Launch of OSS For Mobile Phones

Linux Mobile Phone Guy writes "Members of the open source GPE project (GPE Palmtop Environment) today announced a new offspring project to create a fully open source software stack for mobile phones, GPE Phone Edition. GPE Phone Edition is a fully open source project based on developments from the GPE project adding necessary components for mobile phone usage. Based on standards defined by the LiPS Forum a complete application software stack is built. The current implementation is based on code contributed to the LiPS Forum by Orange/France Telecom's research and development lab located in Beijing China in collaboration with GPE project members. The result is now an open sourced software stack which can handle a GSM compliant mobile modem for making voice calls, handling the SIM address book and sending and receiving SMS. Also some additional application exists e.g. for media playback, instant messaging and email. They have some screenshots there and even a downloadable VMware image using which you can try the whole thing in a virtual phone on your PC — if you connect a GSM Modem (like an existing phone) to /dev/GSM-Modem you should probably even be able to use the full phone functionality (access SIM card, send/receive SMS, make a call!)."

How does this differ from Greenphone?

[kalpaha (667921)]

Greenphone [trolltech.com] from Trolltech already has a development device available, although it is a bit pricey for common usage ($695 USD). Does anyone have any information about the differences in the project?

Re:

[RossyB (28685)]

GPE is based on GTK+. The Green Phone is qtopia, obviously.

Re:

[losinggeneration (797436)]

Three: Gtk, Qt, Misc Other

Looking Forward to the Day

[RAMMS+EIN (578166)]

I'm looking forward to the day that I can buy a phone and install an open source OS on it, customize everything to be just the way I want it, etc. This projects brings that day one step closer. Congratulations, and good luck!

Re:

[mustafap (452510)]

openmoko already claims to do this. Product should be released real soon now.

Coming Soon

[RAMMS+EIN (578166)]

Coming soon: software to turn a bunch of mobile phones into a Beowulf cluster.

Re:

[div_2n (525075)]

You joke, but there is more to this than you think. With data and voice converging along with ever increasing smaller and more powerful chips, projects like SETI and other distributed computing initiatives will be VERY interested in those unused CPU cycles. An open platform makes it much more possible for them to use. Of course, this will drain battery power faster, but I'd volunteer my battery power if it meant I had to plug in my phone every night instead of every other night.

Virtual Phone

[mgiuca (1040724)]

Being able to run a virtual phone on a PC is what entices me. It means anyone can sit at home and play around, write software, etc, even without owning a phone. While this is all "for fun", by the time these phones become cheap and accessible there will be a mass of kids who already have the expertise to use and program these devices.

I'll definately check this out on my PC.

Nothing new.

[Rob T Firefly (844560)]

A clunky suite of software to emulate a phone, fax, and answering machine through a voice modem came with my first Pentium computer in 1995. It used the mic and speakers, and was surprisingly good for what it was. I think it stored messages in the cranky old .voc format, and of course each fax received was a huge TIFF.

Re:Nothing new.

[Aladrin (926209)]

I think you totally missed the point here. While the ability to use the virtual phone while it's hooked a real phone is neat, but real benefit comes from being able to create and test phone applications with real connectivity, and without taking a chance on destroying a real phone.

I must say, though, the idea of hooking asterisk to a real cellphone for calls like this is intriguing already.

Also, for those looking for a mirror, These finally loaded:

http://gpe.linuxtogo.org.nyud.net:8080/ [nyud.net]

http://gpephone.linuxtogo.org.nyud.net:8080/ [nyud.net]

Mobile Windows Migration for All

[Doc Ruby (173196)]

Which Windows mobile phones are the easiest to install this stack, which have the most of their features supported by the OS for apps? That can then run (recompiled) existing Linux apps? Mapping a touchscreen, joystick or keypad combo to the mouse, full Bluetooth and other radio control for voice/SMS/MMS/data...

Not just because I want my phone to run the same apps on the same shared data as my desktop. But because the limited phone UI will force new paradigms in using these little mobile devices which will

GPE for all who want it.

