OpenMoko is the only 100% F/OSS-based Linux smartphone project
Hi, yesterday I read an article in the German computer magazine c't that gives an overview over the projects dealing with Linux-based smartphones. As you might know besides OpenMoko there is the LiMo Foundation (lots of companies), Open Handset Alliance (Google, Android) and the LiPs Forum. As it turns out none (!) of those competing projects is going to provide you (the device owner) with the freedom to tinker with the device, use it for every mean, install your own kernel, access the hardware directly and so on. I find this a shocking fact. A short summary. LIMO: Produces 'common' stuff that can be used only if you are a member of the LIMO foundation. Membership fees are in the ten thousands a year. Besides that there will be non-common code which you have to license from another member. So you have non-free stuff and even more non-free stuff ... :$ OHA: The stack produced by this group shields you from the actual hardware. If you want to write a program for Android it must be Java at the source level (will be compiled into something different than Java bytecode) using proprietary APIs (no SWT/AWT/java-gnome/qtjambi). Low-level plumbing (kernel + device drivers) must be done by the OHA members themselves. LIPS: Became part of LIMO[0]. End of story. At LinuxTag 2008 I learned that Motorola is giving you the kernel sources but are using signed kernels and the bootloader to prevent you from putting your own kernel on the device. I expect that phones provided by LIMO and OHA will have the same 'feature'. Unfortunately its the linux kernel's GPLv2 which has no clause against such misuse. So even if soon Linux-based smartphones from LIMO and OHA will appear soon. All with great hardware, fancy graphics and whatnot they managed to rip all the fun and freedom out of it. :| Regards Robert [0] - http://www.lipsforum.org/index.php?option=com_contenttask=viewid=98Itemid=165 signature.asc Description: OpenPGP digital signature ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: OpenMoko is the only 100% F/OSS-based Linux smartphone project
They are not phones, but the Nokia internet tablets are not that far for freedom and deserve to be mentionned IMHO. ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: OpenMoko is the only 100% F/OSS-based Linux smartphone project
At LinuxTag 2008 I learned that Motorola is giving you the kernel sources but are using signed kernels and the bootloader to prevent you from putting your own kernel on the device. I expect that phones provided by LIMO and OHA will have the same 'feature'. Unfortunately its the linux kernel's GPLv2 which has no clause against such misuse. Even GPLv3 won't help you against motorola's dead man's switch. I tried to convince RMS, but he was just too far gone in his own world to understand why GPLv3 was not good enough, and could not ever, protect against this. Motorola phones have two parts, like openmoko. A baseband CPU, which is restriced and handles all GSM protocol, and the OS CPU, which is what you can tinker with all you want. Between the two CPU's is a virtual serial line. Now imagine the OS being linux with no restrictions, fully GPLv3 compatible. Now imagine one propretary binary running on that GPLv3 platform, which sends a signature based on the OS/kernel contents to the baseband via serial. If it is not a known good signature, the baseband CPU cuts power to the GPLv3 CPU after 60 seconds. No where here is there a license violation of GPLv3, you are not restricted from modifying and using code, but in practise you have been prevented to do so - in compliance with GPLv3 - since it is the baseband CPU that takes the decision, and not any GPL code. This is exactly what Motorola does. It is the 60 seconds of working phone with openezx. So even if soon Linux-based smartphones from LIMO and OHA will appear soon. All with great hardware, fancy graphics and whatnot they managed to rip all the fun and freedom out of it. :| I wonder what Nokia will do once they own all of their OS. They promised to open it up, I wonder about the restrictions. I'm glad I purchased an openmoko though. I'm tired of fighting against mobile phone vendors. Paul ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: OpenMoko is the only 100% F/OSS-based Linux smartphone project
Paul Wouters wrote: Now imagine the OS being linux with no restrictions, fully GPLv3 compatible. Now imagine one propretary binary running on that GPLv3 platform, which sends a signature based on the OS/kernel contents to the baseband via serial. If it is not a known good signature, the baseband CPU cuts power to the GPLv3 CPU after 60 seconds. No where here is there a license violation of GPLv3, you are not restricted from modifying and using code, but in practise you have been prevented to do so - in compliance with GPLv3 - since it is the baseband CPU that takes the decision, and not any GPL code. From GPLv3 section 6: “Installation Information” for a User Product means any methods, procedures, authorization keys, or other information required to install and execute modified versions of a covered work in that User Product from a modified version of its Corresponding Source. The information must suffice to ensure that the continued functioning of the modified object code is in no case prevented or interfered with solely because modification has been made. This is exactly what Motorola does. It is the 60 seconds of working phone with openezx. GPLv3 doesn't say anything about how the protection is implemented, though it does say continued functioning, so I think they've covered this loophole. :) Once motorola (or whoever) ships the phone with a GPLv3 kernel on it, they have to obey this clause. If they did the proprietary binary thing, then they'd have to give you something that allows you to use modified kernels... I'm not sure what that something is, since I don't know if method and procedure mean english instructions, source code, or binaries in this context. So even if soon Linux-based smartphones from LIMO and OHA will appear soon. All with great hardware, fancy graphics and whatnot they managed to rip all the fun and freedom out of it. :| I wonder what Nokia will do once they own all of their OS. They promised to open it up, I wonder about the restrictions. I'm glad I purchased an openmoko though. I'm tired of fighting against mobile phone vendors. Paul ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: OpenMoko is the only 100% F/OSS-based Linux smartphone project
Russell Sears wrote: Paul Wouters wrote: This is exactly what Motorola does. It is the 60 seconds of working phone with openezx. GPLv3 doesn't say anything about how the protection is implemented, though it does say continued functioning, so I think they've covered this loophole. :) Once motorola (or whoever) ships the phone with a GPLv3 kernel on it, they have to obey this clause. Yes, but there will never be a GPLv3 linux kernel. :) -- Drucken Sie diese Mail bitte nur auf Recyclingpapier aus. Please print this mail only on recycled paper. ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: OpenMoko is the only 100% F/OSS-based Linux smartphone project
I'm glad I purchased an openmoko though. I'm tired of fighting against mobile phone vendors. yeah, its a lot easier to fight against all the open source guys shivvying into position to make *the* bomb distro for the freerunner, thus destroying all hope of 3rd-party developer markets being established in any sphere less than that of a full-distro-is-my- application base .. seriously. i only wanna participate in openmoko so i can rip the bits i need out to provide phone services, and glom my application in the rest of it, put it on an SD card, and sell that. there is a huge market for this precise kind of custom-application vendor service in the corporate world. and so this is -precisely- why motorola and co., are defending their hardware base. open source is nothing without silicon. ; -- Jay Vaughan ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
