Linux on my Mobile Phone

[keine_ahnung]

Hello everybody!

I recently was searching the web for a mobile (smart)phone with Linux on it. Openmoko/Freerunner came to my mind and I also read about a hacked iPhone with Linux on it. The Freerunner is a bit weak (as I can read from the mailing list) and has no 3G/UMTS. The iPhone Linux is in Alpha state and therefore not really what I need. I would like to have a powerful phone with WiFi+UMTS/3G+GPS running a full featured Linux on it. I'm asking here because my favorite Distribution is K/Ubuntu... Anyone knows of a product which one can run Linux (especially Ubuntu or Ubuntu Mobile) on? The price is not important...

Thanks for all your comments!

Cheers,
Daniel

[h4wk0]

Only one that comes to my mind will be the phone ive got, Google G1 - Runs googles mobile os, which is based of ubuntu. As its open source features can be updated, the market (free apps - open source) are all very good.

For example, while at work i can ssh into my home desktop to run a couple of things etc etc.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20080923/tec-google-phone/images/c95e6f61-fcd9-4cbc-ae5e-49d270ed2c85.jpg

[keine_ahnung]

Android is not an option as I really hate this remote kill switch stuff (like on iPhones). http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10/16/android_kill_switch/

Or are you able to put a completely free O/S on the G1? For me it's more important to SSH into my phone instead out of my phone. ;)

[billgoldberg]

Android is not an option as I really hate this remote kill switch stuff (like on iPhones). http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10/16/android_kill_switch/

Or are you able to put a completely free O/S on the G1? For me it's more important to SSH into my phone instead out of my phone. ;)

Those are only for the apps installed from the google market thingy.

You can just donwload those of the web without using googles service.

[keine_ahnung]

I understand, but I personally don't want
Such a mechanism also implies that Android devices will be regularly reporting back to Google to download the latest list of unapproved applications. at all. I don't want them to be able to remotely do anything on my phone. If I buy a piece of hardware, it's MY hardware and nobody should be able to do anything on it except me.

So, it seems there's no phone available to run any distribution I like, right? Then I'll stay with my old Nokia 3410... Or maybe I'll look deeper into Openmoko.

[Kevbert]

Please take a look at this (http://www.linuxdevices.com/articles/AT9423084269.html). Also it will probably be a matter of time before Nokia have 3G linux phones.

[keine_ahnung]

Wow, thanks for that link! Will read through it later. Great list :)

[Ub1476]

What about the G1 dev phone?

[BackwardsDown]

The only true opensource phone is the OpenMoko: http://www.openmoko.com/

The OpenMoko hardware is opensource, the software is, and you can do with it whatever you want. It even runs debian with xfce pretty fast if you want.

[plb]

The only true opensource phone is the OpenMoko: http://www.openmoko.com/

The OpenMoko hardware is opensource, the software is, and you can do with it whatever you want. It even runs debian with xfce pretty fast if you want.

++ but it's not really usable compared to other smart phones on the market. Android is decent, but again, lacks features present in other mobiles (as of now, but that will change in time). And I wouldn't recommend the G1. I went through three of them, each one had a different issue. The first one the battery died within 4 hours, The 2nd ones keyboard was depressed into the actual unit so you had to stick your fingers into the holes. The third one, the screen slider wasn't properly aligned so when you closed it, it would overhang.

[durand]

What about the Nokia n810? I've never used it but its the first phone that comes to my mind that supports linux. I believe people have got it to run gnome, kde, enlightenment, etc and maemo is installed by default.

[plb]

What about the Nokia n810? I've never used it but its the first phone that comes to my mind that supports linux. I believe people have got it to run gnome, kde, enlightenment, etc and maemo is installed by default.

n810 is not a phone.

[keine_ahnung]

Don't need GSM as long there is UMTS or similar available. But the n810 (even though it would be a great device) doesn't have this. Maybe is there any other UMPC-like device available like the n810 or the HTC Shift (weak hardware) with UMTS/3G/whatever? It Should actually fit in my pocket so a UMPC would be too big I guess. The Openmoko Freerunner is probably the only device with this amount of features (GSM/2.5G/WiFi/GPS/real VGA/everything), right? So I'm stuck with it. :(

EDIT: Look at this: http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS2005328761.html
Seems pretty much what I need, except the display is too small. I don't like/need a hardware keyboard, or it should be hidden behind the screen like the n810. But the Hardware seems to be great...

[durand]

n810 is not a phone.

Oh. Sorry :(

[russo.mic]

Well, I've heard of plenty of people using the OpenMoko phone with the Qtopia stack installed and say it far exceeds usable. Plus, you can put android on it now as well.

Russo