How to make all mobile websites display perfectly

clipcarl · 08/29/2009, 07:10 PM

[Updated: 21 November 2009]

We all know that the Palm Pre has a fantastic web browser that handles full web pages very well. But I've noticed that many mobile websites designed for the small screen of mobile devices don't display properly on the Pre. To add insult to injury these same sites display perfectly on the iPhone which uses the same browser engine.

The problem is that these mobile sites do not recognize the Pre and send it generic web pages that don't look good or work very well. On the other hand these sites recognize the iPhone and send it web pages that are designed to look and work perfectly on it.

My solution is to change the Pre's browser so that it identifies itself to websites as an iPhone. Web sites will send your Pre pages designed for the iPhone which also work perfectly on the Pre. Technically I accomplish this by patching a library on the Pre to modify the user agent string sent to websites. (If you don't understand that last sentence that's OK.)

Here is how the USA Today mobile web site looks before the patch:

And after the patch is applied:

You need to be able to access a root command line on your Pre to use this patch. This is very easy to do by downloading the developer's kit from Palm, putting your Pre in developer mode a running the novaterm program on your computer. See this site for complete instructions.

I and others have extensively tested this patch and it has proven to be very safe. There is a lot of error checking to make sure nothing unexpected or bad happens to your phone. However, it's a very good idea to back up your phone before doing this just in case. You may only use this patch if you accept that no one other than you yourself is responsible for any problems you may have if you try this.

How to install:

Download the attached change-user-agent_universal.zip file to your computer. This version should work for everyone on any webOS device running any recent version of webOS on any mobile network.
Unzip the file to reveal another file called "change-user-agent" .
Attach your Pre to your computer using the USB cable and put the Pre in USB Drive mode.
Copy the "change-user-agent" file to your Pre using your computer's normal method. Put the file in the root of the drive while it is in USB mode and not in a subdirectory (this ends up being the /media/internal directory from the command line).
Access a root command line on your Pre. You can do this using Palm's "novaterm" program installed as part of the developer's kit or by using an SSH client program if you have installed an SSH server on your Pre. See this site for instruction on how to access the Linux root command line on your Pre.
From the command line run the file. Simply type:
/media/internal/change-user-agent

Your Pre will reboot with the patch installed.

If you decide you would like to uninstall the patch and revert back, simply follow the above instructions and add the work "uninstall" on the command line in step #6. For example:

/media/internal/change-user-agent uninstall

Enjoy! If you find this useful please post a reply here to keep this thread alive so that others will see it. Thank you!

UPDATE: Now plays nice with Google Maps!

UPDATE 2: (No longer applies.)

UPDATE 3: Now the normal, safe version of the patch works perfectly with virtually every mobile web site. There is no longer any version that breaks Google Maps. Many thanks go to hofs1 for the idea that made things perfect!

UPDATE4: Should now work for Bell Canada Devices.

UPDATE5: Now the patch is a simple shell script without any binary files. It uses the 'sed' command to change the library instead. This makes the patch much more transparent and easy to understand for those that wish to audit what it is doing.

UPDATE6: Now the patch should work on any webOS device running any recent version of webOS on any mobile network. Yes, this means the patch should (hopefully) work for GSM Pre users as well as Pixi owners. Please test this as I do not have any of these devices.

tim.gier · 08/29/2009, 07:37 PM

This looks fantastic!! I'll let you know if I have any troubles after the install.

My tired old eyes are going to be so happy!

tim.gier · 08/29/2009, 07:39 PM

Should you have posted this in the development forum??

Gaurav · 08/29/2009, 10:06 PM

Wow thanks. Do you have any plans on making this work with the webos Quickinstall patch install method or perhaps preware? Thanks!

odontastic · 08/29/2009, 10:45 PM

I do a lot of browsing and this is just what I needed. It works beautifully. I was starting to get fed up with these mobile sites that didn't look right.
All the mobile sites look normal except popurls.com where the links just overwriting the main menu screen.
Google looks seemed to work better for me when it was optimized for the Palm Pre. Is there a way to make an exception for gmail & igoogle?

