Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Developers Go Mobile: Opie Releases Free SDK

Posted by michael on from the building-blocks dept.

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."

5 of 54 comments (clear)

  1. Licencing by Space+cowboy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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.

    --
    Physicists get Hadrons!
    1. Re:Licencing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

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

    2. Re:Licencing by Ianoo · · Score: 5, Informative

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

  2. Opie + Zaurus SL-C7x0? by Kent+Recal · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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...

  3. Not just for PDAs by anonymous+coword · · Score: 5, Informative

    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!

    --
    Nero-burning ROM for Linux!