Developers Go Mobile: Opie Releases Free SDK

An anonymous reader writes "The Open Palmtop Integrated Environment (Opie) project to develop a free graphical application environment for Linux handhelds and webpads has released a software development kit (SDK) based on the KDevelop3 open source IDE. The Opie SDK provides tools for developing open, professional-class applications for Linux based mobile and embedded devices running under the Opie platform, according to Opie hacker Oliver 'Groucho' Fels. In case you're wondering, Opie is a fork of Trolltech's Qtopia, a palmtop application stack popularized by Sharp's Zaurus line and other PDAs and handhelds. Opie features a sophisticated personal information (PIM) framework as well as several other productivity apps, extended multimedia capabilities and document model, networking and communication tools, and support for more than a dozen languages."

Comments

Trolltech

[Anonymous Coward]

Trolltech is 6% owned by the Canopy Group. I refuse to use software that Trolltech has put its hands to.

Six percent is not a small share. Anyone who argues 6% is nothing is just making convenient excuses.

Re:Trolltech

[koshimetsu]

Canopy Group == Umbrella Corp.?
Woohoo, zombie dogs!

Seriously though...I fail to see anything on their feature list that stands out as terribly innovative. And the fact that they are "including an easy to use access API" actually puts me off a bit...PDAs don't have very much in the way of system resources and I'd be much more impressed if it was tiny+fast.

That or if it just turned everyone into zombies. That would be impressive. Not very fun, but impressive.

Re:Trolltech

[BigHungryJoe]

I don't think the parent is flamebait.

Ralph Yarro, CEO of the Canopy Group, also sits on Trolltech's Board of Directors and is a part owner of Trolltech.

There is no denying the relationship between SCO and TrollTech.

If you're going to use QT I hope you have indemnification to protect yourself from SCO.

Re:Trolltech

[Kristoph]

The fact that a VC is associated with more than one company does not mean that the companies have a "relationship" of any sort.

A suggestion to the contrary is simply wrong, a suggestion to the contrary leading to conclusion that the use of QT might someday require "indemnification to protect yourself from SCO" is quite clearly "Flamebait" (of which you are as guilty as the parent).

]{

Re:Trolltech

[Anonymous Coward]

oooo. that must certainly make Trolltech part of the evil empire!
The Canopy Group is an Investment group! nothing else, you sodhead!

Licencing

[Space cowboy]

It's not immediately apparent from their website, so is Opie subject to the provisions of the QPL, if it's derived from Trolltech ?

In other words, can you write commercial s/w with it ? I personally have no real desire to :-) But I think it may have an impact on the uptake...

Simon.

Re:Licencing

[Anonymous Coward]

Of course not. It's based on Qt which is licensed under GPL/QPL.

Re:Licencing

[MooKore 2004]

It is binary compatible with Qtopia. Buy a qtopia licence from TrollTech. Of course if you release your programs as open source you can still sell them. Many people have wrote Qt Apps and release the source for free, but sell binaries.

Re:Licencing

[Ianoo]

... and hence the fork is licensed purely under the GPL, since the QPL is a commercial license and does not permit forks.

Re:Licencing

[Anonymous Coward]

Open source is a good thign. Of course you can seel the binaries, just like they do with many GNU/Linux distros.

The best thing about my GNU/Linux boxen (besides being free as in speach) is that they don't get virii and BSODs all the time like my roommates M$ Windows^H^H^H^Hblows.

Re:Licencing

[Anonymous Coward]

MooKore2004, I am a non tech/non programmer that wants to develop an application using open source to run on a PDA in the medical field. Can I produce an application using open source programs that are available and then produce it for a commercial development. What is a binary that you can sell? I know this is a very basic question but hope you could provide some insight. Thanks

Re:Licencing

[Capt. Beyond]

a Qtopia commercial developers license is only $195 (USD).
Qtopia Developer Licensing

Opie, the one everyone forgot.

[SinaSa]

Is it just me, or does anyone else thing Opie could be the name of one of the Little Rascals?

Re:Opie, the one everyone forgot.

[Jim Starx]

Opie was off green acres, not the little rascals...

Re:Opie, the one everyone forgot.

[mutende]

I thought OPIE was One-time Passwords In Everything.

Re:Opie, the one everyone forgot.

[J. T. MacLeod]

No, Opie was from The Andy Griffith Show.

Re:Opie, the one everyone forgot.

[AKnightCowboy]

I thought OPIE was One-time Passwords In Everything.

It is. This project suffers from Firebird syndrome. They really should change their name to avoid confusion with another, much older and widely respected, open source project.

Re:Opie, the one everyone forgot.

[abandonment]

global directory of open source projects? sounds like we need some kind of directory of open-source (and commercial?) software names so us developer-types can check to see if our prospective project names are already taken? just a thought. of course google always work too ;P

Re:Opie, the one everyone forgot.

[Capt. Beyond]

"I'm not wearing my OPIE hat much anymore. A new release is planned, but is progressing very slowly due to lack of time to spend on it right now."

The last copyright was 2001. The project you mention is dead.

Opie + Zaurus SL-C7x0?

[Kent Recal]

Is anyone using Opie on the Sharp Zaurus SL-C7x0?

I'm tempted to buy such a device and wonder what software options I may have (other than the default). Does Opie on Zaurus support all features of the default software (as in network connection, ext. hardware support, sync'ing etc.)?
Is it fit for daily work or should it be considered "experimental"?

