[lug] cell phones with linux

[Matthew Beldyk]

This just came across my twitter, and since it's rather relevant to
the topic I figured I'd post it:
http://www.hackaday.com/2008/07/19/openmoko-usability-review/

-Matt

On Fri, Jul 18, 2008 at 4:15 PM, Ben Burdette <bburdette at comcast.net> wrote:
> For a typical closed phone based on linux, it doesn't do you, the user, much
> good at all.  Its cheaper for the manufacturer than licensing some embedded
> OS.  They don't put linux on there for its openness, and make no provision
> for the end user to do much of any customizing/hacking with it.  Phones like
> the Ming are like this.
>
> That's what's different about the openmoko phone - they are making it as
> open and transparent as possible, providing source for virtually every
> component of the OS and gui.  You can make your own apps (using GTK, or
> other gui tech), and there is  a terminal.  As far as I know the openmoko
> phone is the only one around where this open approach is being taken.
>
>
> karl horlen wrote:
>>
>> since i'm not familiar with cell phone development or cell phones
>> generally, what good would having an open OS for a cell phone provide
>>  without the gui or driver source?
>>
>> would i still be able to develop app(let)s for it?
>> would i be able to directly access, copy and edit my contact list or
>> address book using bash cmds / filters?
>>
>>
>>
>>>>
>>>> What are the ramifications of having a linux cell
>>>>
>>>
>>> phone? Does it mean that
>>>
>>>>
>>>> (1) You have all the source code to the cell phone?
>>>>
>>>
>>> For the openmoko, yes.  For almost all other linux
>>> cellphones, no.  For most linux phones, the linux OS itself is available,
>>> but
>>> the GUI code, device drivers, etc are definitely closed.
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>>
>>>> (2) You can alter and recompile any/all the source
>>>>
>>>
>>> code and redeploy it to
>>>
>>>>
>>>> your phone without permission of the manufacturer? (I
>>>>
>>>
>>> heard stories about
>>>
>>>>
>>>> how nokia/brew developers have to have special
>>>>
>>>
>>> permission from nokia to
>>>
>>>>
>>>> develop applications).
>>>>
>>>
>>> For openmoko you can do what you want.  There are at least
>>> 4 different flavors of OS/GUI available to install at present.  For
>>> most other linux phones I think you are pretty much locked out.
>>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>> (3) You can subvert the pricing structure where the
>>>>
>>>
>>> carrier charges double
>>>
>>>>
>>>> or triple for data transfers (compared to voice) and
>>>>
>>>
>>> develop wireless
>>>
>>>>
>>>> embedded applications that transmit their status every
>>>>
>>>
>>> 15 minutes.phone cards.  The answer here is maybe.  I think carriers
>>> might be a
>>> little sloppy with network enforcement because most cellphones are
>>> crippled and unable to take advantage of the network like a real computer
>>> could.  For instance, on the openmoko wiki it says that TMobile
>>> doesn't offer data plans on its pre-pay sims.  However, by manually
>>> configuring GPRS it is possible to get data access anyway.
>>> http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Carriers/TMobile
>>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>> (4) If the answer to #3 is yes, will linux cell phone
>>>>
>>>
>>> become a favorite of
>>>
>>>>
>>>> terrorists?
>>>>
>>>
>>> If by terrorists you mean technologically capable users
>>> then yes.
>>>
>>>>
>>>> Thanks!
>>>> Siegfried
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
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>
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-- 
Calvin: Know what I pray for?
Hobbes: What?
Calvin: The strength to change what I can, the inability to accept
what I can't, and the incapacity to tell the difference.