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Nokia used Linux, Mozilla and XFree86 as the platform for their now-dying MediaTerminal, and launched the OST Development network (The site seems to be dead).

It actually looked as a very promising project, shame they charged almost $1000 for it :(

Hi

michael: FYI the media terminal *was launched by the end of 2001*, I live in Sweden, and they
have been selling for quite a while now.

We also had a demo of the new version, that will be launched in 2 weeks or so, in the FOSDEM, at
the Mozilla developers room, it was really great, it runs Linux(2.4.10+ I think), uses an embedded
version of mozilla as browser(0.9.5+, and will be upgraded automatically to 1.0 when it's released),
have 2 USB, 2 FireWire, 1 PCMCIA, Ethernet, and I don't remember what else, but it was really cool...
(full specs here: http://www.nokia.com/multimedia/tech_specs.html)

I don't have a TV, so I doubt I'll buy one, but you can be sure that it will take very short
time to be hacked, also almost all(if not all) the software it runs it's opensource, and you
can find it at: https://www.ostdev.net/(I think they are
going to release even more software there in the very near future)

A really cool project, that uses opensource software... <rant>ah, sorry, I forgot that this
days slashdot is full of M$ zealots that run WinXP/IE and think that in linux you have to do
"./configure; make; make install" to install anything(have you heard of RedCarpet? that makes
me think.... RedCarpet/Ximian desktop for the MediaTerminal? that could be cool...(not for me,
of course ;) )</rant>

[End rambling, back on topic ]

I think it's great that somebody is doing something like this, have in mind that this
will compete directly with the next version of the X-Box(HomeStation or whatever it's
going to be called), and I really prefer to see people using a product based on opensource
(so I can hack it if I want) than having to run windows on their TV(<troll>anyone wants to get
a BSOD in the middle of his favorite movie ;) </troll>, ah, and one last thing, the person
from nokia(hi Magnus!) that made the presentation, said that they are going to release xDSL modems
for it, that means that this modems will have drivers for Linux, something that in the past was a really
big problem... in resume(I have to go back to work!) this is a "Very good thing(tm)" and
anybody that cares about open source should be happy that it exists..(even if like me, many
of us aren't probably going to ever use it, after all, we don't have a life, right? ;)


\\Uriel


P.S.: I use FreeBSD with Ion instead of any desktop, but it's really funny
to see people complaining that linux is hard to use when even a 3 years
old could install RedHat(in my experience much easier than installing any
WinXX)

P.P.S.: Hmmm. I think in the end it could be useful for me: a Plan9 CPU or file server...
and I could mount the TV screen(if I had one) from my Plan9 termianl ;)

Hi

michael: FYI the media terminal *was launched by the end of 2001*, I live in Sweden, and they
have been selling for quite a while now.

We also had a demo of the new version, that will be launched in 2 weeks or so, in the FOSDEM, at
the Mozilla developers room, it was really great, it runs Linux(2.4.10+ I think), uses an embedded
version of mozilla as browser(0.9.5+, and will be upgraded automatically to 1.0 when it's released),
have 2 USB, 2 FireWire, 1 PCMCIA, Ethernet, and I don't remember what else, but it was really cool...
(full specs here: http://www.nokia.com/multimedia/tech_specs.html)

I don't have a TV, so I doubt I'll buy one, but you can be sure that it will take very short
time to be hacked, also almost all(if not all) the software it runs it's opensource, and you
can find it at: https://www.ostdev.net/(I think they are
going to release even more software there in the very near future)

A really cool project, that uses opensource software... <rant>ah, sorry, I forgot that this
days slashdot is full of M$ zealots that run WinXP/IE and think that in linux you have to do
"./configure; make; make install" to install anything(have you heard of RedCarpet? that makes
me think.... RedCarpet/Ximian desktop for the MediaTerminal? that could be cool...(not for me,
of course ;) )</rant>

[End rambling, back on topic ]

