N900 Fast GPS Fix

If anyone is, like me, still using the N900, they may have noticed that acquiring an initial GPS fix can take minutes. The reason for this is that even in the latest CSSU, supl.nokia.com no longer works as a location server. The fix for this is actually relatively quick and easy and will make an initial GPS fix take seconds rather than minutes.

The exact details of what needs to be done can be found in the last few posts of this Maemo forum thread. The problem is that supl.nokia.com no longer resolves to an IP address. However, this doesn't mean that the server behind supl.nokia.com is no longer running. Surprisingly, it still is.

The long and short of it is this:

1. Make sure you have the latest CSSU and a working N900 to begin with;
2. Go here and download:
   • libmaemosec-certman0_0.2.10_armel.deb
   • libmaemosec0_0.2.10_armel.deb
   • maemosec-certman-common-ca_0.2.10_all.deb
   • maemosec-certman-tools_0.2.10_armel.deb
3. Install the above packages via the command line as root (you'll need gainroot) by using dpkg -i (put all the files in their own directory and use dpkg -i * to save time);
4. Edit /etc/hosts and change supl.nokia.com to resolve to 52.200.182.188;
5. Check it all works:

   $ cmcli -T common-ca -v supl.nokia.com:7275
   Verified OK.
   $ cmcli -T location-proxy -v supl.nokia.com:7275
   Verified OK.
   

6. If this doesn't work, try stop location-proxy and then start location-proxy (as root) and go back to step 5.

GPS fixes should happen very quickly now. If it's the year 2023 and this didn't work then good luck finding a new fix, hopefully you put the details on your blog too. Alternatively, feel free to contact me and I might still be using the N900 and might know how to help.