Ubuntu/Linux realease for mobile devices planned soon

[wizardragon]

The release is planned for October, but there are bound to be betas beforehand.

Normally with Ubuntu there are major new releases every six months(ish) and with being open source there is no risk of anyone spitting the dummy at libraries of ROMS.

http://www.ubuntu.com/news/ubuntu-for-mobile-internet-devices

For the benefit of those wondering WTF ubuntu is - its already been voted one of the top 100 products of 2007 in PC World. (Can products be free?)

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,131935-page,13/article.html

It is also being offered now by Dell as an alternative to Vista...

http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/05/01/13147.aspx

...prompted by Michael Dell using it on his home PC for years.

[hanmin]

Well, if I'm not mistaken, the Mobile Internet Device referred by the news, are UMPCs (e.g. fully functional PCs). As such, porting the OS over is easy job, as compared to porting it over WinCe devices.

However, having said that, it is not all lost. With Intel on the market with Linux, chances are, probably there will be more applications written for Linux based OS and will then encourage the dev on Linux on WinCe (if you google, there is a Linux for Wizard project running already).

[wizardragon]

As far as I know there have been a few shots at linux for the wizard (et al), although the benefit of being ubuntu would be a far wider range of developers, the release structure they favour, and the finances to back it.

I still have a windows 98 boot (for some specific software than runs badly on any newer versions) and if you look at the spec of machines from then (I swapped the board, processor and memory from a Cyrix 166 with 32meg, to a pII 450 with 128 meg about late 1998), the older machines spec does not look particularly good compared to the wizards.

The xubuntu flavour of ubuntu is quite capable of extending the life of older hardware, by running more efficiently - and I have set up a few older machines I was given as scrap to play games for friends' children - to introduce them to 'proper computers' when it does not matter as much when they discover jacobs crackers fit in the floppy, or a CD rom cannot close with enough force to cut off action mans legs.

Anyway - returning to the plot - I would suspect xubuntu is currently not too far from working in a PDA - but the xubuntu project has far lower funding than ubuntu, but could be an excellent platform to adapt.

[hanmin]

Well, as far as I know, Linux based systems do not 'really' run more efficiently. The primary reason that Linux OS is able to utilize older hardware is that it is lightweight. Thats like running DOS on older hardware.. it works well.

[bhang]

Well, as far as I know, Linux based systems do not 'really' run more efficiently. The primary reason that Linux OS is able to utilize older hardware is that it is lightweight. Thats like running DOS on older hardware.. it works well.

Nah, its my experience that ALL windows OSs are resource hoggging pigs and linux isn't and it makes much better use of system resource than winblows

take a web server running apache under winnt, replace the os with a flavor of linux and the same machine running apache has more throughput than before.

and there are distros that run very well on just about any machine, put xp on a 200mhz pentium mmx and see if you have a useable machine, that same puter with linux will work great for the average joe blow who just, web browses, emails, does word processing/ doc. creation.

linux will put computing power in the hands of people who cant blow 1000$ every 2 years to get the latest greatest pc. I wont even go into the ridiculous amounts of cash micro$oft charges for new versions of the bug ridden code they pass off as a finished product, then release 4 service packs to band-aid it together.

thanks linus, you should get a nobel peace prize or some sh1t...

bhang

[tone007]

Nah, its my experience that ALL windows OSs are resource hoggging pigs and linux isn't and it makes much better use of system resource than winblows

take a web server running apache under winnt, replace the os with a flavor of linux and the same machine running apache has more throughput than before.

and there are distros that run very well on just about any machine, put xp on a 200mhz pentium mmx and see if you have a useable machine, that same puter with linux will work great for the average joe blow who just, web browses, emails, does word processing/ doc. creation.

linux will put computing power in the hands of people who cant blow 1000$ every 2 years to get the latest greatest pc. I wont even go into the ridiculous amounts of cash micro$oft charges for new versions of the bug ridden code they pass off as a finished product, then release 4 service packs to band-aid it together.

thanks linus, you should get a nobel peace prize or some sh1t...

bhang


Here's a good example of some everyday anti-Microsoft rhetoric.

Linux on a slow computer won't make it do anything more than it could do running a Microsoft product. Sure, a finely customized (read: limited) Linux system might use a little less memory, but a slow computer is a slow computer.

Back on topic, I'd look more towards the already-existing Linux projects for the Wizard being useful before any Ubuntu branded distributions would be available. The BlueAngel Linux project from a couple of years ago got pretty far, I wonder if the Wizard is really all that much tougher to get working.

[hanmin]

Here's a good example of some everyday anti-Microsoft rhetoric.

Linux on a slow computer won't make it do anything more than it could do running a Microsoft product. Sure, a finely customized (read: limited) Linux system might use a little less memory, but a slow computer is a slow computer.

Yours will be a good example of a .. anti-old PC rhetoric?

I beg to differ. A PC's speed heavily depends on how many instructions it is running. The number of instructions run per second for any PCs is fixed, but having less unnecessary instructions to runs, yields a faster PC. Try running Vista with all fancy eye-candy enabled and browse the internet. Do the same with Windows 95. A slow PC is slow when you run something heavy on it, hence 'a slow computer is a slow computer' isn't true.

