The Open Source Development Labs, an industry consortium devoted to improving Linux, plans to launch an initiative Monday to bring the open-source operating system to mobile phones.
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Member since:2005-07-06
Your comment would be true if the effort only started now but OSDL is only launching such a initiative in hopes of consolidating and solidifying the various current efforts.
As recent as a few months back Nokia launched a new mobile using Linux a variation of the GNOME platform
http://www.maemo.org/
So this is not by far the first effort to put Linux in mobiles
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MS also was late in PDA arena and now PalmOS is dying...
Linux is attractive because there are no MS tax in every phone sold and you can make innovations because MS does not permit hardware companies to escape from "MS standard". See all the PocketPC PDAs: all of them have the same operating system, with the same appearence and the same software.
Member since:2005-10-08
"MS also was late in PDA arena and now PalmOS is dying..."
Pretty much a different situation though. MS was able to muscle their way into the PDA arena because of people were familiar with Windows, embedded Windows could run the same applications people were running on their PCs, and it also made transfering data back and forth between PCs and PDAs more natural. MS had a significant advantage of the PDA based on their already near total dominance of the desktop.
Linux, on the other hand, has no real advantage for the average consumer on cell phones. And since you brought up PDAs, Linux has been tried, and has largely failed on the PDA. Granted, interoperability between your cell phone and your PC is a lot less important than between your PDA and your PC, but the line between what is a cell phone and what is a PDA is becoming increasingly blurred all the time as well.
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It's not a question of "ready" but "readiness". How "ready" is Linux for usage X and uesrs {Z}. For checking your email and browsing the web, Linux has been there for years. For doing highend printing and digital photo editing Linux still needs some work (mainly overall support and fine tuning of highend printers).
Linux on Smartphones will be alot easier than on the Desktop. Actual smartphone companies are developing ready to ship products based ontop of embedded Linux, the majority of which are in Asia btw. The fact OSDL is producing a base standard for this effort is a great thing as it will create a starting point for new comers and cultivate some level of interoperability of code developed for the Linux Smartphones.
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2005-07-07
This is stupid. This is a ploy to extend FOSS into embedded devices through the use of the Linux name.
Don't get me wrong, Linux is a great kernel for computers, but it isn't small, portable, or light on resources. There are other, more suitable kernels for this purpose. NetBSD specifically comes to mind. Everything that one would run in userland (like QT or GTK+) will recompile for NetBSD and so an embedded device that uses the NetBSD kernel can still use any userland software from the FOSS world that runs on Linux.
The advantage that the Linux kernel has over other mature *NIX kernels is the number of hardware drivers for desktop and server computers it has. On a non-desktop/server platform, Linux's advantages are gone and other smaller, more portable kernels are, frankly, JUST BETTER THAN LINUX and the OSDL is pushing Linux because they want to push the GPL, Linus works for them, and Linux has name-recognition - all of which are bad reasons (well, the GPL one is debatable, but the other two are terrible reasons). NetBSD is superior for this purpose and would be more easily accepted by handset manufacturers, but let's be Buzzword Compliant.
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Member since:2005-07-06
Toaster powered by NetBSD. =)
Whether NetBSD is superior to Linux kernel and vice versa is subjective. The fact Linux kernel is used on many devices speaks itself: http://www.linuxdevices.com/articles/AT2478437967.html
Member since:2005-10-08
"Change your BSD's license to be an equal to the GPL"
This is foolish. The BSD license is far more compatible with commercial interests (read cell phone vendors) than the GPL is. Why do you think MacOS X is based on FreeBSD and not Linux? Licensing has a lot to do with it.
Viral licenses just aren't compatible with many commercial interests. And that's the GPL is, is virus vehicle to propegate copies of the GPL license payload.
Yes, I am sure the GPL fanatics and zealots will vote this comment down. But that is only because they can't stand the truth. And the truth is exactly what I said it is. The GPL is viral, and that is not compatible with commercial interest a large percent of the time.
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Yes, I am sure the GPL fanatics and zealots will vote this comment down. But that is only because they can't stand the truth. And the truth is exactly what I said it is. The GPL is viral, and that is not compatible with commercial interest a large percent of the time.
Moulineuuf is loony even for the GPL fascists. He claims that windows only has 65% of the desktop marketshare and 10% of the server space. He's weak minded and has been indoctrinated thoroughly
Member since:2005-07-06
"Moulineuuf"
I really like how you play with my real life name Anonymous. Copy paste is always broken on your system.
"the GPL fascists."
Learn what a facist is moron , its not the same as people fighting for people to have rights where thief and liar usualy remove them or disregard them and for them ( the rights and individual ) to be equal for all like in a real freedom society.
