Possible bugs and feature requests for WRT PS2.0

[JasperGoes]

To all interested,

While developing a Mobile GPS Tracker using WRT and PS2.0 I came up with the following problems and feature requests.

First of all, using the Nokia N97 Mini, initializing the location service in a WRT widget ALWAYS throws an exception "security access error", unless the widget is installed on the homescreen.
On the homescreen, you nicely get asked whether you want to allow network access and gps location data to the widget, but once run separately from the application menu, no question gets popped up, and an error gets thrown.
This might be a major bug(?).

Secondly, once the phone gets to be in idle mode, the watchPosition calls DO continue. In my case this is exactly what i want, so thats fine. BUT, since i am trying to push all locations to a server on the internet using ajax, i came to a point where i noticed, TIMERS get paused or queued, and ajax calls when idle are NOT allowed.
This brought up a load of thought.

- Once idle, either DISCONNECT from 3.5G networks altogether, saving battery. There should be some way to do this scriptwise, and to resume it once the phone comes out of idle.
-- OR --
- Allow AJAX calls when the phone is idle, if theres no way to disconnect from the net, theres no use in pausing ajax calls either. This would suit me just fine too, so my tracker would be more "live" than it is now. This should also be togglable scriptwise. (YES, i want to continue ajax calls when idle, NO, i dont want to).

Same thing goes for timers, they seem to be paused and/or queued once idle. This is pretty sucky when you try to keep caching locations. I came up simple, but very filthy workaround, keeping a timestamp of the last location cached in memory, and checking it each and every time when watchPosition calls its success event, which DOES seem to carry on while idle. I think this is much more energyconsuming than I'd like it to be, and therefore, keeping the timer running would be much nicer.

Then about the location service.
I've seen theres an accuracy value returned (always null) and enableHighAccuracy argument that can be passed to the service object. Both seem to do nothing, but if they would, would still not be enough to build reliable services on.
I would very much like to
- Get a list of satellites and their signalstrengths, thus determining whether reception is OK myself
- Get the speed values returned improved, returning null only when reception is too poor.

Also i would very much like to help develop better location services in the api,
given there is more interaction between the phone(s) sensors and ps2.0.

Done whining now, time to do some digging in the ps2.0 javascript file as far as I can get.

Any solutions to the flow of thought above are strongly welcomed.

Thanks for reading.

[isalento]

To all interested,

While developing a Mobile GPS Tracker using WRT and PS2.0 I came up with the following problems and feature requests.

First of all, using the Nokia N97 Mini, initializing the location service in a WRT widget ALWAYS throws an exception "security access error", unless the widget is installed on the homescreen.
On the homescreen, you nicely get asked whether you want to allow network access and gps location data to the widget, but once run separately from the application menu, no question gets popped up, and an error gets thrown.
This might be a major bug(?).

Widgets on home screen are working after they get a blanket permission for platform services / network connection. Widgets that are launched from the applications menu should just ask "Allow GeoLocation Service to access provided data?" (and of course same kind of prompt for network connection)

Could you elaborate in which point of initialization you will get this error and what is the FW version of your phone?

Secondly, once the phone gets to be in idle mode, the watchPosition calls DO continue. In my case this is exactly what i want, so thats fine. BUT, since i am trying to push all locations to a server on the internet using ajax, i came to a point where i noticed, TIMERS get paused or queued, and ajax calls when idle are NOT allowed.
This brought up a load of thought.

- Once idle, either DISCONNECT from 3.5G networks altogether, saving battery. There should be some way to do this scriptwise, and to resume it once the phone comes out of idle.
-- OR --
- Allow AJAX calls when the phone is idle, if theres no way to disconnect from the net, theres no use in pausing ajax calls either. This would suit me just fine too, so my tracker would be more "live" than it is now. This should also be togglable scriptwise. (YES, i want to continue ajax calls when idle, NO, i dont want to).

Same thing goes for timers, they seem to be paused and/or queued once idle. This is pretty sucky when you try to keep caching locations. I came up simple, but very filthy workaround, keeping a timestamp of the last location cached in memory, and checking it each and every time when watchPosition calls its success event, which DOES seem to carry on while idle. I think this is much more energyconsuming than I'd like it to be, and therefore, keeping the timer running would be much nicer.

