'm Doctor-ing using webOS 2.1.0, and skip the "git" part, you have to search for it in the internet.

1. Here's the command I used:

$ make DEVICE=preplus CARRIER=wr VERSION=2.1.0 ENABLE_DEVELOPER_MODE=1 DISABLE_UPLOAD_DAEMON=1 DISABLE_UPDATE_DAEMON=1 CUSTOM_MODEL_LIST=P100UEU CUSTOM_BOOTLOGO=scripts/WebOS-Internals.tga EXT3FS_PARTITION_SIZE=2GB clobber all

2. After it done, run the installation process. And continue with configuration to automounting ext3fs partition at device boot.
3. Using Preware, activate the testing feed, then installing Xcecutah, Xserver and UbuntuChroot 11.04
4. Launch Excecutah to run Xserver and UbuntuChroot 11.04, here's what I've got:



5. You can use usual Ubuntu apt-get command to update repository and installing packages. And you can also use apt-cache search to look for certain packages that works on ARM processor.
6. This is the screenshot of htop running on my Pre:

The lack of Latitude feature on Google Maps for #webOS is really unpleasant, but people at precentral already manage to enable it, easily.

All you have to do is launch your #webOS browser, then open up this URL: http://maps.google.com/maps/m?mode=latitude






Magically it will launch Google Maps with Latitude feature in it.





To make it easy to launch everytime I need it, I installed patch like I explained in my previous blog post, so I make Launcher icon and named it "Google Latitude"

If you're using Pre and meta-doctored it to #webOS 2.1.0 like I did, you should install and using Govnah + custom kernel (UberKernel). And then, since Pre only has 256 MB of memory, you can tweak the compcache (from Linux compcache that already porting to custom kernel by webos-internals) to make the value changed from only 10 MB to 32 MB, so the performance will enhance.

I tend to make it permanent, so here's what I did:
1. Connect Pre using USB cable to your PC
2. Accessing linux:
$ novaterm
3. Type following command:
# /usr/sbin/rootfs_open -t
# vi /etc/event.d/compcache
4. Change the value:
Look for value 10240 in line 10, then replace it with 32768, save and quit (:wq)
5. Reboot the device:
# /sbin/reboot

After it rebooted, you can check the compcache value using Govnah. For complete how-to, you can check here.

In webOS, you can find and use a lot of patches to improve the usability of your device. One of the patch I use on my Pre with webOS 1.4.5 is "Add Shortcut Keys" patch (you can find it by searching the keywords on webOS-Patches Web Portal

Credit goes to rmausser who shares this steps in precentral forum, you can view it here

1. You must have google/ gmail acount
2. Open http://maps.google.com in your PC's internet browser
3. Find some place, I choose this:



4. Click "Save to Map", create a new map then save it
5. Click "Link" at top corner to show the link and you can send it to your webOS device. You can use email or IM from PC, but I'm using neato!)
6. Paste the link into webOS browser (you have already login into your gmail account)
7. Create a launcher shortcut, which I will write in another blog post
8. And here's a screenshot:

The situation is like this, I have a bunch of download movie (in .avi format) and .srt (subtitles) files along with all of those movie files. Since I don't have much time to watch the movies in my Mac/ PC or player, I want to keep it in my Palm Pre, so I can play it any moment I have some times (while waiting, perhaps). But since video player in Palm Pre doesn't support displaying .srt file while playing the video files, I have to convert it and hardcoded the .srt file so it could "attach" to the converted video files (.mp4 or .m4v, the same format that can be played in iPhone's or Palm Pre's video player).

Here's what you need:
1. Perian (go here to download and install if you haven't already installed it)
2. Quick Time (already installed in any Mac OS X)
3. .avi and .srt files (of course! :D )

And here's what you've got to do:
1. Install Perian
2. Go to System Preferences, open up the Perian and make sure you check "Load External Subtitles" on Subtitle Options section
3. Launch Quick Time and open up .avi file
4. If it plays well and your subtitle can show up then Perian works well
5. File - Save as.. and you can choose the directory where to save the file and file format



6. I choose iPhone format, so it saved as .m4v file
7. Done :)

I'm using this because I'm tired of connecting USB cable everytime I want to copy files between my Palm Pre and my MacBookPro. Actually there's only 5 simple steps to follow:

