Hi all. I never really said my name.

I'm Justin. Most software I use is opensource. That said I prefer opensource software and DO NOT know how to code. I have an N900 myself and planned on buying an N9


My question to you all is why not do it ourselves? I'm sure most of you have heard of the openpandora gaming device.

They did it ALL themselves!

Why can't an opensource phone also exist?

I originally wrote a thread about asking Nokia for the keys for the kingdom...

I retract that message. Forget Nokia software. Forget Nokia hardware. Maybe just maybe, it can be done ourselves or maybe with the help of the open pandora team.......

I'm hoping the community can pick up the torch...

I'd love for someone to look over my shoulder one day and say what is that cool phone...and I say it's a Tux speak.....or something but u get the idea...

I do understand you deeply. I myself posted a thread on my wish for a Debian Phone. And I recently got a Pandora, too, even if 12 times the 'two months later' (TM) interval that's turned in a classic in the OpenPandora mythology.

Though, I don't think that would be easy. Have you seen how many stops and difficulties those guys have faced? Making hardware within the time and costs planned needs a corporation, and Nokia's examples teach us that not even a big corporation is always able to do it right.

I think the best way to get what I call the Debian Phone is to select among the already existing hardware and tweak it to the limit to turn it in a libre device. I have a gut feeling that something like the Galaxy S line can be turned upside down and made boot Debian - but I might be wrong of course, not being an expert.

Yes I do agree, but the point being is it does exist and since it exists, there is experts in open source oriented devices that now know the complexities in creating said device. I watched the openpandora project for years before buying an n900. Starting from scratch is difficult but it's something that only has to be done once and then becomes more of an evolving product and not a reinvention of the wheel.

Here you are http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Main_Page

If someone - say, you - is willing to invest a couple tens of thousands of dollars into getting hardware ordered, manufactured, assembled, and shipped, and there are people who can maintain the website such a community project would need, and a couple of kernel devs can write the right open drivers for the really awesome hardware that doesn't have open source drivers, then yes, it can be done.

I have some ideas for diffferent models if anyone's interested.

ideas are fine and all, but do you have the money ?

otherwise forget it

Or maybe someone else has the money.

Besides, ideas can have value in themselves, not just potential monetary value.

Just set the ideas free and share them. Maybe the ideas can at least let people think happy thoughts and feel nice for a while.

Sell the idea to Sony!

I would recommend you watch the latest episode of the Linux Action show. They mourn Nokia's betrayal of the open source community but also offer several alternative options for open mobile development. http://www.jupiterbroadcasting.com/?p=5232

Here are some links from their show notes.

Linux Cell Phone Distros:

Maemo – http://maemo.org/
Hildon – http://live.gnome.org/Hildon
Mer – http://wiki.maemo.org/Mer
MeeGo – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MeeGo
OpenMoko – http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Main_Page
Qtopia / QT Extended – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qtopia
OPIE – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OPIE_user_interface
SHR – http://shr-project.org/trac