I think it's great that somebody is doing something like this, have in mind that this
will compete directly with the next version of the X-Box(HomeStation or whatever it's
going to be called), and I really prefer to see people using a product based on opensource
(so I can hack it if I want) than having to run windows on their TV(<troll>anyone wants to get
a BSOD in the middle of his favorite movie ;) </troll>, ah, and one last thing, the person
from nokia(hi Magnus!) that made the presentation, said that they are going to release xDSL modems
for it, that means that this modems will have drivers for Linux, something that in the past was a really
big problem... in resume(I have to go back to work!) this is a "Very good thing(tm)" and
anybody that cares about open source should be happy that it exists..(even if like me, many
of us aren't probably going to ever use it, after all, we don't have a life, right? ;)


\\Uriel


P.S.: I use FreeBSD with Ion instead of any desktop, but it's really funny
to see people complaining that linux is hard to use when even a 3 years
old could install RedHat(in my experience much easier than installing any
WinXX)

P.P.S.: Hmmm. I think in the end it could be useful for me: a Plan9 CPU or file server...
and I could mount the TV screen(if I had one) from my Plan9 termianl ;)

Take a look at the shipping announcement from November 21st last year.

According to their FAQ you can use Java.

1.3. Do I have to write my OST application in C++?

No. You can write applications in any language that has an interpreter or that is supported by the application environments. This currently includes C, C++, Java, JavaScript and MHP. If you want to use something else and it doesn't have C/C++ bindings, you will have to implement that first, though.

Not lightweight, embedded. There are plenty of embedded Gecko solutions (check out OST, www.ostdev.net) but I do not think Galeon qualifies as such.

Konqueror on the iPaq is very cute though.

I'm not sure this is what you are talking about, but Nokia is producing a "Media Terminal", based on Linux, Mozilla, etc.! You can buy it now in Sweden and it will be available later in the rest of the world...

They have teamed up with Loki to produce games for it!

They have a Developers Network

The imho coolest part is that it's totally open - both software and hardware! They have said that they are more interested in a small part of a large marked, than a huge part of a small marked!

Take a look here: Nokia's Media Terminal Site

From what I've heard from people that has tried it - IT IS REALLY COOL! - Among other things, they, of course, played a bit Quake3...

Linux DVB API

By the way: this is the API the Nokia Mediaterminal uses. They are going to opensource their software on the OST website.

Actually, NOKIA did already embrace the opensource model (as mentioned in some comments before) with their NOKOS license.

The new open source development license with examples on how to code on their media-terminal is located at: http://www.ostdev.net.

The site is still under development (some faq answers aren't filled out yet etc.), but all in all gives a good introduction to programming for their new box.

It seems the site for their "development network" reagrding the "Open Standards Terminal" is here. TheRegister ran a story the other day about Nokia's callout for linux developers to help code for the platform (I though it was /. worthy, but then anybody with a clue reads TheRegister already).

On the surface this would seem like just another company trying to milk the free software community of gratis code without giving anything back, but it could also be extremely important. Remember that Sony and Microsoft are both creating "media terminals" with the very clear goal of usurping the PC and becoming the main devices for accessing the Internet. And there can be no mistaking about their motivation behind this - to take charge of and close off the agents with which people access and handle networked information, so that they can regain the total control of it they need further their ultimate goals (their bottom line - at any cost to our network). Remember Sony's words: "We will block you at you PC".

I don't think it needs to be said again how profoundly dangerous this process is, and the enemy knows it.

It would be dangerous to try to paint Nokia as an angel of grace in this regard - cellphone handsets are hardly open platforms, in fact I know of few devices so infected with fuckware. But at least this move looks genuine, and while it may seem like an underdog Nokia should not be underestimated (handsets are the largest sector of consumer electronics, and Nokia the market leader by a long shot). Certainly, this looks more realistic then anything that Indrema put forward, and by not targeting games specificly it is in a better position to not have to go head to head with the big two (leaving their legions of evil to hack at each other) and target a market where Linux is more useful. I think that we could do worse for ourselves than support this effort.

And then they're told it can play games too, many of which are free.

This is the sort of sales pitch that even I would take out my credit card for.

Just saw this site (powered by CollabNet)

http://www.ostdev.net

This is the main site for Nokia's new machine. Very interesting indeed!

- mod this up please -

Is here: www.ostdev.net

It's really nice. TONS of docs about the way the system works. An SDK to download. Some example code. Still some holes (no tutorial up yet) but I'm sure they'll get filled if this thing takes off. The only major omission is the hardware spec.

-- Yoz

Homepage for this project is http://www.ostdev.net/