Thread: General questions about Linux
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wmarone is offline wmarone
2009-11-15 , 21:33
Posts: 1,746 | Thanked: 2,100 times | Joined on Sep 2009
#7
Originally Posted by cheetos316 View Post
But if the Linux kernel is completely open, how can Google lock out the root? Isn't that against the open-source nature of Linux?
Against the spirit yes, but not the law.

I can see Nokia's incentive for creating Maemo for its own devices, but what incentive does Google have for creating Android, since they technically don't build their own phones? If they are charging OEMs for Android, isn't that also against the free and open source nature of Linux?
They are getting money from vendors via unspecified means (or they could be paying money, we don't know), however companies like Redhat and SuSE charge for their distros as well. This is not against the spirit or law of open-source. Despite not making hardware, Google gets a lot from it, especially if the devices come with Google's applications.

If Android does lack the root feature, how are people able to write apps for it? Since Maemo is more open than Android, I'm pretty surprised that Android seems to be taking off more so than Maemo is.
Android apps are written using Java and the Android software development kit, which runs on your desktop PC. You can then load applications on an SD card and install them, or install them over the internet. It's actually quite easy. Android is getting a lot of attention because it has been out for a year, has a number of phones, and has Google backing it.