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Trolltech Qtopia Greenphone and SDK Review

Posted by Hemos on from the for-the-wee-little-ones dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The Greenphone comes at a time when there are countless mobile Linux platforms, but not many of them are open for easy development. This little device aims to fill a niche for a community-oriented mobile development platform. How does it perform? Linuxlookup.com has the Trolltech Qtopia Greenphone and SDK review."

6 of 37 comments (clear)

  1. Eeek by Yetihehe · · Score: 5, Informative

    Yes, it IS open source. But from DULA (Device User License Agreement) "...This device may only be used with Trolltech's Qtopia Software. You may not use this device in any other hardware/software combination other than in the combination of hardware and software that was delivered to you...". So no, it's not going to run (any) linux.

    --
    Extreme Programming - Redundant Array of Inexpensive Developers
    1. Re:Eeek by GauteL · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Ridiculous License Agreement that is probably invalid in most countries in the world but still cause some legal problems due to some ridiculous laws in some countries (read: USA and the DMCA). If I purchase the phone, it is mine to do WTF I want to with.

      Being from an open source company, it really sticks out like a sore thumb and makes this device a non-starter for anyone who cares about software/hardware freedom. Excactly the type of people that Trolltech is trying to sell the device to! The sheer stupidity....

  2. Pricing by Romwell · · Score: 3, Funny

    At that price you reaally regret that Greenphones do not yet grow on trees.

  3. Huge potential, bad licensing by bonefry · · Score: 4, Informative

    For more information on licensing, which is a real PITA for open-source developers, see here: Greenphone SDK.

    On the bright side, with projects like OpenMoko and OLPC I think the world will start to realize the power and potential of these little Internet-enabled devices when combined with open-source software.

  4. Not open enough for me by jonwil · · Score: 3, Interesting

    What I want to see is a phone which has a baseband processor that does all the stuff like talking to the cell towers. Such processor would present a fully documented and open interface (GPIO lines, AT commands, data ports, whatever) which the applications processor can talk to. Everything on the AP side would be 100% open source (GPL or whatever) from the phone dial app down to the daemon that actually sends AT commands to the baseband side.

    So far the closest we have to that is the OpenEZX project for motorola EZX linux phones although a lot more work is needed in reverse engineering the proprietary AT commands sent by the proprietary tapisrv app before it can do everything the motorola software stack can do.

    1. Re:Not open enough for me by queazocotal · · Score: 3, Informative
      It is.

      OpenMoko is the OS, there may be many phones.

      At the moment, on the Neo1973 - which is the phone that FIC is releasing first, you talk to the GSM modem via AT commands.

      The dialer app is at the moment broken, and you use minicom or something :)

      The only closed source bit of code that will ship with the phone is the code that takes the output from the very dumb GPS hardware, and 'cooks' it into an actual position. And there are moves to - when a working version of this is shipped, reverse engineer it, and make it open source too.

      You can run _any_ 'normal' linux app on it, with the obvious limitations (no keyboard unless you've bluetooth, 2.8" display, touchscreen, one uncommitted button).

      You can even put GCC, and a full normal toolchain on the microSD, and do native development work, if you really want to.

      (think of a Pentium 100 laptop sort of speed)

      http://wiki.openmoko.org/ - the wiki. http://rapidshare.com/files/18781887/rect.avi a 1 hour talk (60M) on OpenMoko, by one of the instigators of the OpenMoko project.