"He claims that windows only has 65% of the desktop marketshare and 10% of the server space. "
Actually I dont claim anything , I say things based on knowledge and accurate and proven figure ( my #1 Source is Microsoft own internal numbers BTW , why do you think they're even acknoledging GNU/Linux at all , if , like you say they got 98% of the desktop , and aint loosing any marketshare at all ?? ). Microsoft Windows at its highest got 85% of the market that whas in 1999 - 2000. Today BSD's are getting some market share 1-2% on the desktop , Apple is getting market share 6 - 7% , GNU/Linux is gaining market share 24% and the Other OS have 1 - 3%.
"He's weak minded "
If I where I would be agreeing with you in an anonymous minutes , you dont even know the meaning of almost all the word you use.
"and has been indoctrinated thoroughly"
GNU/Linux is not a doctrine nor is the FSF , Open Source and GPL either , they are the right thing to do in this day and age because the rest whas tried and it failed , and who's idea's time as come.
Now you can feel free to offer your million of non existing Cell phones running BSD to counter the one GNU/Linux as and are comming. You can also offer your source for your number about desktop market share.
Fastest way to shut me up is to Really show me as wrong , with hard data and facts , funny thing is it happen and when it does I say I whas wrong and apologize for it like a man but its not very often at all , I tend to double check what I say got to compensate for my lack of writting ability. It never happened with you at all.
Member since:2005-07-06
"This is foolish."
No , this is the only thing insightfull left to do if you ( the BSD's , not Apple or Microsoft ) whant to make a comeback this decade.
"The BSD license is far more compatible with commercial interests (read cell phone vendors) than the GPL is."
Man , are you guys delusionnals , and disconnected from reality , look up how many cell phone run Gnu/Linux , GNU/Linux / JAVA , and GNU/ Linux something else , etc already ... there are 10 thousand models and newer one coming out or in preparation , the BSD'S is actually inferior to GNU/Linux due to the traitor effect and the closing of Source code in the derivatives and the work behing really done by the GNU/Linux developpers.
"Why do you think MacOS X is based on FreeBSD and not Linux?"
Because Apple like to close Open Source with the traitor effect in the BSD licenses , they dont understand Open Source at all , they like to take and give almost nothing back.
"Licensing has a lot to do with it."
Its the only reason they use BSD at all.
"Viral licenses just aren't compatible with many commercial interests"
Really Apple is worth 44.81 Billion , GNU/Linux company togheter are already worth 410 billion. Thats not including Dell , IBM , HP who does hardware for it I mean direct software maker and not the third party software makers either.
" And that's the GPL is, is virus vehicle to propegate copies of the GPL license payload."
No , it equal freedom , the GPL is not why GNU/Linux software propegate there the reason there defended.
The truth is BSD is only surviving today because GNU/Linux aint after it directly , If we started to enforce the GPL on the BSD project 90% of the new distribution are relasing GPL code under BSD , you CAN switch BSD code license , GPL you CANNOT unless your the one original autor who did the code and are dual licensing it from then on.
If GNU/Linux is incompatible commercially you need to tell the company like IBM , Dell , HP , Lexmark , archos , Disney , Pixar , Google etc who are all using it commerially.
the real truth is that for commercial endeavor GNU/Linux is better it remove the need to watch over your shoulder if your going to get screwed by a partner project with 100 time your finance and budget , they cant take it all and run with it and cut you out of the deal like they do on BSD's project all the time.
Member since:2005-10-08
"No , this is the only thing insightfull left to do if you ( the BSD's , not Apple or Microsoft ) whant to make a comeback this decade."
It is huh? Is that why I can count on one hand the number of successful companies that are based on GPL software and still have fingers left over?
"Man , are you guys delusionnals , and disconnected from reality , look up how many cell phone run Gnu/Linux , GNU/Linux / JAVA , and GNU/ Linux something else , etc already ... there are 10 thousand models and newer one coming out or in preparation "
10 thousand models? I think you need to go back on your meds. Or at least cite your source. Please site your source this information. I suspect you can't cause you pulled the number out of your ass.
Now you want to know how many cell phones are out there are NOT running GNU Linux? 2 billion. That's right. 2 billion.
"Because Apple like to close Open Source with the traitor effect in the BSD licenses , they dont understand Open Source at all , they like to take and give almost nothing back."
Is that so? Maybe that is why Apple released Darwin to the open source community? Or why Microsoft ported .NET to FreeBSD? The GPL simply doesn't work because it FORCES companies to give everything back, even if their code is 1 million lines of code that links againt 500 lines of GPL code, they are forced to GPL all 1 million lines of their code. That doesn't go over well. The BSD license is much more compatible here since it allows companies to give back things that are generally useful, but do not negate all of the companies work.
