The future of openmoko as a community distribution

[Sean Moss-Pultz]

On Thu, 2007-02-15 at 12:52 +0100, Koen Kooi wrote:
> I'm really curious where FIC/openmoko.com wants to take the
> distribution after the p2 launch.

Some of this stuff I just can't talk about publicly yet. OpenMoko is
really strategic for us. I should just leave it at that for now. When
we're in together in FOSDEM, I'm more than happy to talk more. 

> I've stated this before:
> 
> "Stage 3
> Assemble an Ångström-moko-image containing a recent gtk
> +/pango/cairo/glib and compare that
> against the OABI and EABI moko-images. If it turns out certain parts
> are slower compared
> to the moko-images I'll inform the people involved (most likely the
> cairo people and
> selected gtk hackers like Federico) and try to improve those areas.

Great!

> Stage 4
> Convince FIC to merge their openmoko-distro into Ångstrom, so the
> community doesn't
> fragment between the two distros. Since openmoko was based on Ångstrom
> anyway, it boils
> down to branding issues, but I'm sure we can work that out."

Koen, please understand that for a company using open source branding is
in some ways, more often than not, more important that the code itself.
I, too, would like to see less fragmentation out there. We built
OpenMoko using as many existing components as possible. But what we're
trying to do (internally) is different than the direction of Ångstrom
(to the best of my knowledge). I will always trying to be as open with
this community as possible, but some of this stuff I just don't want to
comment on. Mainly because it's not at a far enough advanced stage for
me to commit to.

> Do you want to keep the OM distro in your own control, or will be it
> (partially) community
> run at some point?

We are _really_ hoping that OpenMoko will become a community /
commercial platform. Believe me, I have lots of interests in seeing the
community directly influence and help set the direction of OpenMoko.
Where I think we (as a company) can offer the most to a community (and
in the end -- the general public) is by building devices that are
designed from day 1 to be used with open source software. Neo1973 is our
first device. Don't let the first specs fool you. We're really serious
about pushing hardware at the same rapid pace that software can be
pushed. Right now we're just trying to get hardware out in the wild. So
we start getting your feedback and make the next iteration far better as
an open device.

Ultimately, this community / commercial cooperation is what I think will
be needed to open the mobile industry. It just don't see it happening as
a one-sided effort. 

> Regardless of that, would you want to work together with the angstrom
> distribution in OE
> to contain the fragmentation a bit? 

Oh you bet. Please prepare your thoughts on this. I will do the same and
talk it over with our coreteam. Let's meet over some beers in a few
weeks. 

-Sean