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View Full Version : Can we get Linux on this phone?



ThinkBuntu
August 12th, 2007, 03:51 PM
I'm in the market for a new phone, as I've had my current one for 14 months and it's beginning to break down. I have a buddy who can hook me up with Sprint's HTC Mogul. a "smart phone", for $300 less than retail, no plan or other strings attached.

But it comes with Windows.

Yes, this phone is gifted enough to come loaded with Windows Mobile 6, which to me counterweights the benefits of all of the phone's numerous features (WiFi-enabled, etc.). However, it comes with a USB cable and could probably be hacked pretty well from a PC.

So, can we put Linux on this baby? Is it a bad idea? I'd love to use it as a test-bed for this upcoming mobile edition of Ubuntu...

Here's a press release or something about the phone (http://business.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=10300A4MHVAD)

I'm working on getting the link for Sprint.com's phone page.

ThinkBuntu
August 12th, 2007, 04:16 PM
Just a quick note. I'm looking closest right now at Debian and Net-BSD as solutions. It seems that others have been successful in putting Debian on PDAs and the like. Gentoo, Slackware, and Fedora might alsa be options, all of which have support for multiple architectures.

:::
August 12th, 2007, 04:38 PM
short answer: no, you won't be able to run linux on it.

long answer: there are a few projects trying to put linux on Windows-Mobile-Devices. However, as far as I know, none of them do really support every feature of those phones. Additionally, most of tose project are tarteted towards really old Devices ...

The main Problem is that there are no open drivers for all the hardware. So while it may be possible to run linux on the device, it might not be able to access wifi and storage card and other hardware ...


If you really want a phone to play with, maybe you shoud have a look at the FIC Neo1973 (http://openmoko.com/). It is specifically designed to work with linux and uses only "open" hardware.

However, I am not sure, whether Ubuntu Mobile will run on it. As far as I know, Ubuntu Mobile is targeted towards slightly more powerful devices, like Intel's MID-Devices (which aren't available yet).

ThinkBuntu
August 12th, 2007, 10:59 PM
short answer: no, you won't be able to run linux on it.

long answer: there are a few projects trying to put linux on Windows-Mobile-Devices. However, as far as I know, none of them do really support every feature of those phones. Additionally, most of tose project are tarteted towards really old Devices ...

The main Problem is that there are no open drivers for all the hardware. So while it may be possible to run linux on the device, it might not be able to access wifi and storage card and other hardware ...


If you really want a phone to play with, maybe you shoud have a look at the FIC Neo1973 (http://openmoko.com/). It is specifically designed to work with linux and uses only "open" hardware.

However, I am not sure, whether Ubuntu Mobile will run on it. As far as I know, Ubuntu Mobile is targeted towards slightly more powerful devices, like Intel's MID-Devices (which aren't available yet).
Figures - Maybe for the first time in my life, I'll own something that runs Windows! I'll probably have to be very conscious of my phone's security and do my homework to make sure it's hardened.

popch
August 12th, 2007, 11:01 PM
make sure it's hardened.

Don't put it online, then you won't catch anything.

Windows for paperweights. Comes just before Windows for vacuum cleaners.

tgbrowning
August 29th, 2007, 04:17 AM
Did you happen to note the new item this last week about the 17 year old kid who hacked the iPhone -- he got it to run with something other than ATT -- I can't recall which.

Browning>>>

odzk
October 17th, 2007, 06:17 AM
Did you happen to note the new item this last week about the 17 year old kid who hacked the iPhone -- he got it to run with something other than ATT -- I can't recall which.

Browning>>>

hahhaa yup ive read it, the kid was skilled both software and hardware side so he was able to unlock it to T-Mobile.

vishzilla
October 17th, 2007, 07:10 AM
Openmoko has good potential, Linux should start tapping in the cell phone market. There is lot of scope esp for the developers to build new apps for the phone.

jr.gotti
October 17th, 2007, 07:13 AM
I never understood the allure of having linux on a mobile device. IMO, having linux on your phone won't make it more stable. I guess it's just the cool factor? (Which I could understand...) Eh...my two cents.