Thank you.

spepi · 08/29/2009, 11:42 PM

i'll be trying this monday....thats one of my pet peeves...whe browser is horrible

odontastic · 08/29/2009, 11:42 PM

Unfortunately after installing this patch Google maps don't work properly. At first I thought that gmail was broken too, but after a couple of refreshes, it's fine. Launching Google Maps from the built-in application icon dumps me into Latitude and it is unable to update my location or allow me to zoom or pan around the map. But at least there's still Sprint Navigation.

Sheuba · 08/29/2009, 11:45 PM

Working great. Thank you!

awrnsmn · 08/30/2009, 12:14 AM

looks great...thank you!

ja99 · 08/30/2009, 12:19 AM

Looks great to me, too. Unfortunately, I'll probably uninstall since I have the same problem with Google Maps.

Shadavis08 · 08/30/2009, 12:26 AM

man there has got to be an easier way lol im not that puter literit ha ha

superduperpre · 08/30/2009, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clipcarl

You may only use this patch if you accept that I and no one other than you yourself is responsible for any problems you may have if you try this.

erm. you might wanna modify that given that in the current form you are stating that you wholeheartedly share the responsibility for problems with the end user.

clipcarl · 08/30/2009, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by odontastic

Unfortunately after installing this patch Google maps don't work properly. At first I thought that gmail was broken too, but after a couple of refreshes, it's fine. Launching Google Maps from the built-in application icon dumps me into Latitude and it is unable to update my location or allow me to zoom or pan around the map. But at least there's still Sprint Navigation.

Ugh! Thanks for pointing this out. I'll see if I can find a way to do this and still have Google Maps work. Stay tuned...

gage006 · 08/30/2009, 12:52 AM

Sounded awesome until it killed Google Maps. Hopefully there's a fix for that.

clipcarl · 08/30/2009, 01:33 AM

Google Maps problem has been fixed. Uninstall, redownload, reinstall.

jbg7474 · 08/30/2009, 02:02 AM

So, just wondering out loud, could there not be another way to do this? You know how the browser will display these pages correctly if you go to a working mobile site (such as m.precentral.net) and rotate to landscape and back before visiting the site? Can this a patch automatically set the browser to that state on opening instead of identifying itself as an iPhone? I don't want to mess up all the ad trackers out there by having them think there's yet another iPhone out there.

ja99 · 08/30/2009, 02:04 AM

Uninstalled and reinstalled, and now Google Maps is normal, and web pages look great. Thanks!

ShadowGod · 08/30/2009, 02:08 AM

Thanks for this but it really be the responsibility of web developers to get off their lazy ***** and realize there are other webkit-browser phones out there.

Carioca_FL · 08/30/2009, 04:40 AM

Good stuff clipcarl; I second the request to, if possible, make this tweak available via quickinstall/preware/etc?

Carioca_FL · 08/30/2009, 04:42 AM

Can anyone check Netflix's mobile page? As with other "mobile" pages, it displays fine on the iPhone, but not so great on the Pre's browser.

Netflix Mobile Page

08/29/2009, 10:06 PM	#4 (permalink)
Gaurav Moderator Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: All over the place Posts: 8,021 Thanks: 141 Thanked 118 Times in 85 Posts	Wow thanks. Do you have any plans on making this work with the webos Quickinstall patch install method or perhaps preware? Thanks! __________________ _________________ *aka Gfunkmagic* Current device: Palm Pre To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Device graveyard: Palm Vx, Cassiopeia E100, LG Phenom HPC, Palm M515, Treo 300, Treo 600, Treo 650, Treo 700p, Axim X50v, Treo 800w Moderator, To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Please don't PM me about my avatar. For more info go To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. . Restore your Pre to factory settings using To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. and follow these To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

08/29/2009, 10:45 PM	#5 (permalink)
odontastic Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 70 Thanks: 68 Thanked 8 Times in 7 Posts	I do a lot of browsing and this is just what I needed. It works beautifully. I was starting to get fed up with these mobile sites that didn't look right. All the mobile sites look normal except popurls.com where the links just overwriting the main menu screen. Google looks seemed to work better for me when it was optimized for the Palm Pre. Is there a way to make an exception for gmail & igoogle? Thank you. Last edited by odontastic; 08/29/2009 at 11:18 PM.

