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Nokia Leaks Phone With Full GNU/Linux Distribution
An anonymous reader writes "It is now clear why Nokia has been so slow with S60 updates: the upcoming N900 just left everything else in the dust. Unlike Google's Linux platform, Nokia is not intentionally breaking compatibility with real distros, choosing instead to bring you the unmatchable power of GNU/Linux on your phone. This is the most awesome device I have ever seen: MAP3 CPU/GPU, 3,5" 800x480 touchscreen, keyboard, Wi-Fi, HSPA, GPS; 5-MP camera, CZ lens, 32 GB storage, SD slot; X11, VT100 terminal emulator, APT package manager. Estimated price without credit: $780 (N.5800: $390, iPhone 3GS: $750). Developers should note that even though the current desktop is still GTK+, Qt will be standard across all Nokia platforms in the near future (less powerful phones will use Qt on the Symbian kernel). Users can download flashing software from Nokia, and patches can be submitted at the Maemo site."
The Pre runs a practically normal Linux distribution. Granted, all the applications are written in Javascript and not some compiled language using C, but I look at that as a good thing.
You realize that it doesn't matter if the device runs Linux when the development environment is locked down, right?
You don't have to hack C or C++ to make programs for this device either; PyGtk has emerged as the most popular programming platform for third party developers of Maemo software.
What Nokia is bringing to the table is completely different from Android / Palm - it's a full, open Linux, no strings attached. You can develop software using the tools you want to use, instead of sticking to Java or Javascript.
Save your wrists today - switch to Dvorak
I like how there are two rival Slashdot cellphone factions.
There's the "phone should just make phone calls and not have all this shit added on!" faction, which is pre-dominant in a lot of stories.
And then there's the "I can't possibly get by with a phone that doesn't have VT-100 emulation!" faction, who are probably all rushing out to buy this thing right now.
I, uh, don't really have anywhere clever to go with this idea though...
Comment of the year
This will likely be my next major phone upgrade.
I own an N800 and an N810 and do some Maemo development work on them. They're IMHO awesome devices. I don't know or care about Nokia in general but they have been steadily improving this line of devices since the N770 and I just cannot begin to tell you how slick they are (again IMHO).
I use skype and gizmo to make VoIP phone calls on them at any Wi-Fi hotspot and they are just fun to play around with. The biggest problem with them, in my experience, is people expect them to be phones and don't get the idea that it's just a handheld PC. Adding cell phone capability with the N900 (and increased horsepower) will, I think, cross this device over from enthusiast toy to a more mainstream "smartphone" even though I think the term does the device a dis-service.
It's just more than a phone. I've never used a cell phone that had a web experience remotely close to the desktop/laptop world. The N800/N810 is 100 times better than any cell phone @ web browsing. The games available (for the most part if it runs on Linux, it'll run on these devices and I've enjoyed playing MAME games on mine), the productivity tools, the multimedia capabilities, etc.
I've never developed apps for the iPhone but I've tinkered with BlackBerry development, Android development and Maemo development. While I think it's not as well-documented perhaps as Android or BlackBerry, and getting set up to do development on it is not as simple, it's easily manageable and *much less locked down* than the other platforms. Developing for Android isn't too bad but I think it still is a bit more locked down, developing for BlackBerry you are also definitely limited by what RIM (and the cell providers) will allow you to do. I hope that with Maemo 5 and the new cell-phone stuff, Nokia doesn't cave to cell providers and start locking shit down on these devices and instead keeps to the spirit of the original open-ness so I can still write apps that do what *I* want them to do, not what T-Mobile wants them to do.
Uhm...don't forget that Nokia LGPL-ed Qt, and recently is open sourcing Symbian.
So while of course there are also practical reasons for what Nokia is doing, don't, FFS DON'T, paint their actions like they're sleazy bastards that are conspiring against you!
One that hath name thou can not otter
Here's a novel concept: Don't answer the phone while you're taking a piss...
"When the president does it, that means it's not illegal." - Richard M. Nixon
"bring you the unmatchable power of GNU/Linux". Cheesiest. Line. Ever. On /.
Just for the record: is there anything that you can name that can do more than Linux? Ever had an OS run on your wristwatch that was also able to run on the world fastest super computers, space exploration and operation critical medical hardware?
Just curious...
Here be signatures
Yes, but the real question is, "since when is being compiled a requirement?"
Ever since performance or memory usage has been. And thus always will.
I don't know what kind of crack I was on, but I suspect it was decaf.
I'm curious why nobody mentioned this subject. For me this is a major PITA when trying to develop on S60. 20$ for the privilege of running my own application on my own phone ??? No, thanks. Does anyone know if this scheme is going to be implemented on this phone ?
"bring you the unmatchable power of GNU/Linux". Cheesiest. Line. Ever. On /.
Just for the record: is there anything that you can name that can do more than Linux? Ever had an OS run on your wristwatch that was also able to run on the world fastest super computers, space exploration and operation critical medical hardware?
Just curious...
Batman can do anything.
Interesting.
Ok, I'll bite.
Your shocked dismay at being modded flamebait is entirely irrational, as you are entirely misrepresenting what Sir_Lewk said.
He did /not/ say that 'applications made with Javascript can't possibly exist in a "real" distro.' He said that any Linux offering that limits itself to /one/ language cannot be considered a full distro.
That is debatable - but I very much empathize. IMO, a fundamental feature of Linux is its openness, which allows me to do whatever I please on my hardware (even run ancient COBOL apps - though some work would be required) with minimal effort.
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Now, to your previous post:
Sir_Lewk is mentioning that both Palm's Web OS and Android are castrated distros. /not/ arbitrarily limited by language - which is a huge boon to development. If you want an already existing application, you don't need to rewrite it from scratch in whatever language, you /port/ it.
Nokia's offering is
As to "since when is being compiled a requirement?", consider this: who would to convert a compiled language into an interpreted one? If you want platform compatibility, you /port/ the compiler. Being compiled is a requirement if you don't want to attempt to convert a language /designed/ for compilation into an interpreted one.
As to your ad hominem attack on Sir_Lewk, it lends you absolutely /no/ credibility.
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I have now explained what you have requested. IMHO, your posts easily fall into the realm of flamebait. You are not worth another explanation unless you can demonstrate understanding.
I wish you the best of luck.
is there anything that you can name that can do more than Linux?
Chuck Norris