Intel Launches Mobile Linux Project

An anonymous reader writes "Intel has unveiled an ambitious project aimed at developing open source software for mobile devices. The Moblin project comprises a Linux kernel, UI framework, browser, multimedia framework, and embedded Linux image creation tools, along with developer resources such as documentation, mailing lists, and an IRC channel. Intel says it hopes Moblin will serve as a 'point of integration' for multiple sub-projects, and appears eager to see devices such as its Mobile Internet Device design, and chipsets such as its Ultra Mobile Platform 2007 platform, be thoroughly supported by Linux. Although all of the projects currently focus on the Intel architecture, Moblin says it is open to hosting support for other processor architectures."

Comments

A True Linux Effort

[19thNervousBreakdown]

You can tell Intel is sincere because they've followed the Linux naming convention... and come up with one that sucks :P

Re:A True Linux Effort

[19thNervousBreakdown]

As an update to my tongue-in-cheek comment, maybe they really are getting it:

Stylesheet
They're trying anyway--fails, but it's actually not that bad, looks like just typos.

Re:A True Linux Effort

[suv4x4]

You can tell Intel is sincere because they've followed the Linux naming convention... and come up with one that sucks :P

Wii think DS is gnoming to zune be some global tendency in knaming /. Think out of the box 360, iPeople!

Already existing projects

[jrumney]

With Nokia already backing Maemo based on GTK, and Trolltech's Qtopia based on Qt, what perceived need did Intel have for starting a new project to develop a mobile UI rather than joining an existing effort? Vendor specific fragmentation is just going to result in duplicated effort.

Re:Already existing projects

[ouchiko]

So typical in the mobile scene that everyone has to develop a new way.

Re:Already existing projects

[morgan_greywolf]

With Nokia already backing Maemo based on GTK, and Trolltech's Qtopia based on Qt, what perceived need did Intel have for starting a new project to develop a mobile UI rather than joining an existing effort?

With HP backing Red Hat and IBM backing SuSE and Red Hat, why did Mark Shuttleworth start a new Linux distro, Ubuntu?

Answer: because if other projects didn't fill the bill, the easiest way to get what you want is to start new one, rather than trying to wrangle with the politics of the existing ones.

Re:Already existing projects

[MrLizardo]

I would encourage you to RTFA (either moblin.org or the linuxdevices article) where it talks about Intel using Hildon (the UI framework from Maemo). To me that looks like the biggest reusable chunk of open source code that Nokia has turned out so far. Much of the rest of Nokia's stuff is either off-the-shelf (the kernel, packaging system (apt+dpkg)) or closed source (media codecs, DSP code) or rather trivial (I don't think writing your own application launcher sidebar is really going to cause significant fracturing of the Linux userbase). There is lots of code reuse if you look for it a little deeper than in a slashdot summary...

Re:Already existing projects

[LDoggg_]

"In another nod toward Nokia's 770 and N800 web tablets, the Intel/Red Flag MIDs will use the Matchbox window manager, alongside the proprietary Hildon UI and application framework."

Not sure why the article called it proprietary. Hildon and maemo are open source. The proprietary part is the build that Nokia puts out(along with media streamers,codecs, skype, etc.) called "Internet Tablet 2007" for the N800 (IT2006 for the 770).

Re:Already existing projects

[RAMMS EIN]

``what perceived need did Intel have for starting a new project to develop a mobile UI rather than joining an existing effort?''

Have you heard of NIH? It was invented at Intel. Well, actually it wasn't, but they have their very own, similar but incompatible version of it.

What about OpenMoko

[ookabooka]

What about OpenMoko? An open source and open hardware cell phone slated for consumer release around October 2007. If Intel wanted to do something seems getting involved there would be a great place to start. Had they have gotten involved a bit sooner they could have probably convinced the developers to use intel hardware instead of what they are currently using (I believe it is samsung . . don't quote me on that though).

Re:What about OpenMoko

[Repossessed]

The Neo phone OpenMoko is putting out is a Samsung processor, so no, it's unlikely that Moblin will work right now (though Intel did say that they'll host other architectures, I think somebody would have to port it first.)

