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Palm OS To Run On Linux

Posted by timothy on from the funky-upstart-linux-os dept.

mwk88 writes "PalmSource today announced it is acquiring China Mobile Soft, a leading Chinese mobile phone software company, and will offer future versions of Palm OS Cobalt running on Linux. Full disclosure: I am a PalmSource employee -- but also a Slashdot reader, and would like to get some feedback. You can find more detail in this letter to the Linux community." NewsForge (also part of OSTG) has a textified (non-PDF), linked version of the letter.

5 of 408 comments (clear)

  1. Interesting FAQ by hajihill · · Score: 5, Informative
    The FAQ in this article is better than the article...

    Two questions on the tip of my tongue were answered outright and the section gives good perspective on the angle company is taking. From the article:

    Q. Why are you calling it Palm OS for Linux? Isn't that like saying you have an operating system on top of an operating system?

    A. "Palm OS for Linux" is not the formal product name, it's just a description of what we're developing. Our software is known as Palm OS and we wanted to keep continuity with that.

    Q. Does Palm OS for Linux replace current versions of Palm OS?

    A. This is an addition to our line, not a replacement. Other versions of Palm OS continue to be available. As always, we'll make decisions on their future growth path based on feedback from our licensees and other partners.
    My suggestion: scroll down for the good stuff. It's at the bottom of the article.
    --
    Of blankness, I know nothing.
  2. They got the trademark Backwards by Jakosa · · Score: 5, Informative

    " Linux is a trademark owned by William R. Della Croce, an individual, and previously owned by Linus Torvalds, the originator of the GNU code of the same name." wrong! The Linux Trademark suit (1996-1997) Though this has been tried again in other countries, the definitive case over the trademark on "Linux" happenned after an individual named William R Della Croce, Jr of Massachussets fraudulently trademarked the name "Linux", claiming he had made the first use of the name in 1994. Nobody noticed until he sent threatening letters to WGS of Aurora, CO (Linux Mall), Yggdrasil of San Jose, CA (first maker of a Linux distribution on CD) and others. The Linux community provided ample evidence that this was not true. The resulting lawsuit was settled with the trademark being assigned to Linus Torvalds. Right!

  3. Re:heh by barawn · · Score: 4, Informative
    One of the most frustrating things about the "death of the PDA" is the fact that there was an ancillary benefit for a lot of us: PDAs are extraordinarily useful, cheap, single-purpose interface and logging devices!

    In the project that I'm on, I've pushed for (and successfully gotten) Palms used for interfacing to the electronics in the project. They're far, far more useful than laptops for simple interfacing stuff (anything that can be interfaced with RS232, or nowadays USB). Cheaper, more rugged, much more visible in sunlight, and more importantly, far easier to use. Ever try typing on a keyboard in sub-freezing weather with high winds? Uck.

    (On a side bad note, do try to keep Palms slightly in the shade. The screens tend to darken significantly with heat from direct sunlight).

    Palms have been used for



    and lots, lots more. To be honest, part of the reason that I bought a Palm for my own personal use is that I wanted to support them. A cheap PocketPC device is $150. A cheap Palm is under $100.

    Plus, really, who wants to program for a Windows device? Palm even has a Linux programming chain, and a Linux simulator for Palm OS.
  4. Re:best of both worlds by Bruce+Perens · · Score: 4, Informative
    They are very conscious of the GPL and will make sure they are in compliance. I thought I had noticed a GPL violation and got two people there in a panic, only then to realize it was a false alarm. I am satisfied that they understand the problem.

    Regarding their software, it looks to me as if their software didn't grow to fit the ARM hardware as fast as it should have, due to the extent of 68K assembler programming in their original platform. Linux is part of their path out of that.

    Bruce

    --
    Bruce Perens.
  5. Re:Hmmm..... by mattdm · · Score: 4, Informative

    Here's how I solve the problem: replace Graffiti with TealScript. Unfortunately, it's ridiculously expensive for a Palm app, but I love it because I can actually use my own writing, which is actually very minimalist and original-graffiti like anyway -- but different enough that it was driving me crazy. And slowly, Graffiti was destroying my own handwriting. TealScript let me get it back. It's shareware, so you can try it out first (indefinitely, if you're into that).