1. Install Preware
2. Use Preware to install SFTP and terminal application
3. Use terminal application to generate keys for OpenSSH
4. Transfer SSH keys to desktop via USB
5. Configure SFTP client (I'm using Cyberduck on Mac OS X) on desktop and connect

# cd /
# /opt/bin/ssh-keygen (press Enter key once to accept default filename, then Enter key twice for blank password)
# mv /home/root/.ssh/id_rsa.pub /home/root/.ssh/authorized_keys

Personal notes only, took this from some forums somewhere and forget to attach the link, so credit to them. The point is I've tried this and it was sucessful, I can resize the partition of my Treo 650 APR roms :)


- - - - - - - - - -
Its ok to partition the rom/ram as long as u know what u are doing. There is three type of rom size partition for treo650 if I am not wrong -

1. 7.1mb ( cingular roms )
2. 8.4mb (LAP and unlocked roms)
3. 9.8mb (APR roms)

but they must be flashed using the sdcard method. U just have to make sure that your rom is small enough to fit the rom size. The trick is to replace this particular file "RomUpdaterApp.prc" which is in one of the SD card flashing method's folders. The smaller the ROM size, the bigger your RAM size.

This is quite tricky - if you put in a larger ROM than the "RomUpdaterApp.prc" can accomodate : you will get a dead Treo. Actually it will not be quite dead but can still be revived via the ROMtool method later. But you will notice that the ROM partition has changed to the ROM size of RomUpdaterApp.prc you put.

I don't advise any to change the partition if you are really not sure how to go about doing it. You could end up with a really dead Treo... So dun blame me if anything goes wrong. Take your own risk when attempting to repartition your ROM.

Now my current Treo is using the APR rom minus all the things that I dun want, fitting the 8.4mb ROM partition - as a result I get a bigger RAM space, more DBcache..


Instructions:
1. Backup Data
2. Copy Palm folder extracted from zip to the root of SD card (ex. F:\PALM) which already been formated to FAT. If one already exists rename.
3. Plugin power to Treo, turn on
4. Insert SD
5. Wait, The updater will start automatically. It will reboot several times on its own.
6. Leave SD card in Treo until you get to language selection screen.
7. Remove card, finish setup on Treo. Follow on screen prompts.
8. Remove palm dir from SD, rename folder if needed.
9. Restore Data.
- - - - - - - - - -

In webOS world, there aren't such things like "jailbreak"-ing nor "root"-ing, you just login there and you got root access, already. What you have to do is simply following these steps:
1. go here to install Palm SDK
2. follow installation instruction according to your OS (Windows, Mac or Linux)
3. enable Dev Mode  on your Pre/ Pixi by typing this: webos20090606, turn to ON, then restart device
4. connect the device using USB cable
5. in Mac/ Linux, simply type "novaterm" in shell prompt
6. in Windows, you have to download "novaterm" exe file from here (32-bit) or here (64-bit)
7. at this point you'll have root@webos-device or something like that

You are now logged in to your webOS device and can do anything you would normaly on Linux machine. Just be careful not to destroy your device :))

After trying and realize how simple it is to move my contact and calendar data and push gmail using Google Sync, I search around to find similar way to sync my Palm Treo 650 contact and calendar data with google as well. If you read my post about utilizing my treo 650, this is encourage me to try it.

All you need is register with 3rd party service called NuevaSync. For free service, you can get contact and calendar sync with google. And if you want more services like push email and tasks sync (with Toodledo service), you can upgrade your account to premium with annual fee only $25.

You can check detail steps here. What's not explain there is that you need at least VersaMail version 3.5 and EAS (Exchange Active Sync) updated. I'm using Treo 650, and since Treo 650's built-in VersaMail version only 3.1c, you have to upgrade it first. Instead of upgrading (that will make my tiny RAM exhausted), I did a custom ROM and put updated files inside Treo 650's ROM :)

I've no chance to try Tasks sync, but push mail with gmail went smooth and it also runs well, almost no delay. One minor disadvantage is that folders (or you could say labels) in gmail doesn't show up in my VersaMail. Only Inbox and Trash that show up. But if you're not using labels like I did in gmail, I'll sure recommend this service. Enabling real push-mail ability in your Palm Treo 650 or any PalmOS device. Worth it! :)

There's been an empty post for several month, it is due to many circumstances. One of them is that I decide to do so.. not write or post anything in my blog. But now it's time to start again. There's a lot to write. So, if you haven't read anything in my blog, start to do it.. or there would be a lot to catch :)