Using the N900 (or any linux machine) to control windows applications like iTunes

First of all the possibilities of the technique described here are limitless, you can literally control all aspects of the Windows environment (remote and local) from the phone or any linux machine, including organizing your videos automatically to managing remote SQL Servers, this opens up everything.

I have been looking for a decent remote control for iTunes for a long time, but I haven't been able to find one (on Symbian I used the Salling Clicker), few days back I stumbled on a way to do it via the terminal on Maemo, so here goes..

First off powershell on windows can control a lot of applications (which expose their API to PS, in case of itunes the scripting interface is exposed), the code for doing this on PS is:

$rr = new-object -com itunes.application
$rr.play()
$rr.pause()
$rr.newttrack()

There are a ton of other functions that I am still exploring, these are the basic ones that should get you started..

Now getting to the interesting part, how to open up the interface, simple, SSH, the most versatile remote terminal, just install the package openssh on the N900 (first add the development repositories, or testing too) then use:

sudo gainroot
apt-get install openssh

This should install the SSH client as well as the server (yes you can connect to the phone from Putty or a native linux terminal).

Next you need the powershell server from here, its free, install it on your PC, run 'Start Server' and click start server (play button).

On your phone do the following:

ssh @ipaddress
password:

That's it! You are in, absolute control!

My post on TMO.