Not that I wouldn't highly appreciate a phone with a pentium 3 powering it. (And modular hardware so it can be forced to work with multiple carriers, the Neo kinda fails the open phone idea because of that (at least as far as I can tell, you cant add CDMA to it and get it to work with sprint/verizon/cricket).

Re:What about OpenMoko

[Benanov]

(at least as far as I can tell, you cant add CDMA to it and get it to work with sprint/verizon/cricket)

CDMA doesn't seem to be "open" hardware in the slightest, you need new firmware per carrier, at least that's what it seems like.

You'd also be paying some high patent premiums for that hardware to Qualcomm.

That and while it would be awesome in theory, most of those carriers (esp. Verizon) would rather lock everyone out of everything that doesn't use their network. It's going to take a lot of market force that's not there right now to get that to change (there are other ways but they all have huge drawbacks.)

Reinventing the wheel again?

[Gothmolly]

I hope this at least builds on the successes of OS distributions for devices like the Linksys NSLU2, the WRT54G, and the Sharp Zaurus series. These people have stable and tested toolchains, build practices, entire organizations set up around managing and maintaining Linux on these devices.

Re:Reinventing the wheel again?

[MrLizardo]

I am a fan of both OpenWRT and Angstrom (formerly OpenZaurus) and have on more than one occasion used OpneEmbedded to build packages and whole binary distributions for my Zauruses (Zaurii?). Having said that I don't think that OpenEmbedded is really applicable in this case. OE's big focus is on making cross compiling less painful and on offering a more fine grained approach to the creation of binary packages. Since Intel's UMPC platform doesn't need to be cross compiled for (it's plain x86) and since it has lots of storage space at it's disposable (a minimum of 4GB or so as opposed to 16MB or less on on some OE supported targets), the benefits of OE might be outweighed when compared to the number of available source packages from a standard desktop Linux distro like Ubuntu or Debian brings in "for free." Just my 2 cents.

Re:Reinventing the wheel again?

[Anonymous Coward]

As a guy who works for Intel (@ another embedded project), I can say that they take very good care to insure their toolchains are solid and that the codebases are well maintained for the embedded gear they sell.

I have my own obvious personal bias, yes, but I have seen and helped them build and maintain codebases and dev kits for other chipsets. As long as people use it, they will maintain it.

I can also say that overall, there is a HUGE shift to Linux as their development base, coming at great cost to WinCE/Windows Mobile.

(posted anon for obvious reasons).

Moblin?

[Zero_DgZ]

Moblin? As in these guys?

Ultra Mobile Platform 2007 platform...

[jenik]

Wow! Must be good...

Re:Is Intel afraid of GPL3

[MrLizardo]

You don't have a history of trolling so I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt:
- No version of the Linux kernel has ever been released under the GPL 3
- AFAICT, none of the articles mention anything about Intel using a proprietary kernel
- On the projects page of moblin.org they list under the "Kernel" sub-heading that they will be working on "Platform-specific kernel patches and device drivers." I don't see any reason not to take this at face value.

For more info please RTFA. kthxbye.

Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded Edition?

[muszek]

hmmmm... when Matt Zimmerman announced Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded Edition, he was delighted to be working with Intel on this version of Ubuntu. Is there really a reason to create a separate project?

Re:Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded Edition?

[ian_brasil]

This is the upstream project from which several components of Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded are being derived. As such things like the moblin image creator are documented in the Ubuntu Mobile User Guide which is being developed here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UMEGuide

Mobile Linux..

[shutupkevin]

Intel Launches Mobile Linux Project

And here I thought I was going to read about Intel programming on Linux while driving. Or better yet, putting linux on cars!

Re:I used to like handhelds

[blackest_k]

Thanks for mentioning the Nokia 770 currently it seems cheap at £99 at some places, seems to be quite capable with some design flaws. Have you seen the Nokia N800? this appears to be a significant improvement over the 770 more ram more flash ram two sd card slots. I was almost prepared to buy the 770 when I saw the N800 It gave me pause for thought.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_N800