[lug] cell phones with linux

[Ben Burdette]

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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