The first LiPS specifications

The Linux Phone Standards Forum is an industry group aimed at standardizing the use of Linux in telephony applications. Its members include some service providers, embedded software companies, chip manufacturers, and so on. There is, interestingly, a distinct lack of representation from handset manufacturers in the group currently. LiPS has recently announced the release of the first set of Linux telephony specifications. This work is far from complete, but it is enough to give an idea for where this group intends to go. For those who would like to look at the whole thing, it can be downloaded as a zip file filled with files in PDF and HTML formats.

One of the first things that one notes is that LiPS is not about free software. The (minimal) software associated with the specification can be distributed under a somewhat BSD-like license, but any necessary patent licenses can only be had under "reasonable and non-discriminatory" (i.e. discriminatory against free software) terms. LiPS is very much about making it easier to create proprietary applications for the phone space.

One set of specifications covers basic user interface tasks - how the arrow keys should work, APIs for text entry, etc. LiPS appears to have settled on GTK+ as its toolkit of choice for this purpose despite the presence of Trolltech in the list of members. There is some evident concern about the size of the GTK+ library, leading to a specification of which widgets are necessary and which can be removed. Specifications covering the customization of the look and feel of the device are planned but not yet present.

Then, there's a set of "enabler" services. Those which are present currently include a discussion of address book services and basic voice call management. There is much more planned in this area, including calendars, messaging, web browsing, data synchronization, video calling, and, inevitably, "DRM".

Other areas which have not been filled in are "application management" and "OS services." Application management covers the launching and control of applications and some API-level things like inter-process communication. The OS services category is a large one; at the lowest levels it will have a set of "requirements on the Linux kernel and drivers" and some sort of database service. On top of that one finds things like network protocols, power management, dealing with SIM cards, etc. One imagines that the specification writers will be busy for a while. Some of the missing documents are planned for later in this year, with the rest completed in 2008.

Most of this is relatively boring stuff for people who are not actually working in this area. It may turn out to be important work for those who would like to see Linux World Domination in the mobile telephone arena, though. If it is to achieve that goal, LiPS will want to broaden its membership; the lack of presence by the companies which are actually shipping Linux-based phones is worrying. The creation of a software stack which is truly free software would be a good addition to the Forum's goals; if a phone is completely proprietary and locked-down, the fact that it is running Linux will not be especially helpful or interesting. If the Forum can become truly inclusive in these ways, perhaps its specifications will be more than just LiPS service.

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