The Ultimate Linux Handheld (Linux Journal)

The Ultimate Linux Handheld (Linux Journal)

Posted Aug 11, 2007 23:46 UTC (Sat) by net_bh (subscriber, #28735)
In reply to: The Ultimate Linux Handheld (Linux Journal) by mhw
Parent article: The Ultimate Linux Handheld (Linux Journal)

>One of the object files needed by the N800's 802.11 network driver is
>binary-only. It can only be used with certain kernel versions, and
>with certain configuration options.

And Openmoko's approach was to not ship with WLAN at all IIRC.
(http://lists.openmoko.org/pipermail/community/2007-Januar...)
The key being "power-efficient", of course.

>Also, the battery charging application is binary-only. The associated
>kernel driver is thin, requiring logic that lives only in userspace
>and is not publicly documented.

And Openmoko planned that for A-GPS -
http://lists.openmoko.org/pipermail/community/2006-Decemb...

Sean Moss-Pultz puts it very succintly in the above link, give it a read - "Vendors price and support their components based on volume. The promise of an innovative product alone is not very persuasive. I can go to a vendor now, telling them about the potential of OpenMoko and say, "allow me to GPL your driver." They will end our negotiations before things even begin."

It is very easy to get onto the ideological high pedestal and bash a company that just wants to do business. Perhaps, if you went about doing a small exercise and tried to develop an equivalent device (on paper) with completely free software, you _might_ see the problem.

That's not to say that Nokia is perfect. But they needed to start somewhere.

What Openmoko is doing is admirable indeed and if they succeed (or have already succeeded) in solving these issues, more power to them. Until then, playing the volumes game is the best way to convince vendors to open specs IMHO. Every battle isn't worth fighting.

/Amit (ex-Nokia)

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