Re: Help needed with reflashing N900 because of virus
 

if one is not expecting it...it can be disconcerting having things running "ghost" in the background.
For most such programs there are scripts for them..to make the process visible...or shut them down...
But I cannot remember if yappari was prone to running in the background all by it's lonesome...
that last version I never used....so I couldn't say.

Re: Help needed with reflashing N900 because of virus
 

Regarding Yappari, it is an empty package. It was set to be so by the last Yappari dev (ceene) since some insisted on installing it even when told not to. At the time, it was causing one's cellular number to get banned on the WhatsApp network. Probably should have just got removed from the repositories, although I don't know how easy that would have been at the time.

in simpler terms therefore, uninstall Yappari, and if you really must use WhatsApp, get a (cheapie) Android phone.

It was also suggested by some that it is better not to 'flaunt' the addresses too much, just in case someone in Nokia/MS Legal starts questioning the rightfulness of mirroring these files and we end up with takedown notices ...

Was it new? Or bought second hand? Did you flash it at some point back then?

Actually, WiFi cannot directly be disabled on the N900 as on Android ... You can set "Connect automatically" to 'Always Ask' .. but that will also check for WiFi networks in range when a connection becomes necessary.

Sounds like you have something running in the background which needs a connection, as explained above.

Is it possible also that your screenlocking doesn't work very well (e.g. slide close/open is easily triggered ...) and in that could also of course cause the symptoms you see, especially if you have the browser as a shortcut on your Desktop


That said .. reflashing will get rid of your 'problem' quickly. But I'm sure you could also troubleshoot systematically and eventually find your culprit...

Re: Help needed with reflashing N900 because of virus
 

I am also and owner of (several) N900 since 2012.

I also worked for an anti-virus company for 15 years in the past, most of that in the virus detection engine development team. The interaction with the guys in the virus analysis lab was close and frequent, with requirements and feedback flowing both ways.

So one could say that I have at least some experience with the a) N900 and b) viruses.

And I can confirm with full confidence that Xkcd got it just right:

https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/virus_venn_diagram.png
(Source: https://xkcd.com/1180/)

Re: Help needed with reflashing N900 because of virus
 

I can agred pretty much with @pichlo's analysis.

I have a friend who is not that fluent with computers but likes to use linux and is incrdibly competent in getting his computers tied up in knots fairly difficult to unravel.

About once a month he calls me with urgency telling that he's got a virus that has messed up his laptop or phone, and when I investigate the problem it always turns out to be some selfmade problem...

Re: Help needed with reflashing N900 because of virus
 

Yep. It is said that the biggest computer problem lies between your monitor and chair. When I was younger, I spent my days browsing Internet quite broadly, including torrents, porn etc. And I have seen probably 2 or 3 real viruses in my whole life (and I was using Windows all the time). Also when my friends ask me for help with their computers, blaming that there is a virus causing problems, almost every time the only problem is the user and not the computer.

Re: Help needed with reflashing N900 because of virus
 

Absolutely, totally, and completely agree.

Especially the issue with friends.

I was fixing all my friends computers for years...
funny that..

they had no problem paying ungodly sums to take their systems into shops for fixing...
Only for the issue to still be there or worse...
then they would come to me..
and I would be cleaning up a nightmare.

Finally I insisted dual os's to be able to troubleshoot better at the least ..
for practicality it was usually Lubuntu and Windows...
I also insisted they play more and get used to Linux for their own ease of use ...and less likelihood of screwing things up than with windows..
None of them really bothered...
they just kept making a mess of their windows systems...

Finally I had enough when I always had at least one friend's laptop on my desk in need for service.
I told everyone that if they had no compunction to go to a shop for servicing and pay a stupid amount for no result...
and then bring it to me and expect it the same service for free...
That wasn't going to be happening anymore .
They could pay me half the going rate for properly fixing their laptops.

Now...
I have no laptops in need of servicing on my desk...
and all those friends are paying top dollar for shoddy work, still having the same issues (mainly due to their poor practices and desire NOT to understand even the basics ..the fundamentals..)
more than half of them simply burn through a computer yearly or every two years... never doing the slightest to maintain it..and buy a new one...(epic waste frankly)...
and they complain about the cost...
idiocy.
I just nod and smile now....It isn't realistically worth the effort to do more.

Re: Help needed with reflashing N900 because of virus
 

Someone beat me to PEBKAC.

WiFi disconnect could be explained by the auto disconnect app but not connection. My N900 lives in offline mode at the moment and every night there is a request to go online, probably scheduled update check out something. Never had browser error but it was always in the official case (CP-321, I have the packaging next to PC).

Not sure I can remember an actual virus/malware entering repos during my time with the N900. The closest I can remember was the infamous *-patch packages

Re: Help needed with reflashing N900 because of virus
 

I do remember a switch I could turn of wifi completely. Can't remember if it was a plugin installed by me. With that, there couldn't be searched for WLAN, not even manually.

Re: Help needed with reflashing N900 because of virus
 

It is a status-menu-plugin, called wifi-switcher.

Re: Help needed with reflashing N900 because of virus
 

You can always switch it on/off in Settings, but you probably meant this or this.

EDIT: damn, justmemory beat me to it!