The Nokia N900 remains one of the most unique devices Nokia ever released. It was the only handset to run Maemo 5, and while that made it powerful, it also meant limited app and game support.
With Nokia shifting focus to MeeGo shortly after, Maemo users were left with very little in terms of official software support.
That said, Maemo’s Linux foundation opens up some interesting possibilities.
Running Palm WebOS games on the N900
Because Maemo is a Linux-based system, similar in spirit to Palm’s WebOS, developers and enthusiasts have found ways to run unmodified Palm games on the N900.
- You can run select Palm WebOS games directly on the N900.
- No major modification of the game files is required.
- Performance depends on the specific title and setup.
Games like Need for Speed Undercover and The Sims 3 have been demonstrated working using this method.
Step-by-step guide
- Download a Palm IPK file of your choice (you may need a Palm device to obtain this)
- Download 7-Zip from here
- Use 7-Zip to extract the contents of the IPK file
- Locate the compressed file that contains “data” in its name
- Extract that file (ignore any warning messages during extraction)
- Navigate through the extracted folders until you find a file with a
.jsonextension - Connect your N900 in Mass Storage Mode
- Copy the extracted folder to your device
- Open X-Terminal and type:
sudo gainroot - Install required tools:
apt-get install preenv - Follow any prompts in the terminal
- Move the game folder to:
/home/user/ - Navigate to the folder:
cd /home/user/(gamefolder) - Set permissions:
chmod +rwx gamename - Generate launcher entry:
desktopgen appinfo.json
Final thoughts
This is a great example of what made the N900 special. Even years later, its flexibility allows it to run software never officially intended for the platform.
If you run into issues, try following along with the video guide above or double-check each step carefully.