08/29/2009, 11:42 PM	#7 (permalink)
odontastic Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 70 Thanks: 68 Thanked 8 Times in 7 Posts	Google Maps broken Unfortunately after installing this patch Google maps don't work properly. At first I thought that gmail was broken too, but after a couple of refreshes, it's fine. Launching Google Maps from the built-in application icon dumps me into Latitude and it is unable to update my location or allow me to zoom or pan around the map. But at least there's still Sprint Navigation.

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08/29/2009, 07:37 PM	#2 (permalink)
tim.gier Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 26 Thanks: 19 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	This looks fantastic!! I'll let you know if I have any troubles after the install. My tired old eyes are going to be so happy!

08/29/2009, 07:39 PM	#3 (permalink)
tim.gier Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 26 Thanks: 19 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Should you have posted this in the development forum??

08/29/2009, 11:42 PM	#6 (permalink)
spepi Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 17 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	i'll be trying this monday....thats one of my pet peeves...whe browser is horrible

08/29/2009, 11:45 PM	#8 (permalink)
Sheuba Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 43 Thanks: 26 Thanked 5 Times in 4 Posts	Working great. Thank you!

08/30/2009, 12:14 AM	#9 (permalink)
awrnsmn Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Olathe, Ks. Posts: 654 Thanks: 152 Thanked 72 Times in 56 Posts	looks great...thank you!

08/30/2009, 12:19 AM	#10 (permalink)
ja99 Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 2 Thanks: 1 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Looks great to me, too. Unfortunately, I'll probably uninstall since I have the same problem with Google Maps.

08/30/2009, 12:26 AM	#11 (permalink)
Shadavis08 Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: P'cola. , Fl Posts: 3,662 Thanks: 168 Thanked 773 Times in 635 Posts	man there has got to be an easier way lol im not that puter literit ha ha

08/30/2009, 12:52 AM	#14 (permalink)
gage006 Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 547 Thanks: 50 Thanked 50 Times in 39 Posts	Sounded awesome until it killed Google Maps. Hopefully there's a fix for that.

08/30/2009, 01:33 AM	#15 (permalink)
clipcarl Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 936 Thanks: 80 Thanked 369 Times in 90 Posts	Google Maps problem has been fixed. Uninstall, redownload, reinstall.

08/30/2009, 02:02 AM	#16 (permalink)
jbg7474 Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,737 Thanks: 456 Thanked 231 Times in 167 Posts	So, just wondering out loud, could there not be another way to do this? You know how the browser will display these pages correctly if you go to a working mobile site (such as m.precentral.net) and rotate to landscape and back before visiting the site? Can this a patch automatically set the browser to that state on opening instead of identifying itself as an iPhone? I don't want to mess up all the ad trackers out there by having them think there's yet another iPhone out there.

08/30/2009, 02:04 AM	#17 (permalink)
ja99 Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 2 Thanks: 1 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Uninstalled and reinstalled, and now Google Maps is normal, and web pages look great. Thanks!

08/30/2009, 02:08 AM	#18 (permalink)
ShadowGod Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 135 Thanks: 32 Thanked 39 Times in 17 Posts	Thanks for this but it really be the responsibility of web developers to get off their lazy ***** and realize there are other webkit-browser phones out there.

08/30/2009, 04:40 AM	#19 (permalink)
Carioca_FL Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL Posts: 649 Thanks: 48 Thanked 52 Times in 35 Posts	Good stuff clipcarl; I second the request to, if possible, make this tweak available via quickinstall/preware/etc?

08/30/2009, 04:42 AM	#20 (permalink)
Carioca_FL Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL Posts: 649 Thanks: 48 Thanked 52 Times in 35 Posts	Can anyone check Netflix's mobile page? As with other "mobile" pages, it displays fine on the iPhone, but not so great on the Pre's browser. Netflix Mobile Page