There is a known issue about timer functionality.
http://wiki.forum.nokia.com/index.ph..._BrowserNG/7.1

Then about the location service.
I've seen theres an accuracy value returned (always null) and enableHighAccuracy argument that can be passed to the service object. Both seem to do nothing, but if they would, would still not be enough to build reliable services on.
I would very much like to
- Get a list of satellites and their signalstrengths, thus determining whether reception is OK myself
- Get the speed values returned improved, returning null only when reception is too poor.

Also i would very much like to help develop better location services in the api,
given there is more interaction between the phone(s) sensors and ps2.0.

Done whining now, time to do some digging in the ps2.0 javascript file as far as I can get.

Any solutions to the flow of thought above are strongly welcomed.

Thanks for reading.

Thanks for feedback Now at least I'm aware of these issues and take these up when working with location people.

Br,
Ilkka

[JasperGoes]

Hello Ilkka,

Thanks for taking the time to read my article.
Here's the information you requested.

N97 Mini firmware 11.0.045, BrowserNG 7.1.4

When launching WRT apps from the menu instead of installing them to the homescreen,
you -do- get asked wether you want to allow access to the network service provider,
but location service stays faulty.

After that, at
try {
so = nokia.device.load("geolocation");
}
catch (e) {
alert(e.toString());
}

always throws "Error: security access check failed"

For your convenience I also checked using the service api, platform services 1.0,
which causes exactly the same behaviour:

try {
so = device.getServiceObject("Service.Location", "ILocation");
}
catch(e) {
alert(e.toString());
}


Regards,

Jasper

[isalento]

Hello Jasper,

Thanks for clarification. I have tested this with N97 mini which has the same FW that you have, but still I'm unable to reproduce the issue.
In my test widget the only way to get "Error: security access check failed" error is to answer "no" to the "Allow <widget name> to use Positioning data?" query. I've tested to connect to network as well before initializing the service object, but no luck.

Br,
Ilkka

[aptuovinen]

I get the same "error: security access check failed" on my mini N97 when trying to launch the camera (either from the camera.wgz included in the Platform Services 2.0 package or from my own widget) from the apps menu. I also get the error when trying the CalendarService.wgz widget from PS2.0 package as an app.

I get also the question about allowing network access.

Firmware version is 11.0.045 and BrowserNG 7.1.4.

Looks like a bug.

[JasperGoes]

Good morning,

Strange, very strange indeed.
I do not wish to be wasting your time, but still I am pretty convinced this is a legit report of malfunction.

Googling the exact error message gave me the impression I'm not the only one out there experiencing this behaviour,
I even found a message here on the nokiaboard.

http://discussions.nokia.co.uk/t5/Ma...ed/td-p/626784

I would like to supply more debug data, but am puzzled what could be helpful to you at this point.

Have more versions of the platform services installable file been released prior to its current version?
Does platform services 2.0 get installed automatically when updating the phones firmware?
Platform Services is installed on the phone, although I -also- put it in the widget's package.
Might this be causing any weird behaviour?

If I might have the time later on today, I will proceed by removing the installed version of PS2
and testing again, otherwise, installing it again, and removing the js file from the package.
Ofcourse, I'll only do so unless hinted otherwise before then.

Thanks!

[aptuovinen]

hello,

After removing the (pre)installed "Platfrom Services Extensions v1.00(0)" package, the CaledarService.wgz (which includes the PS2.0 .js file) started working. Don't know yet if something else got broken...

AP

[JasperGoes]

Awesome, thats what i'd been thinking.

Let me know what you find, I'll try later.

[JasperGoes]

Indeed, removing the platform services 1.00(1) installation solves the problem.

Aswell PS2.0 as PS1.0 wrt widgets still work without it, and now cleanly ask for permissions.
Ofcourse, asking users to remove an app from their phones will have them doubting your goodwill.

To Ilkka:
Could you take care of having the PS1.0 installations removed from devices in next updates,
since it no longer seems to be a required package.

Thanks!

[childoftheworld]

Indeed, removing the platform services 1.00(1) installation solves the problem.

Aswell PS2.0 as PS1.0 wrt widgets still work without it, and now cleanly ask for permissions.
Ofcourse, asking users to remove an app from their phones will have them doubting your goodwill.

