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Homebrew Club members are encouraged to post information about their projects (or other people projects) here.
=Linux Meta-Distributions=


There are several open-source mobile software projects and linux distros. Here's a smattering:
; [http://www.openembedded.org/ Open-Embedded] : The Open-Embedded Project produces a build system that tracks meta-data for Linux distributions and application suites for mobile Linux devices. [http://www.openmoko.org/ OpenMoko] currently supports Open-Embedded and [http://gumstix.com/ GumStix] has announced on their mailing list that they'll be moving to Open-Embedded from their previous Buildroot based system.


=Linux Distributions=
; [http://buildroot.uclibc.org/ Buildroot] : From their web-site... "Buildroot is a set of Makefiles and patches that makes it easy generate a cross-compilation toolchain and root filesystem for your target Linux system using the [http://www.uclibc.org/ uClibc C library]. Buildroot is useful mainly for people working with small or embedded systems." Buildroot is similar to Open-Embedded in that it is targeted towards small systems and is less of a distribution and more of a meta-build system. The "conventional wisdom" is that Open-Embedded is more flexible, but Buildroot is much quicker at building systems.


; [http://www.openembedded.org/ Open-Embedded] : The Open-Embedded Project produces a build system that tracks meta-data for Linux distributions and application suites for mobile Linux devices. [http://www.openmoko.org/ OpenMoko] currently supports Open-Embedded and [http://gumstix.com/ GumStix] has announced on their mailing list that they'll be moving to Open-Embedded from their previous Buildroot based system.
=Application Environments=


; [http://buildroot.uclibc.org/ Buildroot] : From their web-site... "Buildroot is a set of Makefiles and patches that makes it easy generate a cross-compilation toolchain and root filesystem for your target Linux system using the [http://www.uclibc.org/ uClibc C library]. Buildroot is useful mainly for people working with small or embedded systems." Buildroot is similar to Open-Embedded in that it is targeted towards small systems and is less of a distribution and more of a meta-build system. The "conventional wisdom" is that Open-Embedded is more flexible, but Buildroot is much quicker at building systems.
See also [[GUI_Frameworks]]


[[What is a mobile phone?]] lists the things people want to do with a mobile phone.
; [http://openmoko.org/ OpenMoko] : OpenMoko aims to be an open source application environment for mobile phones.


One project that's been relatively sucessful is the [[TuxPhone Project]]. TuxPhone was started by Surj Patel and Deva Seetharam and quickly attracted Matt Hamrick, Colin Cross and Leonardo Bonanni. The goal of the TuxPhone project is to produce a design that can lead to a "do it yourself" mobile phone; not just for the project members, but for anyone who wants to use the design.
; [http://code.google.com/android/ Android] : Android is the software environment behind the Google-instigated Open Handset Alliance.


Another project we're tracking is the [[SqueakyMoPho Project]]. SqueakyMoPho was Matt Hamrick's original concept for building a Linux-based mobile phone where application and UI code was written in Smalltalk. The project is now on semi-hiatus while Matt works on TuxPhone and Albion. But the "Franken-Phone" GSM Peripheral used to test the SqueakyMoPho software is still in active development. Matt has a "How to Build Your Own USB-Based GSM Peripheral" at the bottom of the [[SqueakyMoPho Project]] page.
; [http://www.maemo.org/ Maemo] : Maemo is Nokia's project to bring mobile linux to internet tablets. The focus of Maemo is more towards a connected internet communicator and less of a mobile phone. But the line between the two is certainly blurring.


The [[Albion Project]] is a hardware project to build a phone that uses a fully digital audio path. The idea being that the digital audio path will allow you to add features like "[[Data over GSM Voice]]" for [[vCard burst]]ing.
; [http://live.gnome.org/Hildon Hildon] : Hildon is the mobile framework used by Maemo; but you can apparently use Hildon without Maemo, so I'm listing them separately here.


[[Image:MyPhone37front.jpg|thumb|The [[myPhone]] Rocks!]] While the initial TuxPhone design is just a simple phone that makes calls, there is a lot of interest in a high end open smartphone that extends the TuxPhone design to a large touchscreen format. This is one design called [http://www.widgetry.org/dokuwiki/doku.php OpenCell] being produced at Florida Tech, and a flexible design called [[myPhone]] being developed by SVHMPC members. Everyone who builds one can customize it to their own needs and desires.
; [[Jowles]] : Jowles is Matt Hamrick's mobile application environment.


If you just want open software for a phone that has a fixed/closed design (including components that require manufacturer NDA agreements to be signed), then the [http://www.trolltech.com/products/qtopia/greenphone/index Trolltech Greenphone] started shipping to developers in December 2006, and the [http://www.openmoko.org OpenMoko FIC Neo1973] should ship in March 2007. The software framework for the Greenphone is Qtopia based, and OpenMoko is GTK+ based. For more information, read the comparison of [[GUI Frameworks]].
; [[SqueakyMoPho Project]] : SqueakyMoPho is a project to put a Squeak VM on the [[MyPhone]].


All the above designs should be sharing software at some level.
; [http://www.hikerproject.org/ Hiker] : Hiker is the mobile Linux environment from the good people at Access (who used to be PalmSource.)

Latest revision as of 23:18, 3 July 2010

Linux Meta-Distributions

Open-Embedded
The Open-Embedded Project produces a build system that tracks meta-data for Linux distributions and application suites for mobile Linux devices. OpenMoko currently supports Open-Embedded and GumStix has announced on their mailing list that they'll be moving to Open-Embedded from their previous Buildroot based system.
Buildroot
From their web-site... "Buildroot is a set of Makefiles and patches that makes it easy generate a cross-compilation toolchain and root filesystem for your target Linux system using the uClibc C library. Buildroot is useful mainly for people working with small or embedded systems." Buildroot is similar to Open-Embedded in that it is targeted towards small systems and is less of a distribution and more of a meta-build system. The "conventional wisdom" is that Open-Embedded is more flexible, but Buildroot is much quicker at building systems.

Application Environments

See also GUI_Frameworks

OpenMoko
OpenMoko aims to be an open source application environment for mobile phones.
Android
Android is the software environment behind the Google-instigated Open Handset Alliance.
Maemo
Maemo is Nokia's project to bring mobile linux to internet tablets. The focus of Maemo is more towards a connected internet communicator and less of a mobile phone. But the line between the two is certainly blurring.
Hildon
Hildon is the mobile framework used by Maemo; but you can apparently use Hildon without Maemo, so I'm listing them separately here.
Jowles
Jowles is Matt Hamrick's mobile application environment.
SqueakyMoPho Project
SqueakyMoPho is a project to put a Squeak VM on the MyPhone.
Hiker
Hiker is the mobile Linux environment from the good people at Access (who used to be PalmSource.)
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