"No , it equal freedom , the GPL is not why GNU/Linux software propegate there the reason there defended."
It is not equal freedom. Freedom is saying "I have the right to license my code that I wrote however I want." The GPL specifically takes that freedom away from people. BSD is far more about freedom than GPL is.
"The truth is BSD is only surviving today because GNU/Linux aint after it directly"
This is pure bullshit. BSD is roughly 6 times more popular than GNU/Linux if you factor OS X into the equation. OS X is the most popular UNIX system in the world. NOT Linux.
"If we started to enforce the GPL on the BSD project 90% of the new distribution are relasing GPL code under BSD , you CAN switch BSD code license"
And Linux woudln't exist at all if BSD decided that BSD licensed code cannot be relicensed under the GPL. Do you have any idea how much of the GNU utilities is based on code that originally came from BSD Unix?
"If GNU/Linux is incompatible commercially you need to tell the company like IBM , Dell , HP , Lexmark , archos , Disney , Pixar , Google etc who are all using it commerially."
Apples and oranges. None of these companies are in the business of selling operating systems or software that would be required to be GPL'd because it is very closely tied with an operating system and perhaps links into operating system code. And Disney, Pixar and Google are totally and completely irrelevant here. They are just users. (And Disney is primarily an IRIX and Solaris shop anyway).
"the real truth is that for commercial endeavor GNU/Linux is better it remove the need to watch over your shoulder if your going to get screwed by a partner project with 100 time your finance and budget"
Yeah, right... Instead I have to watch over my shoulder to make sure I am not violating the GPL somewhere. Which is a royal pain in the ass sometimes because of how viral it is. That also makes the GPL incomptible with tons of other licenses I may have to work with.
RE[4]: Reality compliant
Member since:2005-10-08
You lose the argument, as proven by the fact that you had to resort to childish name calling and proving you are probably one of those 15 year old know it alls who thinks they are an elete hacker because they run Linux and not Windows. Tell you what, go back to school and try again after you have actually worked in the real world of IT instead of just played with your Linux toy on your home computer. And maybe by that time you will have matured beyond name calling with things like "stupid moron".
RE[6]: Reality compliant
Member since:2005-10-08
By the way... That site you sent me to? Says absolutely nothing anywhere on it to the effect of 10,000 cell phone models in development that will run Linux. Not a word. So even your own citations don't back up your claim.
"Now you want to know how many cell phones are out there are NOT running GNU Linux? 2 billion. "
"No , but its nice to know you can invent big numbers , try again with reality sometime."
That number happens to come from Nokia executives at an IT conference I was at. Yeah... Some of us actually do work in the real world of IT and attend conferences.
But don't take my word for it:
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/612177
Member since:2005-07-06
"Says absolutely nothing anywhere on it to the effect of 10,000 cell phone models in development that will run Linux."
Thats because , the link given , it dont answer that , your too stupid to read properly and follow the reply to your own shit and are mixing thing , you cant see to wich lies of yours I replyed to , it become your problem , I aint going to teach you how to read properly in english.
"That number happens to come from Nokia executives"
Its also happen to be innacurate. Nokia is a phone vendor. The number of phone they calculate is in use is based on there shipment of phone , its not accurate. I prefer the numbers given by the carrier and analyst who are respected and trusted to be accurate.
"at an IT conference I was at."
Wow , you whent to one Nokia conference , and you push BSD , too bad Nokia is seen as making a big Push into GNU/Linux , I guess they dont respect or trust at all what you have to say.
"Some of us actually do work in the real world of IT and attend conferences."
I guess your strategy work :
1) Work in IT
2) Push BSD
3) Attend conference
Keep doing what your doing it obiously work , thats why Microsoft is scared of GNU/Linux , BSD as no company pushing it this days , and more and more GNU/Linux based phone are in the work.
Good job !
Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:
2005-08-08
Linux is *cheap* compared to dedicated, optimized operating systems designed to be used on small, portable devices so let us it anyway!
(well, I mean cheap except for the hardware costs it implies and the development costs it implies, but we do not care either because Linux is so cool anyway)
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the more complex the software, the more annoying bugs it will contain. i use a small, lean mobile phone without camera, colordisplay, mp3 player, downloadable ringtones, mms and all the other useless shit, that you don't use anyway. it was very cheap (60$ new), its battery lasts for days and never crashed its software even once.
a friend of mine got a new symbian based phone with every possible gadget function you can imagine and it even runs doom. the phone's os crashes twice a day, using the mp3 player drains the battarys in a matter of hours and even in standby, batterys don't hold longer than a day.
no matter if it uses symbian, palm, windows, linux or bsd the more functions it will get, the more it will crash and use up the battery. i hope plain phones are still around for a while, it already was difficult to find one.
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