Openmoko Gets New Life in Brazil After Being Declared Dead
Thanks to Jon "Maddog" Hall the Openmoko project has got a new stimulus: a Brazilian university has offered to partipate in Openmoko development. The blessing of the Brazilian government could lead to new Openmoko models.
Jon "Maddog" Hall is not only a regular blog writer at Linux Magazine, but an ambassador for all things Linux. In this function he seems to have managed to breathe life back into the Openmoko project that has long been declared dead.
The future of Openmoko could be Brazil, where Maddog recently made an acquaintance with Dr. Marcelo Zuffo, professor and head of the Laboratory for Integrated Systems at the University of São Paulo. The subject of Openmoko came up (Zuffo is also CTO of Koolu) and Maddog was all ears. It seems the university wants to provide resources (production facilities, circuit designs and more) and manpower to drive the project forward. Not only that, but Zuffo discussed the project with the Brazilian Minister of Telecommunications, who was "very enthusiastic about the concept."
The university sponsorship brings further benefits. In order not to operate commercial production and collide with companies in the market, unit production shouldn't exceed 10,000 units. Thus the goal is to provide licensing free to manufacturers. Maddog offered to coordinate with various other universities in collaborating by phone and mailing lists. The Openmoko mailing list is currently discussing the proposal. It would be exciting to see this agreement lead to a lucrative collaboration.
The Brazilian government, unlike many others, is quite open to open source software and it plays a much greater role in Brazilian society. Evidence of that is a visit from Brazil's president Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva to the Forum Internacional Software Livre (FISL) open source conference in Porto Alegre in June. Maddog was there as well.
Comments
comments powered by DisqusSubscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Gnome 47.1 Released with a Few Fixes
The latest release of the Gnome desktop is all about fixing a few nagging issues and not about bringing new features into the mix.
-
System76 Unveils an Ampere-Powered Thelio Desktop
If you're looking for a new desktop system for developing autonomous driving and software-defined vehicle solutions. System76 has you covered.
-
VirtualBox 7.1.4 Includes Initial Support for Linux kernel 6.12
The latest version of VirtualBox has arrived and it not only adds initial support for kernel 6.12 but another feature that will make using the virtual machine tool much easier.
-
New Slimbook EVO with Raw AMD Ryzen Power
If you're looking for serious power in a 14" ultrabook that is powered by Linux, Slimbook has just the thing for you.
-
The Gnome Foundation Struggling to Stay Afloat
The foundation behind the Gnome desktop environment is having to go through some serious belt-tightening due to continued financial problems.
-
Thousands of Linux Servers Infected with Stealth Malware Since 2021
Perfctl is capable of remaining undetected, which makes it dangerous and hard to mitigate.
-
Halcyon Creates Anti-Ransomware Protection for Linux
As more Linux systems are targeted by ransomware, Halcyon is stepping up its protection.
-
Valve and Arch Linux Announce Collaboration
Valve and Arch have come together for two projects that will have a serious impact on the Linux distribution.
-
Hacker Successfully Runs Linux on a CPU from the Early ‘70s
From the office of "Look what I can do," Dmitry Grinberg was able to get Linux running on a processor that was created in 1971.
-
OSI and LPI Form Strategic Alliance
With a goal of strengthening Linux and open source communities, this new alliance aims to nurture the growth of more highly skilled professionals.
Tsc
If you wanna know what this man represents, watch the movie "Beyond Citizen Kane", made by the London BBC.