On Sat, 2003-03-22 at 14:34, Danny wrote: > Motorola grabbed a lot of headlines when it announced the world's first mobile phone > that runs Linux, however, developers won't be able to create Linux applications and > run those on the phone because Linux is not secure enough. >
If am in the manufacturer's position I could have said the same thing. Well, first we have to coin some few terms, in Java 2 Micro Edition(J2ME) mobile apps are called midlets. What are we going to call our Linux mobile apps? kernlets? scriptlets? chiclets? GTicKlets? KMoblets? what? It's so diverse the mobile market it's not ready for that confusion and confusion breeds false sense of insecurity. I think everyone who holds a Linux mobile phone is assumed a "superuser" since it doesnt act and it's not designed to be a server. :) Let's have a scary use case scenario of putting a linux mobile app into linux mobile phone: 1. Unlike J2ME, A Linux mobile app is native to the Linux mobile device. Therefore it could access native resources like phonebook, power management, time, calendar, bluetooth, sms, telephony etc. 2. If someone has an OTA(over-the-air)hosting for Linux mobile apps that operates the same way as www.midlet.org. Someone could develop a malicious linux mobile app that pretends to be a game or a serious application but underneath it's accessing your phonebook sending some "F&#* YOU" messages to your associates while you are brandishing your cool phone in public. Nobody wants that to happen. Of course some seasoned administrators will say "o may logging naman siguro, malalaman mo kung anong app ang gumawa nun" well thanks to that the damage has been done. Or some will say "open source naman eh, you can read the source code before you download something..." hehehehe, those who can afford a Motorola A760 are mostly rich but not necessarily Linux geeks. That's a big score for J2ME (it's unarguably, secured.), unless someone could develop a standard SDK for Linux mobile apps that assures security(oooppps i am giving away a fundable idea). Take note that mobile application development is a whole new ball game it's no way the same with desktop and server application that you are used to developing. For further questions and objections you can always email privately. Anyway, good luck. Jared Odulio Platform Developer Sagent Networks Ltd. Research & Development for Mobile Applications _ Philippine Linux Users Group. Web site and archives at http://plug.linux.org.ph To leave: send "unsubscribe" in the body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fully Searchable Archives With Friendly Web Interface at http://marc.free.net.ph To subscribe to the Linux Newbies' List: send "subscribe" in the body to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
