Le samedi 04 octobre 2014 à 11:48 -0500, Jonathan Petruska a écrit : > I would do so myself if I had access to a PandaBoard and a true Linux > system.
That's exactly where it becomes very obvious that talking about "Linux" as an operating system makes no sense at all. Please call it GNU/Linux for respect of the GNU project and the ideas it stands for. It also avoids useless talks about what is "truly Linux" and what it not. There is GNU/Linux and there is Android, which both use Linux as a kernel. > Many things are starting to shift to being optimized for mobile and > PC's are getting shut out. That's why I've been trying to port Dalvik > to Desktop Linux (Ubuntu x86_64, haven't had access to the system in a > while). It's also why I have a stack of Android x86 CDs. Intel chips are making a force entry on the tablet market after they drastically lowered their prices. I wouldn't be surprised to see AOSP gaining back interest in x86 pretty soon. > Paul Kocialkowski <[email protected]> wrote: > > >Le samedi 04 octobre 2014 à 10:30 -0500, Jonathan Petruska a écrit : > >> 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. > > > >Note that the Raspberry Pi is still a no-go for freedom as it lacks a > >proper free bootloader (even though code and documentation releases may > >soon make a difference). > > > >Regarding devices such as the Cubox-i and other Single-Board-Computer, > >HTPCs and TV dongles, we just don't think it's worth spending time > >porting Replicant on those (we could also add x86 to the list, > >especially with 8-10" notebooks). Replicant (like Android in general) is > >adapted for and runs best on mobile devices, mainly phones and tablets. > >In other scenarios (all the devices mentioned above), we believe > >GNU/Linux is still the best shot at having a free system, hence why we > >decided to focus on mobile devices with Replicant (for which GNU/Linux > >is not adapted yet). > > > >We have nothing against adding a port to a non-mobile-device, but I'm > >not going to do that work myself, unless I seriously run out of other > >things to do. > > > >> 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 > > > >-- > >Paul Kocialkowski, Replicant developer > > > >Replicant is a fully free Android distribution > > > >Website: http://www.replicant.us/ > >Redmine: http://redmine.replicant.us/ > _______________________________________________ > Replicant mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.osuosl.org/mailman/listinfo/replicant -- Paul Kocialkowski, Replicant developer Replicant is a fully free Android distribution Website: http://www.replicant.us/ Redmine: http://redmine.replicant.us/
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