I expect the PIM functionality of Opie to be a bit more mature than the "translated from japanese" apps that come pre-installed with the zaurus.

Some comments from a Zaurus owner who has tried both (anybody out there?) would be nice. Google didn't find me a review covering this subject so I'm giving it a blind shot here...

Re:Opie + Zaurus SL-C7x0?

[Anonymous Coward]

Haven't used it on an SL-C model, but I'vve got one of the original 5500's I believe it was and I installed Opie on there pretty much off the bat, good software selection, decent hardware support (Considering the SD card module is binary-only from sharp, although somebody had a open source mmc module under development)

They're worth a look if you don't mind your 'open source' having a lot of closed source items in it.

On yeah, and if you kill the backlight you get a good 5 hours or so on a battery (maybe more)

-- vranash

Re:Opie + Zaurus SL-C7x0?

[PaintyThePirate]

I had Opie on my Pocket PC (An Ipaq 3650) for a while. It was running on the Familiar distribution from handhelds.org. It worked surprisingly well, though some of the PIM features were not as polished as those on the Pocket PC 2002 OS. Opie supported all of the hardware on the Ipaq, so I assume the Zaurus would be fully supported as well. As for the question about if it is "experimental", I would liken it to the Testing distribution of Debian. It is stable enough to run fine, but it is not as perfect as the Stable distro.

Re:Opie + Zaurus SL-C7x0?

[treke]

You can't kill the backlight on a C7X0. If you do, the non-reflective screen just turns black. A c760 can already get you 4 or 5 hours of continual use, so it isn't a big deal.

As for Opie, I've used it on my iPaqs and my C760. Works well for my needs, but it isn't for everyone.

Use Y instead!

[1337 Apple Zealot]

Why use Opie when Y is here! Y is small, fast and free! The ideal replacemnt for X and Opie. 0.2 has just been released and is an exciting system, complete with hardware acceleration, alpha blended widgets and more!

Get Y!

PDA/Phone Programming

[Aurix]

I've got a Kyocera 7135 (Palm OS/Phone), and I've always been curious if it's possible to write a Palm application to control the phone?

Ie, I'd like the program to hang up after calls hit a certain length during certain times... (Save on phone bills)... Anyone got any ideas?

Re:PDA/Phone Programming

[Anonymous Coward]

Manually click the button?

You: "Ya, ya, ya, listen shut up!" [CLICK!]

Re:PDA/Phone Programming

[yomegaman]

Grab yourself a copy of the 7135 SDK here and look through the docs. I would be surprised if what you are asking for is not possible.

Not just for PDAs

[anonymous coword]

Opie/Qtopia are useful several different enviornments. Most notably for "rescue" systems. For example in Ark Linux, if you mess up your XServer and it cant start up again, runs a Qtopia app to help you recover. Also for its installer.

I personally have written an mplayer front end for my own home made settop box because I didn't want all the burden of X for just one app! So try them today, it may just be the "X replacement" that people are looking for!

Re:Soviet Developers

[Anonymous Coward]

Dude. The joke is old... old... old. If you are going to post a Soviet Russia comment, either make it TOO GODDAMN FUNNY or learn to take negative mods. (Mod this up, maybe somebody in the brink of a lame "Soviet Russia" joke will see it and refrain from posting it)

More Linux Distributions for PDAs

[wehe]

OPIE is great. It works on different PDA models (not only the Zaurus PDAs made by SHARP). Though there are different other Linux distributions for PDAs available.

*soooo* many ways to do this in linux now ...

[torpor]

... put together a 'small and light GUI/SDK', I mean. For small and light computing.

Hold on, its going to get better. SDL+Paragui/gtkfb+fb/&etc...

Re:*soooo* many ways to do this in linux now ...

[wehe]

There are even more Open Source - GUI builders for PDAs. You may build Graphical User Interfaces for other small or embedded computers with these tools under Linux as well as other operating systems, too.

That's great news!

[swaic]

It's sure to bring some "Happy Days". Get it? Happy Da... Ahh never mind. I'll go back into my hole now.

The one thing that's missing from these PDAs...

[bc90021]

...is phone call ability. I've owned several Zaureses (Zaurii? ;) ) and have run Opie on them, and it is extremely cool. However, since I've always had to carry a PDA *and* a phone, I've always ended up selling the PDA since it's just extra weight and the phone defaults to the place to store contacts since I can voice dial with it.

As soon as there's a Zaurus that's also a phone and has phone software for it from Opie, I'll be switching permanently!

Re:The one thing that's missing from these PDAs...

[/dev/trash]

A PDA that is a phone? What the hell!

Re:The one thing that's missing from these PDAs...

[Capt. Beyond]

You mean something running this?
Qtopia Phone Edition

YES

[Anonymous Coward]

Of course you can!

The desktop and all the development tools are GPLd so your commercial app would naturally have to be Free.

The real Opie

[t0ny]

Well, radio hasnt been the same since Opie and Anthony went off the air, but its nice to see at least one of them working again.

Re:Soviet Developers

[pegasustonans]

Overrated I could understand, but being labeled a troll gets me a little ticked off. Honestly, people should understand what a troll is before they start modding people as troll.

Re:I like buttsex?

[Anonymous Coward]

To answer your question: Yes, yes you do.