[NeoDMD]

Yours will be a good example of a .. anti-old PC rhetoric?

I beg to differ. A PC's speed heavily depends on how many instructions it is running. The number of instructions run per second for any PCs is fixed, but having less unnecessary instructions to runs, yields a faster PC. Try running Vista with all fancy eye-candy enabled and browse the internet. Do the same with Windows 95. A slow PC is slow when you run something heavy on it, hence 'a slow computer is a slow computer' isn't true.


When Ubuntu for Mobile phones is in 20 years of development, then I will consider it, however for my everyday needs, WM6 has me covered. Thanks, but no thanks. This is just the beginning for Linux on a phone, it has a LONG way to go to keep up.

Not only that, you have to find someone WILLING to create the software for FREE and well, you get what you paid for.

If you are a C++ programmer, Linux on a Mobile Phone will be a welcome challenge, but there is no market for Linux on a phone YET. Only reason anyone one the market will choose to switch is due to a CHANGE from what's already out there. I do not feel it compares at all to WM6 yet.

Sure, you can run faster, once you remove all of the graphics, background processes, etc, but you can do that with WM6 too. That's what people are creating their own roms for.

Water down any OS and you will find that it runs really fast and really well.

[escrimps]

I wonder if there will be Blackberry support? It might be interesting to toy with.

[AlanJC]

When Ubuntu for Mobile phones is in 20 years of development, then I will consider it, however for my everyday needs, WM6 has me covered. Thanks, but no thanks. This is just the beginning for Linux on a phone, it has a LONG way to go to keep up.

Not only that, you have to find someone WILLING to create the software for FREE and well, you get what you paid for.

If you are a C++ programmer, Linux on a Mobile Phone will be a welcome challenge, but there is no market for Linux on a phone YET. Only reason anyone one the market will choose to switch is due to a CHANGE from what's already out there. I do not feel it compares at all to WM6 yet.

Sure, you can run faster, once you remove all of the graphics, background processes, etc, but you can do that with WM6 too. That's what people are creating their own roms for.

Water down any OS and you will find that it runs really fast and really well.

So that's why Motorola already have, and Palm are developing linux mobile phones?

Linux on a mobile device is going to be here on mainstream handsets very soon, within the next 12 months guaranteed.

The reason?

Licensing costs.

If you develop an open source OS, and set of codecs to handle media, you don't have to pay so much to all the companies you traditionally hand money over to when you sell a phone.

People who buy a mobile phone rarely care if it can run Microsoft's pocket office apps, or RIM's office apps, or anyone elses, just as long as they can write that document, or email, and easily send it, or get it onto their PC.

People also don't care if it runs WM6, Symbian UIQ, S60, Linux, Palm, or Blackberry, they just care if it can do xyz functions, looks nice, and they can afford it.

We care, but we are not the majority of the market.

And lets be honest, out of all the mobile OS' out there, which is going to be the most hackable?

Linux on our HTC devices is always going to be a hobby more than a real alternative OS, since it's based on who wants what, and has the time to develop it. But on a commercially available device sold with it, it's already here, and more are on the way!

[wizardragon]

Linux is faster - especially non GNOME distros.

There is also Ubuntu light on the horizon.

I read this article which to me is a good summary...

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=40532

...and to reiterate my aforementioned point in addition to the seeking of fees - who requested the removal of the rom library here? So greater control with open source to the savvy end user.

Additionally - many of us are running linux without even realising - as its often the OS running in your routers/wireless modems.

Finally - if Windows kit for PDAs/smart phones was any good - would there be a reason for a forum like this to improve upon it, or are we all just really pernickety people?

[ericlin0122]

Ubuntu is a really amazing OS.
I have been running it for a while already, and I love it (except sometimes I screwed up, need to resetup).
U should all try it

[wizardragon]

Straight from the disk it saw and set up everything - including setting the two hyperthreading processors as 4 processors (I have the non server disk version too).

Only problem so far is its not happy with my Sandisk U3 Titanium.

Another point worth mentioning is the lightest/fastest/most secure browser is purportedly 'Dilo' which is written for Linux - but I have not tried it yet. (Although the security is based on the 'you cannot hijack it - if we dont support it' school of thought.)

[cbtumedic]

Linux rocks, I have ubuntu running on one of my desktops and am seriously considering dual booting my other with Fedora KDE. It really did a lot to speed up my old compaq, and i am not running a "watered down" version, I have more aps and programs on this than i did on xp, and it still boots faster and i have yet to have a weekly crash like i did with xp. I really would like it on my wizard, but in the meantime i'm going to watch palm's develpment and look in that direction.

[mr.incredible]

If you want to play a bit this works on my wizard. Still a long way to go but I can say I have linux on my wizard. And I don't have to change anything or lose my current setup. Just extract the folder to your SD and run the app. I haven't figured out how to exit the program with out a soft reset, but big deal. Also there is no touch screen support or shifted or symbol support for the keyboard.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/linwizard/

Cheers...