I wasn't meaning a Pi based phone, I just noticed that a lot of these (albeit not the Pi, I know the Android struggles there) support Android and use a lot of open components. I don't think Replicant on CuBox(I) or PandaBoard would be too hard, especially with CuBox being designed for Android. Wouldn't be too drastically different from a tablet build, Pi would be best because of it's vast support, but I don't think anything based on Android has any hopes on that platform.
Michael von Glasow <[email protected]> wrote: >On 04/10/14 02:29, Jonathan Petruska wrote: >> I don't think a fully free cellphone is too unthinkable. Has anyone thought >> of porting to mini arm PCs like the Pi, or has this already been done >A proof-of-concept phone has already been built, albeit not with Android: >http://www.davidhunt.ie/piphone-a-raspberry-pi-based-smartphone/ > >As for Android on the Pi, some attempts have been made, but a lot of >things are still missing: >http://www.intorobotics.com/raspberry-pi-android-guides-resources/ > >Of course, there's also the GTA04, for which a port is under active >development. > >Such projects, however currently have a few hurdles to overcome: > >- Hardware sourcing: The typical smartphone nowadays is more than just a >Raspberry Pi with a touchscreen, modem and battery. Hardware typically >includes one or two cameras, GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth modules, as well as >a bunch of environment sensors (accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope, >proximity, ambient light, temperature, humidity). The challenge is to >find freedom-friendly components, for which free drivers either exist >already or are doable (i.e. documentation of interface and protocols is >freely available). > >- Momentum: A certain number of people who own and use such a device, >and a certain percentage of them who contribute to development are >necessary for any such project to take off. Without this critical mass, >development won't be able to keep up with the pace of the industry and >the product will be outdated before it is even finished. Openmoko and >the GTA02 aka Freerunner was an example of where this worked quite well, >but IMHO the Freerunner community was just about big enough to get off >the ground. > >- Cost: With the above constraints on hardware, a relatively low number >of users (i.e. small quantities) and most likely some quality demands, >such a device is likely to be costly. Take the GTA04, which has a 500 to >600 euro price tag just for the mainboard. With fully functional phones >selling for half this price, one does need a lot of enthusiasm to go >down that road. > >- Form factor: The GTA04, just like its GTA02 predecessor, is quite a >big brick. That probably has to do with hardware sourcing, production >quantities and also cost. > >So how can we tackle this? > >- Start with the easier tasks: A ten-inch tablet has fewer issues with >form factor than a phone – its dimensions are largely determined by the >screen size, which takes up the bulk of the space. The next biggest part >is the battery – but the other components are the same size as in a >phone, thus less is gained or lost from shrinking the mainboard or not >doing so. Also a tablet does not need to include all the hardware >components of a phone: a basic tablet can work on WiFi only, thus the >cell modem is not a concern at that time. Once the tablet takes on shape >and has evolved to a certain degree of maturity, cell connectivity can >be tackled. > >- Plan for a lifecycle: Over time, hardware requirements evolve as >faster processors, more performant graphics and systems with more memory >become the norm. Just having finished one platform doesn't mean work >stops there – rather, this is where work on the next generation begins. > >- Keep specs stable: We have just established that hardware evolves – >and new hardware requires adaptations in software. However, such >improvements should be as gentle as possible in order to limit the >changes in software needed. Where possible, newly introduced hardware >should be compatible with existing drivers, or at the most require only >smaller modifications to existing drivers, rather than requiring >completely new drivers. > >- Get a company on board: When it comes to industrial manufacturing >processes and building devices in professional quality, a different set >of expertise than that of a software developer is needed, and the >financial limits of a handful of individuals are easily exceeded. The >founders of Geeksphone one stated that getting their company to the >point at which they started shipping the One (their first device) >required investments which roughly equaled the price of a small house. >The GTA02 benefitted from the involvement of FIC, a manufacturer of >computer parts. The challenge is to find a company who has a commercial >interest in the project. > > >> ; I know there are some built specifically for Android (CuBox, Pandaboard, >> etc.). I like the idea of Replicant in the tablet world (If you can roughly >> consider Replicant/Android on mini PCs akin to tablets). >> >> [email protected] wrote: >> >>> Allan Mwenda <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> HAHAHA,if only I could. That is a rather gloomy scenario though >>> My great-grandfathers did it successfully in 1917, and we can do it >>> again. >>> >>> To bring this thread back on-topic, a fully-functional (i.e., unlike >>> OsmocomBB) GSM cellphone whose baseband firmware is available to every >>> end user in the form of full source code, compiled using gcc and other >>> Free Software tools (no blobs or proprietary build tools), and >>> physically reloadable into the phone, again using only Free Software >>> tools running under a free OS (GNU/Linux or other Unix), is NOT an >>> impossibility, and it is becoming closer to reality with each passing >>> day. The work is being done in a public source repository: >>> >>> https://bitbucket.org/falconian/freecalypso-sw >>> >>> Look at the commit history, and see for yourself how steadily this >>> project marches forward. As Che Guevara said, this movement is >>> growing stronger with each passing day, it will never stop. >>> >>> All the talk about legalities is nothing more than a scarecrow. Does >>> your country's police force employ psychics with extremely advanced >>> extrasensory perception capabilities? If not, how are they going to >>> divine that the ordinary-looking cellphone in your hand or your pocket >>> or your purse lacks some needed regulatory approval if its actual >>> radio signal emissions are identical to those from any other correctly >>> functioning GSM cellphone? And how are they going to divine that a >>> cellphone that physically looks just like any other (standard >>> commercial quality plastics and all) contains firmware which some >>> believe might infringe on some copyrights held by some ancient company >>> which might not even exist any more? >>> >>> VLR, >>> SF >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Replicant mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> http://lists.osuosl.org/mailman/listinfo/replicant >> _______________________________________________ >> Replicant mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://lists.osuosl.org/mailman/listinfo/replicant > >_______________________________________________ >Replicant mailing list >[email protected] >http://lists.osuosl.org/mailman/listinfo/replicant _______________________________________________ Replicant mailing list [email protected] http://lists.osuosl.org/mailman/listinfo/replicant
