Paul wrote:
> Is an OS important if you are making imode services?.... I always treat
> OSes as black boxes with keitais.
This used to be the case but with "open" systems such as Linux,
Symbian and even WinMobile application developers can provide native
apps. which are more capable than Java apps. By capable I mean they
don't run in a sandbox, they have more potential functionality, they
can access the filesystem and system services etc etc.
> I'm not sure if I'd want linux on my mobile.... as I can get the
> source code
> for it and so could a malicious hacker. (or windows for that
> matter). I have
Getting the source code to Linux is one thing. Getting the source
code to *the* Linux that is on your phone is something else
altogether. Normally the handset manufacturer will require some
changes to be made, for various reasons, to the base OS. They will
license a Linux from someone like MontaVista or some other vendor, or
roll their own. You cannot be sure of exactly which Linux is running.
Furthermore, even if they did have access to the source, there's
probably very little they could do with it. Have you looked at the
Linux source? I don't think its the sort of thing that is easy to
understand.
Finally they couldn't replace the Linux kernel as it is flashed onto
the device. Very difficult to do remotely.
You may not be aware that Motorola is committed to Linux phones for
now and the future:
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/linuxunix/0,39020390,39207114,00.htm
- Robi Karp
--
Fluffy Spider Technologies Embedded Linux / FancyPants
http://www.fluffyspider.com.au/ Linux / Unix / Wireless / Real Time
phone: +61 2 9281 9055 fax: +61 2 9281 2944
Received on Tue Jul 5 12:17:13 2005