[twitter (104583)]

I'm not really sure what you are trying to say here but I can tell you a little about GPE. You demand:

... run (recompiled) existing Linux apps? Mapping a touchscreen, joystick or keypad combo to the mouse, full Bluetooth and other radio control for voice/SMS/MMS/data ...

and shall receive. GPE already runs recompiled applications with good mapping of input from all available buttons and the touch screen. Xstroke is on of the best graffiti handwriting recognitions I've ever used. The average distribu

Re:

[Doc Ruby (173196)]

I know all that. I've run exclusively a GNU/Linux desktop (GNOME) for several years, switching from Windows over the course of a year, after a decade following switching from a Mac (I used to work for Apple), when I'd also designed Windows 3.0/3.1 desktop publishing apps.

What I'm talking about is mainly drivers for phone touchscreens and other HW. And specifically, which Windows phones are most completely supported by GPE now. I ran the Handhelds.org Linux on some iPaqs without X (ethernet to stereo audio f

similar projects

[g2ek (852570)]

The LiMo Foundation [limofoundation.org]
OpenMoko [openmoko.com]
The GreenPhone [trolltech.com]

GNU radio for the modem

[r00t (33219)]

GNU radio should be able to be the modem, in software, given merely a transmitter/receiver/DAC/ADC setup.

How do you get a SIM card into a PC? :-) Maybe that too can be faked in software.

vmware

[smoker2 (750216)]

If anybody can actually find this mythical vmware image can you post a link please.

Re:

[ripcrd (31538)]

http://projects.linuxtogo.org/frs/?group_id=12 [linuxtogo.org]

That's nice, but...

[gidds (56397)]

Who thinks that any service provider will allow an uncertified software stack onto any of their handsets, and/or onto their network?

This isn't like getting a PC onto the internet, where any software can be installed and anything that talks TCP/IP can connect. Like it or not (and I don't), many of the more recent phones, music players, etc. are not open platforms in that sense. And the service providers are more than a tad concerned about keeping control of what connects to their networks. (I don't know whether their worries are about a compromised device crashing the network, introducing some unreliability, or just bypassing one of their many ways to profit from every byte that gets transferred.)

Do we have any reason to think that this stack will be treated any differently?

Re:

[bigtrike (904535)]

You can run your own software on quite a few GSM phones, which typically don't have any memory protection in order to save on hardware costs. You can pretty much do anything with a Symbian based phone that you want and there haven't been any massive service outages yet.

The control issue is only about selling you extras. They want you to have to purchase $2 wallpapers, ringtones, etc. from the carrier.

Re:

[mustafap (452510)]

Well, hopefully Openmoko [http://www.openmoko.com/] if that ever appears.

Re:Which supported phones

[Simon80 (874052)]

I don't blame you for mincing words, but OpenMoko is an alternative software stack for mobile phones, similar to this one. You meant to mention the Neo1973, which is the phone that OpenMoko's initially going to run on.

Re:

[Aladrin (926209)]

Good point, but I believe the QPE is dual licensed and cannot be used commercially under the GPL, as it uses the QT. This is a fairly major handicap.

A GPL-only framework would be much more palatable to phone makers as it would allow them to use it in their commercial products without fees. If they have to pay to use it, they'll probably just continue developing their own solutions as they have in the past. I know I would.

I'm generally against GPL, but in this instance, I think it's a good idea. Phone co

Re:

[Aladrin (926209)]

No, that failed. See my comment about 'their own good'. I mean forcing, as that's what the GPL does.

Oh, they'll still be able to create proprietary apps just like the linux kernel allows you to. But they won't be able to take community code and modify it without returning it to the community.

They'll probably find some other way to subvert the system, of course. I've already thought of an obvious one as it is. *cough*tivo*cough*

The Tunxphone isn't

[by Anonymous Coward]

The Tuxphone uses a non-gpl'd stack. Portions of it are explicitly BSD-based. And there seems to be a distinct movement towards moving the O.S. to a BSD-based O.S. rather than Linux, using Smalltalk.

Now, why this is all labled under the term "Tuxphone" is beyond me. It's misleading at best. But it's probably still the most open effort around, as there simply is NO completely open solution here. There are lots and lots of companies which claim to offer an Open Source cellphone, but they all lie. When it ge

Re:

[digitalchinky (650880)]

What are you talking about? If the phone implements the same protocols and transmission schemes that the telco is using, then where is the issue? The networks are not closed in the sense that each one speaks some unique proprietry language. Geek up on the acronyms and you'll have a better insight. Phone companies can only offer services that are already embedded into the phone - or could be with addtional software or firmware updates. Telco's don't make the handsets, they aren't even pushing for better tech