To Ilkka:
Could you take care of having the PS1.0 installations removed from devices in next updates,
since it no longer seems to be a required package.

Thanks!

Hi. I am experiencing the same problems. So if the PS 1.0 (Platform Services Extension) is removed from the Device (Mine is N97 Mini), Service Object will be able to go through Widget Runtime Security Manager without errors?

Please see my experience and help with pointers please?

I feel sooo disappointed.

If the device has Platform Services pre-installed, why is there Platform Services Extension then?

http://discussion.forum.nokia.com/fo...d.php?p=731706

Thanks!

[JasperGoes]

Goodmorning,

Hi. I am experiencing the same problems. So if the PS 1.0 (Platform Services Extension) is removed from the Device (Mine is N97 Mini), Service Object will be able to go through Widget Runtime Security Manager without errors?

Please see my experience and help with pointers please?

If you remove the PS1.0 package from your phone, it seems no more software conflicts exist toward PS2.0.
So, removing the PS1.0 sis package will indeed allow you to use EITHER PS1.0 or PS2.0 in your widget without having the 'security access check failed' nag.

The rest of your widgets remain working after removal, therefore I strongly suggest removing it straight away, and reevaluating all your problems afterward.
After removing the PS1.0 sis package, ofcourse you still need to include platformservices.js (v2) to go on using PS2.

About the WRT question in your other article; Just always use WRT1.1 to use platform services.

If the device has Platform Services pre-installed, why is there Platform Services Extension then?

The 1.0 package is probably a leftover from earlier stages - although I cannot explain that.
PS2 is simply a somewhat more advanced version that will (hopefully) soon be implemented on more phones, but currently only works on N97 and N97 mini.
I know people at nokia are currently doing the best they can to resolve this issue in the future, so do not worry too much.


Q: Although I was fairly certain the package was preinstalled on my phone too - Are you sure the package was preinstalled, or did it come with a package?


Good luck,
Jasper

[childoftheworld]

Goodmorning,



If you remove the PS1.0 package from your phone, it seems no more software conflicts exist toward PS2.0.
So, removing the PS1.0 sis package will indeed allow you to use EITHER PS1.0 or PS2.0 in your widget without having the 'security access check failed' nag.

The rest of your widgets remain working after removal, therefore I strongly suggest removing it straight away, and reevaluating all your problems afterward.
After removing the PS1.0 sis package, ofcourse you still need to include platformservices.js (v2) to go on using PS2.

About the WRT question in your other article; Just always use WRT1.1 to use platform services.



The 1.0 package is probably a leftover from earlier stages - although I cannot explain that.
PS2 is simply a somewhat more advanced version that will (hopefully) soon be implemented on more phones, but currently only works on N97 and N97 mini.
I know people at nokia are currently doing the best they can to resolve this issue in the future, so do not worry too much.


Q: Although I was fairly certain the package was preinstalled on my phone too - Are you sure the package was preinstalled, or did it come with a package?


Good luck,
Jasper

Now you are making me think... =) So far, I have not installed anything that perhaps installed the "Platform Services Extension "package? Maybe another widget install package installed it? I know API Bridge was installed by Advance Call Manager, but I don't see a reason why Platform Services Extension would be installed in the device by Nokia if the device's widgets using WRT API 1.0 will continue working without it???

Does Nokia have an answer to this? I know the first application I installed after I got the phone was AccuWeather. It was not able to find location, saying "location not available" after less than a second. I now assume this is WRT API related. But then, of no third-party application installed it? Who would?

Another question:

If I were to use API 1.0 functionality for some Service Objects, will it still work when I reference API 2.0?

Thanks again!

[JasperGoes]

If I were to use API 1.0 functionality for some Service Objects, will it still work when I reference API 2.0?

Thanks again!

A lot of "I don't know's"-here, and lack of time to really read since its weekend and i have to get going in a couple of minutes, but the answer to the quoted question is, -YES-.
It would still work.

Apibridge does not interfere with Platform services at all, and might actually be useful as a sis package later on.

Jasper

[childoftheworld]

Hey Jasper!

Correct. I uninstalled Platform Services Extension 1.0. In my code! I have code that uses API 2.0 and also API 1.0 and they both work! Thanks! In my error messages. I have included a note on that. So people who will eventually download the application will be able to have this work!